By Jae-Ha Kim
Los Angeles Times
May 29, 2018
Canadian musician Scott Helman says that touring has taught him to be patient and to go with the flow. “I know it’s corny, but whatever happens will happen,” says Helman, 22. “Be on time, pack well, stay hydrated. These are things we can control. Everything else is for the world to decide. My most memorable experiences are when things go wrong while traveling. It’s when you find the kind ones and when whatever is wrong becomes resolved, you can count on them to bring your life more meaning and joy knowing they’re in the world.” Helman currently is on tour to promote his CD “Hôtel de Ville” and the single “Ripple Effect.”
For updated tour dates, check out his www.scotthelmanmusic.com and social media: Facebook and Twitter.
Q. Some musicians say they always feel at home on the road, but also feel like they have no roots. How do you feel about this?
A. I don’t feel at home on the road anymore. I used to, but I think my idea of home was much less concrete to me then it is now. (This) reminds me of a line from Haruki Murakami’s “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle,” about how a home is much more of a home when it’s you that decides on its attributes. The amount I travel nowadays means that when I do get home, I need it to be a certain way. I need consistency. I need an escape from the constant bustle of the city. I need to wake up to find my cat, Margot, staring me square in the face. Rootless is a word that fits with how I feel on the road. Rootless can be good, especially for writing and self-improvement. Our deepest revelations usually come when we have no attachments. I adore touring and the wildness of crossing 14 borders in 22 days. But I wouldn’t call it home.
Q. Slab City, Calif., isn’t well known. How did you come to feature it prominently in your music video for “Kinda Complicated”?
A. I work very closely with Ben Knechtel on most of my music videos. We usually have a starting concept and let it permeate into something big and breathable. Initially we were planning to head to an abandoned water park between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. To mirror the oddity of the song and the implication of love that went wrong, we wanted to film somewhere that felt abandoned and somewhere that felt like when it was inhabited it was full of life. As a teenager, I was always infatuated with the idea of hitchhiking, squatting and living off the grid. Young people yearn for freedom more than anything. So I took notice of Slab City, and also saw it featured in “Into the Wild.” I’m just so grateful I was able to take a song about a painful experience and turn it into something that I would call a beautiful — and slightly absurd — resolution.
Q. What areas of the world are producing really relevant music?
A. It seems Chicago has a kind of musical renaissance happening. Montreal has always been an artist town in the purest sense and I don’t think that’s going away. Nashville, which I’m dying to go to, looks to be the songwriters’ haven these days. Still, all places interest me. Some of the best music has come from self-described sub-par places, stopover towns, towns overlooking bigger towns. New Jersey comes to mind. The yearning for more is what makes so much of our greatest art. I look for greatness everywhere I go, and it’s usually found in unexpected places.
Q. What is the most misconceived notion about Canada?
A. We don’t ride polar bears.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: My idea of a vacation is usually somewhere new, so it’s hard to decide on a place I’ve been. Nonetheless, I’d have to say Costa Rica for the nature and Amsterdam for the culture. (Amsterdam) is featured on the cover of “Hôtel DeVille.” (Visit) all the museums. So much beauty has come from Amsterdam. One you may not have heard of is the FOAM museum. Great for modern art. Walk around. Enjoy the scenery. Avoid pickpockets. If you’re young and interested in meeting others, stay at a hostel. I made unforgettable friends from the shared experience of being constantly exhausted and never fully clean.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. Up north at my best friend’s cottage in Muskoka, Ontario. It’s where I feel most calm.
© 2018 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
One thought on “Go Away With … Scott Helman”