Tough Touch
Tough Touch, Scout Gillett's sophomore album, emerges from years of relentless motion—a period the Missouri-born, Brooklyn-bred, and now LA-based artist describes as one of growth, vulnerability, and learning to trust her instincts. Set for release in 2026 via Slouch Records, the album explores the pain that vulnerability brings, the fragility of life, and the challenge of finding oneself within a relationship—all rendered with the gritty, glittery cosmic twang that makes Scout's sound so singular.
The album's origin story begins in Scout's former Bed-Stuy bedroom, on her four-track Tascam portastudio. Away from the computer, Scout began crafting her new songs with special focus on the writing itself. "I was able to really focus on the writing and have a place to come back to," she recalls. Some tracks were later demoed reel-to-reel in her living room and practice space, each iteration adding new layers and perspectives.
What followed was an unconventional journey. Scout embarked on what she calls her "build-a-band" tour, playing with musicians she'd never performed with before and committing to shows in unfamiliar cities, taking risks on trust and recommendations. That final lineup—longtime collaborator Ted Jamison (nine years and counting), Abdon Valdez, and Omar Schambacher—brought the chemistry she'd been searching for. "I felt really locked in with the band, and the band really was understanding and sensitive to the record."
Scout had been courting legendary producer Stuart Sikes since 2021, determined to work with the man behind Cat Power's The Greatest and Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News. After discovering his work while flipping through her formidable vinyl collection, she reached out via email. "I teared up when he responded," she remembers. Years of persistence paid off when Sikes finally had an opening just as Scout's band was coming off their first headlining European tour in spring 2024.
Recorded largely live with the full band at Sikes's Austin studio, the album pushes sonic boundaries while maintaining raw urgency. Drawing inspiration from Neil Young, PJ Harvey, Hole, and Lucinda Williams, Scout and her collaborators created something that genre-bends at every turn—twangy but also rock, grungy but vulnerable, expansive in its emotional range.
One of the record's emotional centerpieces, "Tough Touch," stands as Scout's favorite song to play live. With its broad dynamic range—moving from delicate vulnerability to explosive catharsis—the song captures the difficulty of opening yourself up after experiencing rejection and pain.
"If I Stay" was built in the studio, undergoing the most dramatic transformation of any song on the album. Originally a slow four-track demo about leaving a relationship and then in the studio about leaving New York for Los Angeles, it became an explosive, B-52s-meets-the-Cars-meets-grunge anthem when Omar came up with a new riff. The result perfectly encapsulates the record's fearless experimentation and energy.
Between No Roof No Floor and this album, something fundamental shifted in Scout's artistic identity. "I connected more with how I was a writer and not just a musician," she says. The four-track demoing process allowed her to rework lyrics, melodies, and structures with care, giving the songs a depth that feels earned.
Now based in Los Angeles, Scout has fallen in love with the landscape, her home, her community, and her independence. She's already writing demos for her third album, continuing a journey that feels like purpose. In crafting this sophomore album, Scout hopes listeners will feel understood and not alone—the same gift music has given her. It's the sound of an artist who refused to settle, who trusted the process even when it was frightening, and who emerged with something undeniably her own.