With two very high-profile opening gigs happening in North Texas in the next few days, singer/songwriter/producer Jamie Scott doesn't sound nervous at all. You see, Scott isn't just opening for any couple of bands. On Sunday, August 24, he performs with One Direction at AT&T Stadium. Then on Tuesday, August 26, Scott plays with One Republic at Gexa Energy Pavilion.
"I don't get nervous," says Scott from a tour stop in Tampa, Florida. "I've gotten used to it and I like it. It feels quite natural to be out there in front of so many people." But how does a 30-year old folksy singer-songwriter from England end up with two gigs in North Texas in three days? Turns out, it's just dumb luck.
"I was just a bit lucky to be in the same town as the One Direction boys and I had a little time off," says Scott, who was already on tour with One Republic and got asked to pick up the second show while he was in town. "It worked out perfectly and it's going to be great. I am looking forward to both gigs."
Scott has played SXSW on two occasions, but these next couple of Texas gigs are another thing all together.
"I love coming to Texas," says Scott. "I've had great experiences there, although it's always been hot. And I am looking forward to the barbeque."
Currently on tour with One Republic, Scott has had a special relationship with One Direction since writing several of the band's biggest hits, including "Story of My Life" and "More Than This."
"It's amazing to hear them playing my songs," says Scott. "It's a pretty good feeling."
And Scott is not even intimidated to be alone on stage in front of an audience way out of his typical demographic. In fact, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to say that Scott could well be the dad of many of those in attendance at both of these upcoming shows. And his music is not exactly a match with his better-known tour mates.
"I love playing for anyone," says Scott. "I'll do my best to convert those fans to my music. And playing songs with just my acoustic guitar means that nothing can get in the way of the lyrics."
So far the tour with One Republic has gone well and the fans have been kind to the opening guy from England. "The audiences have been great," says Scott. "One Republic, Ryan [Tedder] and the boys, have a fantastic crowd. I've been actually enjoying the shows and I am able to play songs off my new record."
That new record is Scott's solo debut, My Hurricane. The album comes out in October and it features a surprisingly laid-back, folksy approach. Critics have compared Scott's music to that of Cat Stevens and James Taylor, two artists that fans of One Direction and One Republic probably have never heard of.
"That's the music I grew up on," says Scott. "You can't really help who you listened to as a kid, the music you learned about from your parents."
Inspired by getting married and recently becoming a dad, Scott's songs such as "Unbreakable" and "My Hurricane" are solid examples of folky pop that bode well for Scott's future as a performer. The fact that they seem to be going down well with the fans of One Direction and One Republic is rather more surprising.
Besides One Direction, Scott has also written songs for, among others, Ron Sexsmith and Enrique Iglesias. Although he certainly doesn't mind having his songs performed by others (especially when it's million-selling boy bands), Scott's focus now is on performing his own songs himself.
"My songwriting is the main thing I do," he says. "My songs have a feel to them. Whether it is with One Direction or my own stuff, I want people to know that I have a style. That's what's important. Getting to perform the songs I wrote myself is a great feeling."
Even though his plate seems fairly full, Scott even found some time for acting. Scott had a small role in the motion picture Step Up, but he claims his days in front of a camera are history.
"I am not going to do anymore acting," he says. "I am just going to concentrate on the music."
That's a good thing because the next two shows are going to take all the concentration Scott can come up with. But it sounds like he's up for it.
