Scott Gibson has walked a long way to reach this point in his career. Texas born and bred, Gibson spent the first 10 years of his life in the central Texas town of Waco. Boots and a hat were all a boy needed and Scott was cowboy to the core. Rodeos and “Outlaws” ruled his days, Willie and Waylon were the heroes of his youth, and “Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” remains one of his favorite songs. The family’s move to the hill country of Austin when he was 10 no doubt changed the course of Scott’s life. A “normal kid,” he began listening to Led Zeppelin and other rock acts, and started playing bass at the age of 16. By the time he was in his twenties, he was a regular fixture in the Austin club scene. A natural musician, he quickly became known for the “hook” and “punch” he brought to the mix, and he has incorporated that signature style into his writing. Awed by the work of Robert Earl Keen and Guy Clark, Scott began exploring the Americana music scene, listening to artists “on the fringes.” Inspired, he ventured into songwriting at the age of 23. Years later, after a 10-year stint in the Austin club scene, thousands of gigs, steady session work and a stint with Grammy nominee James McMurtry, Scott’s focus shifted from “band member” to “front man.” Suddenly, songwriting was a priority. “I loved the shows, liked the session work, but I wanted more. I didn’t know if I could write great songs,” he says, “but I knew I could write honest songs. That’s what I set out to do.” A “closet writer” who kept his material to himself for years, Gibson is a songwriter of depth and a singer of undeniable vocal charm. Don’t be deceived by this lanky Texan’s choirboy smile, angelic looks and low key manner. Unique phrasing and laid back style comparable to Kevin Welch, Keen and Clark give Gibson an undeniable power. He virtually kidnaps his listeners and transports them into the music he creates. Melodic hooks, powerful imagery, and guileless and intelligent lyrics are Gibson’s hallmarks. What other young writer can so succinctly pull you into the realm of heartache as Scott does in “The Hardest Part Of Hurtin’ (Is The Hope)”: Well you’d done it all different if only you’d a known Now you’re battered and beaten and left all alone Well you could lay down your life and cash it all in If you think it’s gonna end the sufferin’ But it isn’t so you don’t and you just have to cope The hardest part of hurtin’ is the hope Or, make you want to celebrate love and shout with joy as he paints a picture in the shimmering “Robin-On-Hudson”: We’re tighter than a wicker-pattern slope-back chair Stronger than wrought iron Soft as her hair Longer than a late-night candlestick shine Lovin’ like a dollar when you ain’t got a dime Hotter than a teapot kettle blowin’ steam Sweet as pure honey She takes in her tea Lovin’ like her lipstick line on my cup I’m takin’ it with me fill me up MAKE READY is Scott Gibson’s label debut and the fruit of five years hard labor. A variety of jobs the polar opposite of his goal supported Scott through the pre-production stress that would have driven most people out of the music business altogether. “If I could have quit, I would have,” he says, “but I couldn’t. I was very focused. This record was my brass ring, the prize that I wanted for myself.” Once the songs were written and the money to record was in place, it became a matter of gathering the right players for the record. Scott’s years in Austin provided him with a wealth of talent from which to choose. “It was important to me that the players get along and that everyone knew it was okay to become involved. Mac and I (Producer Mac McNabb) really wanted the tracks to resonate.” Hot pickers all, Chris Gage/mandolin, accordion, guitars (Jimmie Dale Gilmore, The Flatlanders) and Robbie Gjersoe/Dobro, lap steele, guitars (The Flatlanders, Hal Ketchum, Robbie Fulks, Jimmie Dale Gilmore) are in the mix. Additional axemen include David Abeyta (Reckless Kelly) and Paul LeMond (Paul LeMond Band). Sitting in on drums is Rafael Gayol (The Flatlanders, Kelly Willis, Patty Griffin, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen), and wearing multiple hats is Mac McNabb/guitars, percussion, harmonica, tambourine, electric piano, organ (Soul Hat, Michael Fracasso, Trish Murphy). In a perfect world, Scott Gibson would already be making a “real” living from his music, other artists would be recording his songs, he’d be selling records and his music would be “connecting” with other people. This perfect world may not be too far into Gibson’s future. In the meantime, he is spending his days writing and listening to vintage recordings. For one whose down time consists of “time alone – feeling the space, alone with the pregnant richness of the silence,” Scott Gibson may have some difficult days ahead. He has recorded one of the most compelling CDs to hit the Americana market in decades and may find silence hard to come by in the years ahead.