Daily Discovery: F. Scott and The Nighthawks Look To A Brighter Day With “Honey Bee”

“There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. It can be hard to see, but you gotta dig deep and keep moving forward,” says F. Scott. “You gotta love yourself and be open to be loved. It’s like an electric circuit, and love and energy flow fluidly when the connection is true.”

With “Honey Bee,” Americana band F. Scott and the Nighthawks cash in their chips, swapping out emotional wreckage for some life-affirming changes. “I had a pretty focused creative direction in mind that I felt compelled to entertain and develop as I became ever conscious that my actions had a major impact on my tenacity and ability to love myself and lead the band,” Scott tells American Songwriter. “The same actions impacted my family life and relationship with my wife and daughter─doubts and negativity in place of positivity and love. It basically comes down to facing fears and the commitment to go all in not knowing where that might lead. It leads nowhere if you don’t play a card and I don’t want to look at that guy in the mirror.”

I got my problems, baby, everyone do / But the moment I break is when love leaves the room, Scott crows with a gnarly growl. I’m gonna dig down deep do what I gots to do.

Lead guitarist Scotty B. Goode brought in a guitar riff on which he had been working. “When we sat down to see where this thing was headed, it sorta fell out in a few takes right there in his living room,” Scott continues. “It’s honest and simple. There’s no big mystery. There’s not even any twisted, big-thinking lyrics. By the time the big man is ready to give you some guitar, you probably know where it’s headed─and we hope maybe it could help you when you’re having a day or looking to light it up.”

I wanna be your king / You be my queen tonight, he continues, howling on the hook. I got my chips on your table, your stars in my eyes / Let’s kiss the sun / And reach them highest highs.

Originally from Niagara Falls, Scott grew up on a healthy diet of Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, The Highwaymen, Robert Earl Keen, and Ray Wylie Hubbard─setting the stage for the group’s hearty blend of Americana, blues, and rock. “It’s a party when it needs to be and a message of hope if you’re looking deeper,” he reflects. “At the end of the day, it’s all that and always a good time.”

Attention to heartfelt songwriting lies at the core of their work, as a way to “freedom and release,” as Scott puts it. “To put it down and get it out of your heart and head is freeing. The idea that words and vibrations could connect and maybe help someone else is so powerful and primal. I truly appreciate the craft. Also, when the boys add in their herbs and spices, and we turn it up live─that doesn’t suck.”

“Honey Bee” anchors the group’s forthcoming debut record, Hold on to Your Heart, out everywhere August 13. With the release, Scott offers this sage piece of songwriting advice: “Enjoy every part of it, and don’t throw anything away,” he says. “There’s always something in there even if it’s not ready to be a song quite yet.”