Ray Scott Contemplates Life Post-Nashville in 'Smilin' on My Way'

Ray Scott came from one of those one-stoplight, lots-of-dirt-roads sort of towns: the towns that people leave in order to make their dreams come true. The towns they return to when they have lived out those dreams.

Indeed, Scott did just that for his new music video

“I was doing some shows in Greensboro and Raleigh, [N.C.], so I shot some footage while we were driving,” Scott explains in his deep baritone voice about the nostalgic music video for his heartfelt song “Smilin’ on My Way," premiering exclusively on The Boot. “I visited my parents and spent some time at the lake where I grew up, and let me tell you, there is nothing like making that turn that takes you home.”

It’s a turn Scott has made countless times, even during the years he's spent chasing his music dreams in Nashville. But these days, at the age of 51, Scott admits it’s a turn that makes him feel more content than ever.

“When you are a younger man, in your 20s and such, you have all these delusions of the grandeur of it all: the big cars and the mansions that all seem to come with the spoils of success,” says Scott, who made a name for himself in 2005 with his Top 40 single "My Kind of Music." “I’ve been through a lot, both personally and professionally, and I have found that one’s version of success changes as you age and mature and learn what is truly important.”

Scott played the Music City game as he was coming up, but he left his record label in 2007 to take a shot at being an independent artist. As social media took off in its many different forms, he increasingly found that he could make a living without always immersing himself in the rough-and-tumble world of Nashville.

“I’ve not been a creature of Music Row for a while,” admits Scott, who lives with his wife about 30 minutes outside of Nashville, in Hendersonville, Tenn. “I’ve really sort of separated myself of what is going on mainstream, and I have learned that I don’t necessarily need this town to do what I do.

"This town helped me at one point, but I don’t need to really depend on it anymore," he adds, "and there is a peace of mind that comes from that. I get to do what I love for a living, not because I am downtown kissing butt.”

Scott laughs, but there is a truth in his honesty. For now, what’s important in his life is his family, his music and his loyal legion of fans.

“Every time I leave to go do shows and surround myself with my fans, it makes me happy,” concludes Scott of the feelings he had while writing "Smilin' on My Way." “And every time I get a taste of the quiet of home, I start to grow nostalgic for it again.”

"Smilin' on My Way" will be featured on Scott's forthcoming new album, Cover the Earth. The record is set for release this September.

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