Anna Scott on Nashville Grit and Finding Her Voice

Episode Two Recap: Anna Scott 

Anna joined us from Nashville, fresh off a songwriter’s retreat in Florida, still buzzing from palm trees, new songs, and jumping straight back into Broadway gigs!

She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, in a house where music was everywhere. Her dad played drums in bands. Family members played heavy metal, blues, country. Anna was on stage young, sometimes way too young, singing the national anthem at racetracks in front of crowds most people would run from. Somehow, that became normal to her.

By the time she moved to Nashville at 18, she already knew performing was home. Not because it was easy, but because it felt right.

We talked about what Broadway really looks like. Not the fantasy version, but four-hour acoustic sets, late nights, disco balls, and drunk requests for "Free Bird"!! About playing rooftops at Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places, Allen Jackson’s bar, and everything in between. About learning how to hold a room when anything can happen, including bar fights breaking out during Taylor Swift songs (yes... that really happened!).

Anna was open about the fear too. How Nashville can make you doubt yourself. How she wishes she’d been braver earlier. How COVID forced her to stop waiting and start putting herself out there properly.

Her advice was simple and honest: no one’s coming to knock on your door. You have to move first.

We dug into songwriting, which is clearly personal territory for her. Most of her released songs are written alone. She talked about how hard co-writing felt at first, and how vulnerable it is to tell strangers your life story just to turn it into a song. The Florida retreat changed something. Writing on boats, sharing songs in circles, realising she’s not just a performer, but a writer too.

There were lighter moments as well. Pierogi smuggled through airport security. A pierogi tattoo. Debates over Christmas music before December... and socks with sandals getting a firm “hell no.” (I haven't worn this combination since - haha)

And then there was the music.

Anna closed the episode by performing her songs, "Change" and "Strangers" live. This was the first time we attempted to play music on the platform, so we were super grateful to Anna - after all, we are a music podcast! Strangers, in particular, hits hard once you’ve heard her talk about where it came from. It’s easy to see why it’s been picked up by NSAI and featured by the Recording Academy.

This episode wasn’t about hype. It was about work. Family. Belief. And sticking with the thing you love even when it scares you.

If you want to understand what life actually looks like for a young, independent artist in Nashville, this one’s worth your time!!!

Make sure you give the episode a listen, share it with someone who loves real country music, and go spend some time with Anna’s songs. That kind of support still matters more than people realise.