As much as this is a story about a comedian, singer, and actress, it really starts with a kid who wore a tiara to school every day… That kid grew up to be Scout Durwood.
Many years before she made audiences laugh starring on MTV’s Mary + Jane and Oxygen’s Funny Girls, she knew that being different was her greatest strength. That free spirit defines her first album for Blue Élan Records, Take One Thing Off, out now.
Produced by Dave Darling (Def Leppard, Queen Latifah, Tom Waits, Brian Setzer), the 19-track album intermingles a hysterical standup set taped at the underground Los Angeles club The Pack with songs, “loosely mapped over my life in New York,” says Scout.
The energetic and colorful video, according to Scout, “Is the same balance of controlled chaos I like to have onstage and is the brainchild of Sammi Cohen and Sarah King. We wanted something colorful, queer and just left of center.” The video hits all of that, as well as finally allows Scout to become the pop star she wanted to watch growing up: a proudly queer yet powerful woman whose message rings loud and clear. Watch the video HERE
“There’s a track for when I arrived, a track for when I started working as a Go Go Dancer, a big breakup in the middle, and my departure for L.A.,” she continues. “The idea is for it to be its own little show.”
With a music video planned for each song, Take One Thing Off undresses Scout’s musical world. Gleefully unveiled first, the handclaps, surf-inspired guitar, and impressive delivery of “Go Go” yield the ultimate “dancing in your underpants” anthem with a clever twist.
“The chorus is making fun of pop songs with love,” she laughs. “It’s fun to say fake words. At the same time, I came up in the queer world where there’s no worrying about being fat, your career, or finding a mate. It was so gender fluid. In the middle, there’s a queer ‘Hey Ya’ moment announcing how dividing ladies and fellas is insane. There’s a lot going on in there!” Watch the video below
Meanwhile, “Take One Thing Off” flaunts an upbeat and undeniable chant over a propulsive musical backdrop.
“In reference to accessories, Coco Chanel said, ‘Before you leave the house, take one thing off’,” she says. “I’m such a believer in public nudity and loving your body that it’s the idea of taking off one expectation people have of you. The record is taking that one thing off.”
Elsewhere, she successfully tries her hand at an (anti-) love song on “Here We Are,” while the rendition of “My Funny Valentine” proves both poignant and powerful, spotlighting her dynamic voice.
“When I first moved to L.A., that’s what I used to sing to myself,” she admits. “It’s the serious moment.”
In between making Take One Thing Off, Durwood turned heads as a main character on MTV’s 2016 breakout Mary + Jane executive produced by Snoop Dogg. The Hollywood Reporter claimed, “Durwood commits with gusto,” Vogue called her, “Brazen, brass,” and The Los Angeles Times lauded the series’, “sharp satirical observations about stoner culture, celebrity, the Siler Lake lifestyle, and female friendships.”
Ultimately, Durwood always does things on her own terms, and that’s why Take One Thing Off will undoubtedly connect.
“I think I’m still that girl in a tiara who doesn’t know it’s weird,” she leaves off. “That’s become the heart of my comedy. I’m happy to be different, and I hope other people feel the same way.”
Scout Durwood – Take One Thing Off
1 – Intro (feat. Dave & The Dar)
2 – Sex Positive
3 – Take One Thing Off
4 – Drinking
5 – All The Pretty Bottles
6 – Baseball Game
7 – Fallin’ In Love
8 – Men In LA
9 – Brooklyn, CA 2009
10 – The NFL
11 – The Wedding Song
12 – I’m Cool, Right?
13 – My Funny Valentine
14 – Strip Club
15 – Go Go
16 – Anxiety Lions
17 – Taxi Take Me Home
18 – Hate Crime
19 – Here We Are
Connect with Scout Durwood
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