Time Capsule Post #9 

Here are a few photos of Silver Scooter recording our debut album, The Other Palm Springs, with Dave McNair. The recording took place in his Baylor St. home, which he rented with his then-wife, Robin. Dave is a legend in the industry, and our collaboration stemmed from a chance meeting while I was working at a local tape supply company. I was pleasantly surprised to discover his familiarity with the band and his eagerness to work with us.

We set up his 3M 24-track recorder (once owned by Frank Zappa, or so I was told), a 32-channel Mackie board, and all his outboard gear, along with a few very modest microphones, and proceeded to record. It took us weeks of on-and-off work before we realized we had something pretty good. The iconic cover is a very large painting created by our future band member, Shawn Camp, which still hangs in my music studio today.

Note: These sessions also yielded enough B-side material for a Crank! Records release, which was shared with the Omaha band, Cursive.

As a trio, Silver Scooter comprised John Hunt on bass, Tom Hudson on drums, and myself on guitar and vocals, roughly from 1995 to 1999. We morphed into a 4-piece before recording out last album. More on that later…

Thank you Chat GPT for editing my sloppy writing.

Time Capsule Post #8 

I don't believe there has ever been a bigger supporter of my music than Willamette Week, especially its former music editor, Amy McCullough. She once accompanied Super XX Man all the way to Austin, TX, for exclusive SXSW coverage. I'll find that feature soon! Here's one commemorating Vol. X.

Time Capsule Post #7 

My first gig in San Francisco was with Silver Scooter at the Bottom of the Hill in 1997. We had just released our debut album, "The Other Palm Springs," and completed a successful tour through the East and Midwest. Back then, I had no idea I would return to play here many more times, eventually making this city my home. Life is indeed unpredictable.

I want to express my thanks to Deb Zeller for inviting Super XX Man to San Francisco to take part in the Playing in Fog series. It was truly one of my favorite experiences!

Additionally, I really miss the excitement of playing live music.

Yes, I'm still using ChatGPT to improve word choice and grammar. I have officially asked it not to use words like moreover and inaugural. 

Carnation Post #1  

Before I get a few grinds in at the skatepark, I thought I would share a not-so-quick story with you. 

I was trying to login to the Super XX Man “artist” profile on Spotify the other day so I could check in on a few data points. Mostly, I just wanted to update the picture so that it was more representative of what Super XX Man has “looked like” over the years. The current band photo is horribly out of date and we all look airbrushed for some reason.

Except, I couldn't login. I wasn't the artist, Super XX Man.

Spotify: “We took a look at the info you gave us but can't confirm a connection between you and the artist you claimed.”

Me: “Thanks for writing. I don't think you really looked at my Instagram or reviewed my website. Google me for crying out loud. Super XX Man is the same person as Scott Garred. Check out my NPR Tiny Desk Concert and this American Songwriter article."

Spotify: “To give you some info, our verification team uses the content and email address dispayed on the social media pages and websites provided to ensure the requester is the artist or their direct management.”

Me: “Oh, so you don't care that I did a Tiny Desk Concert?”

After many emails going back and forth I decided on a new tactic. I reached out to Tender Loving Empire as they were the first organization to upload Super XX Man to streaming services. They wrote back - “Happy to help!” That failed even more. They were told to go back to square one and “claim the artist.”

Not my website. Not my social media sites. Not a former record label. And, not my name being linked to Super XX Man in major news outlets was enough to say, “Come on in Scott. Your Spotify artist login is ready and waiting for you…”

It was time to change tactics. I contacted my web hosting service to reactivate superxxman.com and prove to Spotify a thing or two. Except…

Web host: “Looks like you just need to have your domain pointed in our direction so we can get this going for you.”

Me: “Too easy!”

Domain host: “Sorry, it looks like you no longer own superxxman.com.”

Me: “What?”

Domain host: “Yeah, a Mr. Fong owns it.”

Me: “What?”

There's been quite a few members of the old double x man band over the years, but I've never sung with a Mr. Fong. So, I entered superxxman.com and, sure enough, found out McKenzie Legal and Financial could offer all the consulting I needed. I knew someday the money hungry lawyers would tear apart Super XX Man. Maybe the double x man is dead.

I just couldn't give up. I had one last play. I bought the domain superxxman.net and was able to point it in the right direction, make my Instagram an obvious promotion hub for all things Super XX Man, and voila.

Spotify: “We've taken another look at your request and we've now granted you Spotify for Artists access to the Super XX Man profile.”

Why am I doing this? It just might be time to release some Super XX Man music. That's why. Back from the dead? Maybe. Now all I need to do is fix that band photo.

Here's an unreleased Super XX Man track for you. It's called “God Made Man.” It was recorded in early 2015 while house sitting for my cousin in Carnation, WA. Josh Woods plays bass. Darren Gallagher plays lead guitar. Warren Gardiner mixed it at Gardiner Audio in Melbourne, AUS.

Time Capsule Post #6  

Yesterday, I opened the closet door in my music studio. Holy crap! More memorabilia; and the worst kind of memorabilia - physical copies of just about every record I've ever made, including original cassette tapes of Super XX Man Vol. I and Vol. II. I'm torn about this stuff. Do I keep it or throw it away? Who needs 20 CDs of Silver Scooter's second album, Orleans Parish? Okay, I agree that “Tribute to the Phone Calls” is a great song, but come on, it's out there streaming if you want it, right?

This all leads to the question for me: Will CDs be like LPs are now? Does anyone say, “I love opening the jewel case, reading the liner notes, and setting the disc in the tray?” I mean, they sound great for sure!

I guess I'll just ask you. Does anyone need a physical copy of Vol. V? Vol. IV? Blue Law? Let me know. And, please shoot me an email and tell me what you are doing with all your old CDs.

Just for fun, here's an early demo of “Tribute to the Phone Calls” for you.

Time Capsule Post #5 

I've always loved opening the daily or weekly newspaper and finding a review of one of my albums. LOL, I believe these are the only two ever written for Super XX Man Vol. XIII White Bed. I loved this version of the band, and I love this album. Have a listen. It features Adam Mack on drums, Daren Claymon on bass, and eventually Tony Moreno on guitar - although he was not in the band for this album.

The songs comprised everything we had written and arranged together in Adam's basement rehearsal space. The songs were mostly about my dad's passing in 2008. It must have been 2009 when we got around to recording. We recorded it in Adam's kitchen and dining room when he and his wife, Shelly, were living in S.E. Portland. I did overdubs at my house. The very talented Bryan Daste played saxophone and pedal steel on a few songs. It was mixed by my friend and former bandmate, Tyler Mallory, and mastered by Dave McNair, Silver Scooter engineer, and co-producer. Thomas Metcalf did the artwork.

Probably the best-known song of the album is “Box Store” (Mitchell calls it “Big Box” in her review). This song would get a lot of stage time over the years, including a beautiful rendition by my friends Courtney Barnett and Jen Cloher - both live and in-studio.

I remember feeling a bit upset when I noticed the one review stating that this was a Tender Loving Empire release. However, it was not. They had actually passed on releasing the album, so I self-released it on my own dime.

P.S. ChatGPT made me a grammar sandwich.

Anatomy of a Song Post #2 

As mentioned earlier, I've been working on new songs. A few weeks ago, I shared a snippet titled “Journey Begins.” One of the toughest parts of songwriting often revolves around committing to a structure and finalizing the lyrics. Typically, once the lyrics are completed, the structure falls into place naturally. If the lyrics still need refinement but are close, I can usually determine the final structure. If not, I start over!

For this particular song, I knew what I wanted to express and fortunately found the words without much difficulty. It was time to record. I should also mention that I prefer to record my songs as soon as they're finished. This approach keeps them feeling fresh and spontaneous.

I begin by setting a tempo and recording a basic acoustic guitar track. Guitar has always been my primary instrument, and I'm fortunate to have several acoustic guitars that record beautifully. I typically add a 'scratch' or 'guide' vocal to hear the melody and gauge the mood I'm creating, which helps me decide on additional overdubbed parts.

My go-to instruments include bass, guitar, keyboard, piano, and percussion. Here's what I have so far, excluding the 'scratch' vocal. By the way, I've temporarily named it “Projector.”

I'd appreciate any feedback you have regarding these Anatomy of a Song posts. Are they interesting to you? Let me know.

All song snippets for Anatomy of a Song Posts can be found here.

Thanks ChatGPT. You really nailed the grammar on this one! You and I are becoming buddies. Are you free tomorrow night?

Time Capsule Post #4  

Jeff and I at the skatepark in Seattle, March 2022


I found something in the digital laundry bin the other day. It's a song called “Stove” by Eric's Trip, as covered by Jeff Albertson and me. I seem to recall being hard at work making my 50 Cover Songs project happen when I got a call from Jeff for a quick catch-up. We were talking about music, influences (maybe? I can't remember very well, but it seems reasonable), and, anyway, we got to talking about working something up together. It wasn't long after that conversation that I received the bass line, doubled vocal track, and guitar for “Stove." I thought, “Sweet! I can use this in my cover songs project." I got right to work on it. I tracked drums, vocals, ukulele, and piano. I mixed it and sent it back to Jeff. He loved it, and I quickly put it in the simmer pot. When it came time to review it for possible inclusion in my project, I couldn't find it anywhere! I asked Jeff, and he said, “No, haven't seen it.”

Years later, I found something called STOVE in my Google Drive. To be honest, I was too scared to open it, thinking it was just Jeff's original parts with no overdubs. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the full production open up in GarageBand when I downloaded it. I mixed it in GarageBand with the goal of making it really messed up. I sent it to Jeff again, and he said, “Sounds great, thanks for this. I love this version. I'm pumped!”

I've added it to the 50 Cover Songs album, which you can download over here.

I almost failed to mention that I used ChatGPT to help with grammar and cohesiveness.

Time Capsule Post #3 

As part of my “Time Capsule” series, I've been dumpster diving in my own garage again, looking for clues to what my past music self once was up to. Today, I found an old poster advertising a show in Austin, TX, at the beloved Hole in the Wall venue—a place that was undoubtedly one of my favorite spots to play and see bands. I'm really glad I have this poster because it documents the one and only show Unabomber ever played. Unabomber, you ask? Why would anyone name a band after this? Simply put, I was obsessed with three to four things in the news cycle of the day: The Unabomber, Ruby Ridge, OJ Simpson, and the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City. I guess it made sense at the time. Please note that naming a music project is a really difficult thing to do. By calling our band Unabomber, we in no way intended to praise or pay tribute to the life of Ted Kaczynski, a murderer.

Unabomber was a trio made up of myself, Tom Hudson, and a bass player I just can't remember. He was a bit older than Tom and me, from Seattle, and quite a great bassist if I recall. We kicked him out promptly after this show. I'll tell you the story…

This gig was in October of 1995. Considering Tom and I moved to Austin in July 1995, we obviously wasted no time posting an ad for a bassist and getting our first gig. We played a few originals left over from Crogan, the band Tom and I were in with Jeff Albertson back in Moscow, ID. We played a Built to Spill cover called “Joyride" and maybe a Versus cover called “Frog.” I don't remember it being too bad for a first gig. Perhaps Tom and I knew before we even played that we were going to move on from this bassist?

I say this because in attendance at the show would have been John Hunt and the entire Boston crew that followed him down to Austin a few years prior. It was John who offered to play bass for us that very night. I think his exact words were, “Fill in until you find someone.” Well, we would soon find out that playing with John was absolutely perfect. And thus, Silver Scooter was born. We toured the country many times, played in Japan, and released three albums, and numerous singles and compilation tracks. Thanks for filling in John!

Also on the bill were two bands that we would get to know fairly well. One, of course, was Spoon, and the other was Audrey, a totally awesome band from, I believe, Denton, TX. They would soon be one of the first artists to release a 7" record on Travis Higdon's soon-to-be-formed Peek-a-Boo Records. We played several shows with both bands, at least until Audrey broke up and Spoon went on to playing larger venues.

Maybe one of these days I'll find evidence of the Air Supply cover band I started with Jim Eno, the drummer from Spoon.

Also, I'm continuing to use ChatGPT to edit my grammar! AIOU anybody?

Anatomy of a Song Post #1  

I finished recording over 50 cover songs last December 2022. I then took a year or so off from making any music, as I often do. What I really love about songwriting is the waiting. It's like sitting in a doctor's office, waiting to be called in… Wait, let me try that again. It's maybe more like fishing. You cast a line and wait for something to bite. If you're lucky, that line is a chord progression with a hook. You hope the hook can pull in a listener. Does that make you the fish? Never mind. It's leisure, pure leisure. No, not that either. It's more like working 40 hours a week, being a husband, a dad, dealing with emergencies, and living life. There's not much leisure in it at all.

Truthfully, I had my fair share of emergencies in 2023, and they were no fun at all. As I worked through each one, I sat in that waiting room just bracing for the next one until the emergencies subsided, and my family got control of it all. Thank you, loved ones! You know what I'm talking about. Processing emergencies and life events always seem to come with music attached. And working on music is my best method for coping.

This little work in progress is tentatively called “Journey Begins.” Something jumped out of my guitar one day, and the next thing I knew, I was singing along as I always do. Here's the beginning of this little number. We'll have to see where it goes from here. To hear this song snippet click here.

Once again, Chat GPT helped me edit this for grammar and clarity. For your enjoyment, here is what Chat GPT gave me when I asked it to “Make this more personal and storytelling.” (Note: It's really nice to read in the voice of your favorite private investigator)


In the waning days of December 2022, I found myself amidst a symphony of melodies, having just wrapped up recording over 50 cover songs. It was a creative outburst that left my soul fulfilled, but as the calendar flipped its pages, I decided to grant myself a hiatus from the musical realm – a customary pause I often take to let inspiration simmer.

There's something enchanting about the waiting game in songwriting, akin to the anticipation in a quiet doctor's office or the patient hope of a fisherman casting a line into the unknown. You send out a chord progression, baited with a hook, and then, you wait. The hope is that your musical hook will reel in a captive audience. Are they the fish? The analogy gets murky, much like the unpredictable waters of creativity. It's a leisurely pursuit, or at least, that's what I thought.

In reality, songwriting mirrors the relentless rhythm of life - a symphony of roles as a husband, a dad, a working professional clocking in 40 hours weekly, all while navigating unexpected emergencies. It's not a leisurely stroll; it's a chaotic dance with responsibilities and the unpredictable twists life throws your way.

The year 2023 was no exception. Emergencies took center stage, demanding my attention and resilience. Each crisis felt like a relentless wave crashing against the shore, and as I weathered one storm after another, I found solace in the waiting room of life, strumming my guitar and wrestling with chords.

Yet, amidst the chaos, a creative spark emerged. One day, as if by magic, a melody jumped out of my guitar, and before I knew it, I was singing along, pouring my emotions into a song I tentatively titled "Journey Begins." The chords resonated with the ebb and flow of life, each note echoing the highs and lows of my personal journey.

As I embark on this musical expedition, I find refuge in the cathartic process of crafting a song. It becomes my sanctuary, a place where I can make sense of the world around me. The song is a work in progress, a testament to resilience, and a reminder that even in the midst of life's emergencies, music has the power to heal and transform. Here's to the journey ahead, uncertain yet brimming with the promise of discovery.