A Dirty Dozen with LOGAN BURNS from SCARLETT O’HARA – May 2022

According to a recent press release: “Today metalcore veterans Scarlett O’Hara are back to the brodeo with their new single and music video for “Talk to Me.” The band is pushing their sound to new heights by embracing more electronic elements and clean vocals throughout the song, all while retaining their signature South Texas Metalcore heaviness. The cinematic, outer space-themed music video will keep you on the edge of your seat as the dynamic, otherworldly visuals match the band’s ferocious sonic intensity. Underneath the heavy sound is a softer message to offer support and find solace amongst each other during difficult times. Formed in 2008, Scarlett O’Hara has been a mainstay in the Metalcore community ever since, pushing the genre further with their high paced signature style now known as South Texas Metalcore, an unrelenting barrage of sound that’ll make you think you were kicked in the face by a pissed off bull.” We get guitarist Logan to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

“Talk to Me” was written in Nashville, TN, with producer Andrew Baylis back in 2021. Elaborating on the sound we’ve been building with previous releases “Friction” and “Obsessive,” “Talk To Me” is our first single where we re-introduce a break down and some screaming elements. We also dove heavier into the electronic side, using a lot more samples and non-traditional heavy sounds that were manipulated to fit perfectly with the song. The real hidden nuggets come in the form of artwork though. Artwork to us is more than just a picture that accompanies a new single or album, it’s a chance to interact with our most loyal fans and new listeners alike. Since our 2018 release, we have been packing our artwork with hidden references and Easter eggs regarding Scarlett O’Hara. Set in a cozy bedroom apartment which may or may not be the hidden room featured from the previously released title, “Obsessive.” The artwork for “Talk To Me” is our most feature packed to date, and we encourage everyone to take a really close look and see what we’ve left to be uncovered.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I come from a very musical family, my parents are rockers, so I grew up going to shows and listening to all the classics from all eras and genres. I started playing drums at age 7 but transitioned to guitar when I hit middle school. I have kind of always wanted to be a musician, like most, it was just an innate thing that was always there. The moment that sort of solidified it though was when I performed a classic rock medley on guitar for my middle school talent show. After that, my identity was the “band guy” and I just went from there! A few years after that event, Scarlett O’Hara was formed, and we are still together nearly 15 years later.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I initially picked up the guitar because I heard the Metallica song, “Sanitarium.” I thought it was the coolest thing around because of the different effects used and the transition from a clean style song to heavy. At a young age that blew my mind and Metallica would continue to be a huge influence to this day. Aside from Metallica, I was super into bands like Chiodos, Underoath, Scary Kids, Alesana, and all the other early screaming type bands that would come to the forefront in the late 2000s. Those guys influenced all of us in a huge way and seeing them at Warped tour throughout the years influenced our live show and performances as well.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

If we could call in anyone past or present to collaborate on a song, it would for sure be Prince! Probably not the most expected answer but Prince was a beast and one of the best entertainers I’ve been privileged to see, so I would love to have him bust out a guitar solo or hit us with his whistle range during a chorus. If it has to be a living artist, I would love to do something with the boys over in Motionless in White. Way back in 2010 for our first time our as a signed rise records band, we went on tour with Motionless and it was an amazing experience. I think everything they have done as a band should be the blueprint for aspiring artists because they absolutely killed it and will be around for a LONG time.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

It’s really hard to separate myself from the band duties and being in a work mode mentality 24/7. One of the difficult aspects of being a musician and trying to do it professionally is learning how to allow some time for yourself personally and feel OK about it. It’s a constant effort to get your material out into the public and build new relationships with potential new fans and burn out is a very real thing that often times creeps up on your and before you know it. To avoid this, I just try to focus on myself for a few minutes out of the day, whether that be by going for a walk, a hourly gym session, or my favorite, hot yoga. I also try to stick to a specific nightly routine so I’m able to go to bed and not be thinking about social media or what comes next. Aside from trying to dedicate some time to myself during the day, I hang out with the other band members daily (Arnie lives with me) and pass the time by gaming or just jamming to our favorite bands.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Scarlett has gone through evolutionary periods where we grow as a band and strive for a new sound. When we first started in 2007, there really wasn’t a name or way to accurately describe what we, along with all the other bands of that period, were doing and just called it screamo. As the years went by and the scene started to solidify, our sound would be classified as Metalcore, a mix of metal and hardcore influences spurred by the bands in the early 2000’s. Fast forward to today and we are still keeping our traditional sound alive, while heavily mixing in modern sounds from an endless amount of genres. We still keep it heavy, but with an emphasis on our vocalists amazing range and RnB vibe he brings to the table. One of the more liberating things now that I’m able to experience is experimenting with nontraditional sounds and not really worrying if it’s going to stay in a specific genre’s lane. Now we go about it like, if we want to do a dark rock Weeknd style song, we will do it, or if we want a super heavy balls to the wall track right after that, it’s fair game. We aren’t trying to limit what we do anymore and kind of just try to write music we all want to listen to.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

All of us in the band are super close and always hanging out, most of the time the person who busts out the food first is our drummer Arnie! He’s a foodie and loves trying new stuff out, whether that be finding a new spot on tour or whipping something up in the kitchen (or hotel microwave). Alek the other guitar player is the band sommelier and likes to crack one open before and after the show. Moses and myself are for sure the two who are the first to get the guitar out and get something going.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

I just saw The Darkness a few weeks ago in Houston and seeing them was an incredible experience, I think I cried a little haha! They have been my absolute favorite band since I was a kid in middle school, so finally getting to see them live was a dream come true and I can’t remember any other show I’ve felt that way about. Growing up, I thought their lead guitar player Dan Hawkins was the definition of cool and someone I tried to base my live playing style on and seeing it as an adult in the music industry, it felt kind of full circle.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

As cliché as it sounds, the best part of being a musician for me specifically is being able to do what I love and completely lose myself in it every day with my best buds. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a musician and now that I’m living it, I am grateful every day and try my best to make the most out of the time I have been given. Although touring might seem like the obvious answer, one of my favorite aspects of being a musician is being able to work with the producers and songwriters of all my favorite bands, past and present and being able to hear that influence that guided me throughout my growing years in our own songs now.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

One question I always wanted an interviewer to ask is what the definition of the Brodeo is and why do we feature it in headline spots like for our album and song titles. The Brodeo is the fictional name we give to our fan base and something that is unique to us. Being from Texas, rodeos are huge and every year we have a gigantic one in Houston that is just one big party atmosphere, and that was a feeling I wanted to introduce to our live show, so way back we just started calling our shows Brodeos! One Question I am tired of answering is if the name is based off of the character from Gone With The Wind. I can see why it would be asked and it is a valid question, but we’ve answered it for nearly 15 years now and still manage to always get asked haha. We came up with the band name when we were 14 and 15 years old and while we knew of the movie, it wasn’t something we actively references. More so, it was actually the rise of bands named after famous women like Gwen Stacy and Norma Jean that kind of steered us towards our current name.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I try not to dwell on things I think could have been handled better or differently, because ultimately what’s done is done and I cannot go back and change anything. I already am the kind of person who is in their head and thoughts a lot, so if I allowed myself to imagine “what if,” I would just be negatively impacting my mental health, so I just try to learn from my mistakes and take all precautions to avoid that again.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would absolutely go back to 1991 and sit in Metallica’s Black sessions. That’s the album that made me want to play guitar in a metal band and still on weekly rotation on all my playlists. I think it was such a big album for me personally because it set a standard for the type of audio quality in regards to recording that could be achieved, that album sounds amazing to this day. It also exposed me to the big choruses and song structures we try to implement in Scarlett O’Hara songs.

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Category: Interviews