Interview with Jeff Scott Soto Jeff Scott Soto has often been called the voice of rock, and his long and storied career began shortly after high school when he sang vocals for Malmsteen’s Rising Force. Since then, with dozens of albums and several bands under his belt covering a broad musical path, Soto’s career is going stronger than ever. One cannot help but notice the indelible mark he’s made on the music scene over the last two decades. AvoidPeril was fortunate to be able to catch up with Jeff Scott Soto to get his thoughts on music, his career and the future.
1. Your new CD, Lost in Translation, is probably the best piece of work that you’ve done in the last few years. It is a melodic hard rock album that manages to be both fresh and familiar at the same time. Some of the songs seem extremely personal and involved. Is there any personal significance to any of the songs that the casual fan could not pick up from listening to the album or reading the liner notes? Thanks a lot. Actually, most songs include some inner turmoil in my life but for the most part, I get inspiration outside the box. I try to write things that relate to all of us as we all go through the same ups & downs at one point or another. 2. Neal Schon (of Journey fame) contributed to your CD, and as an end result, the song “Believe in Me” sounds like it was taken out of Steve Perry-era Journey. Is there a chance for other such collaborations with Neal in the future? Well, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 2 years J, we have a band called Soul SirkUS together. I am hugely influenced by Journey, so the song naturally dictated what I would do to complete it. Neal & I have a great working chemistry together. 3. You’ve been a part of so many great hard rock and metal bands over the last two decades (Malmsteen, Axel Rudi Pell, MSG, Takara, Alex Masi, Talisman, etc.). Which artist/band would you say was your most favorable experience? Talisman, Soul SirkUS & my solo albums are amongst my favorites. There’s no need to really elaborate – listen to the songs and you can hear how natural they all flow within the context of each band. That says more than a lot of the other work I’ve done during this 21-year career. 4. If you could work with any artist in music today, who would it be and why? I would love to collaborate with Prince…also, Nuno Bettencourt is a great writer/musician, I think we could come up with some wicked stuff together. 5. You have over two decades of recordings, when many artists barely last a few years. What do you attribute to your longevity in the music scene? It certainly ain’t the measly royalty checks!! It certainly is my love for music, the freedom of expression & the yearning to be creative. There is much more on the horizon, stay tuned!!! 6. A good part of your earlier recording history was with neo-classical metal guitarists like Malmsteen, Pell, and Masi. In recent years, though, you’ve kept largely to the hard rock genre. Are there any plans to record another neo-classical metal album in the near future? No, I’ve done that, and quite frankly, I’m not interested in it anymore. I like to grow and try things I haven’t yet, as well as fine-tune the things I do love. My plans are to do everything but that genre in the future. 7. Who would you cite as the biggest influences, past and present, on your musical career? Prince, Queen, Journey, Van Halen…pioneer bands/artists that broke walls and stereotypes in music. 8. What’s next for you after you finish your current touring obligations? Another solo album, another album with Talisman, and loads of touring next year!!
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