Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sunshine Scott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sunshine, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My latest single “Her Black Guitar” means a lot to me for so many reasons. It is the second self-produced track I have released and was my very first attempt at the pop-punk genre. I started writing the song on my black bass guitar and made the decision to perform with the same bass live. I have always had a fear of failure that has stopped me from being confident in my abilities with instruments in particular. In the past, I never thought I could be ‘good enough’ to play on my own tracks, or that my lack of experience would make me inadequate as an instrumentalist. Writing and performing “Her Black Guitar” has taught me that we all start somewhere and there is no need to fear the process. I now embrace that I learn more every single time I pick up an instrument and that means the world to me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Sunshine Scott (yes that is my given name!) and I am an Alt Musical Performing artist from Nashville, Tennessee. I am known for my latest appearance as the “American Idol Fairy” on the American Idol’s 2023 season, on Tik Tok for my DIY artist lifestyle, eccentric style, and energetic personality with over 370K followers! I call my genre of music “Fairy Rock.” Fairy Rock is my whimsically performed Pop/rock music encompassing elements of fantasy and storytelling in an ever-changing world of my very own. I was raised in an extremely musical and creative family so I learned to design and sew my own stage costumes, write, direct, star-in, and produce my own music videos as well as design & edit my own photoshoots/graphics and write/produce my music myself. I have been singing since I was two years old and songwriting since I was 10 and have quite literally not stopped for a single day. On average I write about two songs a day and have a catalog so far of over 3,000 songs!

My whimsical DIY music lifestyle has inspired me to create my biggest entirely DIY music video in my Fantasy and Aesthetic style, Bang Bang- XO (out now). I have over 3,000 songs written but have no albums out yet due to the cost and my lack of resources until this point in my life. That is why I learned to DIY everything that I do, well, also because it is so much fun to create and learn! My lack of released music will change soon though as I am in the process of recording and producing my debut album (coming in 2024)! I would love to someday write and star in a TV series or series of films based off of the characters I create for my music. For every single song I write, I create characters for and tie them all together in my fantasy worlds.
I want to give people a fantastical world to escape into whenever the real world is too much. I want them to be free to feel, dance, love, and live with me so that when they return to reality they can look at it with new passion, hope, and wonder.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn as an artist was that I didn’t have the perfect resources to get the results I wanted. It is very true that we all have to start somewhere, however, I spent a very long time putting off projects due to people in the industry telling me you had to have the “best of the best” on everything in order to be truly successful. It was only when I realized that if I wanted a particular skill set and didn’t have money to pay for one or the right people on hand, I could learn that skill set and execute it myself. It might not be perfect, but it is my art and there is still beauty to that.

I didn’t have a producer I felt could capture my sound, so I became one, I didn’t have a graphic designer so I learned Photoshop and drawing programs; I even refined my sewing, crafting, and costume design techniques so I could create the fantastical stage costumes and set designs I envisioned. I was blessed to have a wonderful videographer friend of mine (Luke from Mossflower Pictures) tell me I would make a good director and producer for my music videos and he truly inspired me to learn and do it myself. This past year, I was discouraged because was a dream of mine to be on tour and I still had yet to achieve that goal. so instead of wishing and hoping some big artist would put me as their opener, I started booking my own shows and submitted to agents, now I have a tour in July 2023! The list goes on and on.

I truly spent so much time letting fear of failure and doubt in my own abilities hold me back from creating the art that was in my heart. This is not to say that if you want someone specific to be a part of your project or someone with years of experience in a specialized craft to be a part of your project you shouldn’t. It is simply that if you are letting a lack of resources hold you back. You can BECOME that resource for yourself.

I now have been blessed to have a team of creatives in the same boat as I am who constantly help and encourage me through my journey and I am eternally thankful.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I had the wonderful opportunity this year to participate in American Idol as a contestant for their 21st season. I was scouted to audition and was told to bring my fantasy costumes and be my usual expressive artistic self. All of the producers and other contestants were so supportive of my artistry along the way and it really made me hopeful for the audition and my future with the show.

However, as I well know, my art is not accepted by everyone. The Judges (Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan) were not a fan and told me (as I have been told MANY times in my career) that I was not a good fit for the show. I was “too much” and “too niche. However, after the experience, instead of getting down on myself or trying to figure out how to become more ‘palatable,’ I leaned into my artistry and have become more confident in myself than ever before.

People will always tell you no, but it is how you react and respond to the naysayers that make the biggest difference. Always respond with love and let your own vision guide you. The right people WILL find you.      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sunshinescott.com
• Instagram: @omgsunnyd
• Facebook: @omgsunnyd
• Youtube: @SunshineScottMusic
• TikTok: @omgsunnyd
• Spotify: Sunshine Scott

Image Credits
Jordan Shell Tommy Phothisane _zanieart_ JC Robbins MusicNeighbors