Back in the ’90s before grunge fizzled out and indie became king, “alternative rock” was all the rage. But that’s not to say the genre’s gone the way of tin pan alley. There are still folks out there who prefer the heavier, less inoffensive side of the rock mega-spectrum, including Austin’s Scott Collins. Ever equipped with his trusty six-string, deep-tinted stoner shades, and lighthearted sense of realistic pessimism, Scott Collins doesn’t really bullshit around with his songwriting; his top two priorities are telling a good story and putting on a fun show, no matter how many crowd trust falls he has to do. It’s been three years since Austin Mayor Steve Adler declared January 31st “Scott Collins Day” and two years since his last LP, Headed North, but Collins hasn’t let COVID kill his momentum.

Building on top of their already auspicious relationship, Collins has once again teamed up with Grammy-nominated engineer-producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith at their collective home base The Bubble Recording. And with the addition of Kelly Clarkson multi-instrumentalist Einar Pedersen, the three have created Scott Collins’ upcoming eighth album, In The Burgundy. Smith and Pedersen’s presence and polish allowed Scott to elevate In The Burgundy‘s originals even further, so needless to say, we’re stoked to hear the end result. For now, though we’ll just have to be content with the latest blistering, Americana-basted single off In The Burgundy, “Be Alright”.