Exclusive Interview:  Scott Russo - Unwritten Law

By Sean Lynch
Interview with Scott Russo
Lead Singer / Songwriter for U.S. band Unwritten Law

Over the last 14 years, Unwritten Law have been the band that you never thought you knew - but did. With a slew of hits including "Shoulda Known Better" and "Rest of My Life" and having featured on the likes of Grey's Anatomy and Coyote Ugly and international tours with Blink 182, it only seemed right to put together a greatest hits album to help put the name to the tunes.

Sean Lynch caught up with lead singer, Scott Russo, to discuss what went into creating the ultimate Unwritten Law Hit List.

It's bright and early here, so you'll have to bear with me. Where abouts are you at the moment?
I’m at home in San Diego, it’s about 2pm here. I only got up about an hour ago! [laughs]

You’ve decided to bring out a Greatest Hits. Why now? Does this mean the end of UL?
Yeah we’re just gonna quit and cash it in [laughs]! Nah, only joking, it's just I've been asked that question like a billion times already today. 

No, we decided to bring it out because we’ve had some radio success over here [in the U.S.] and I think a lot of people know the songs, but probably couldn’t name the band. This way we’ve collected all the songs people know and can finally put a face to the tunes.

All the songs have been re-recorded for this album, which is pretty rare. Why?
We decided to record everything new, so things would sound of an equal quality because the production on some of the early stuff is just terrible. 

Another reason is we wanted to record all the songs the way we play them live. With longer, cooler intros and guitar solos. It gives the tracks a much more exciting and cool vibe.

There have been a few UL line up changes over the years. At what point do you say ‘this isn’t the same band anymore’?
We’ve had the same bassist for almost 8 years now. We got a new drummer about 3 years ago, and we [as a band] decided to keep it as a four piece, the chemistry felt a lot better.

What happened?
There was an “incident” [laughs]. Not that its really appropriate to go into. But we were meant to be doing a gig and there was a fight on stage which left our guitarist with his finger almost severed off. I'm mean, like hanging by a thread!

...So we just went on with just the four and we got off stage and were like ‘that was the most amazing fucking show we've ever done’. So it was a band decision in the end to move on, to become simply a four piece.

You’ve done a few side projects with your girlfriend Amy (Scott + Amy), how is that going now?
Actually, we’ve broken up. We have brought out an album....

Any chance of further solo work?
I'm actually doing a lot of producing right now, I just really enjoy music - and making music. The first album I ever produced was for a band called Pivot - and their album “Pressure” - and I had no idea what I was doing [laughs] and I got really nervous. I also did some tracks for Anya Marina who won some awards here in San Diego, we also recently did a few tracks for Grey's Anatomy, which was really cool.

Where do you see yourself in the future – as a super "Phil Spector" type producer or still singin' at 60?
[laughs] I don’t do it for the money, I do what interests me and inspires me. So I don't think I could say where or what I'll be doing in the future.

Back to the new album. How did you go about choosing the songs on the The Hit List? Noel Gallagher was very picky for Stop The Clocks, what were the reasonings behind your choices?
Well, we put all the singles on there. We also have put a lot of fan songs on there. They are the ones buying the album, so we took into account the most popular songs at gigs and what people were saying on myspace.

Do you have any personal favourites that you wanted on there - or didn’t want?
Well it’s not for me to decide, it’s for the fans and the audience. So...yeah [laughs] it's not for me.

Indie rock has taken over. Do you think punk pop of the early 2000's (like Blink 182 and Sum 41) will make a return to the mainstream?
There will always be a new re-incarnation. It will be something with drums and distorted guitar that's loose and has attitude. I'm a pop writer, I write pop songs, but there will always be a reincarnation of music and it will always evolve the same way Indie-Rock has evolved into what it is today.

What are your influences when writing?
I don’t really listen to the radio. I write and create so I don’t really pay attention to all that. I get in the car and I’ll put on AM talk back like "George, Norry & Arble" [laughs].

You appeared on Leno recently. What's the talk show scene like in the U.S, what's he like?
Leno is a really, really cool guy. We were on earlier in the year for the release of this album, it was like our third time so we’re almost veterans [laughs]. He’s really cool, he’ll come over and say some jokes and thank us for being there. He’s one of the more approachable tonight show hosts on the circuit, he’ll take pictures with the audience during the commercial breaks, that sort of thing. But he is cool, a really good soul and spirit.

Do you get star struck when you do those kinds of things still?
When I started, like most people, I used to always get start struck. For example, I was in awe of Greg from Bad Religion when I first met him. But a few years down the track I ended up doing some producing for him, and I lived at his home for a bit, so the majesty sort of wears off.

But the true stars glow, you know. We’ve been doing a few things with Gwen Stefani and she is magic, just an amazing person - a real star.

UL have a really similar sound to a band we have here in Australia called Grinspoon. Have you found any Aussie bands you like when you’ve been down here with the Vans Tour?
I love Grinspoon! I’m good friends with Phil, he actually came over here and helped me write some tunes, I co-wrote some song on Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills (their album from a few years back). I really like his new band, The Lost Gospel, as well.

Wolfmother is big here as well, I really like their sound. Silverchair is great, I still think that Neon Ballroom is one of the best albums ever written – “Emotion Sickness” is just an amazing song, it's brilliant.

Their newest single just came out today. Much more of an electro-pop feel to it. Are you guys planning on evolving into new areas?
Yeah! Electro-Country Motherfucker [laughs]. I think everyone needs to grow and develop, it’s a good thing. We attempted some electro drum & base shit on the last record...

I write all my songs acoustically, so they don’t always end up that way - but the songs always change and evolve in the studio. You're always adding and changing stuff. That’s music.

Unwritten Law's THE HIT LIST is in stores now