ifitbeyourwill S06E15 • villagerrr

A deluxe release hits different when the songs feel like they’ve been kicking around in the dirt for years. On release day for Tear Your Heart Out (Deluxe), we sat down with villagerrr to walk the long, crooked road behind it—a story that starts in a small town, rattles through a red Pontiac Sunfire, and settles into the stubborn, hand-built joy of figuring out recording alone. Mark Scott talks about how long runs in cold air, odd hours cutting concrete, and a phone overloaded with gritty voice memos shaped a 16-track world that blends indie twang, folk warmth, and slowcore quiet. It’s the kind of record that asks to be played in sequence, the way you’d leaf through an old photo album—front to back, smudges and all.

We get into the slow shift from solitude to letting other people into the room, and why he only opens the door when the feel is right. The Merce Lemon feature arrived the old-fashioned way: see a set, feel something, and send a message that isn’t coated in industry varnish. Drummer Zane Dway adds heartbeat without sanding the rough edges, while Boone Patrello shows how a single late-night vibe call can lead to parts that sound like they were dug up rather than written. Most of the songs were nearly done before the guests stepped in, which is why the whole thing still sounds unmistakably Villager—one voice, one hand on the wheel, just more colours in the dust.

Real life hums in the background too: fans quietly singing the deep cuts, someone shyly handing over a record to sign after an opener slot, the strange feeling of seeing slow growth in places that aren’t algorithms or charts. We map out the Ohio college dates and a December run with Teethe, then lift the tarp on what’s coming next: another album already mastered, still self-recorded in the margins of real jobs and real days, sharper but cut from the same honest cloth.

If you care about albums built to be lived with, about DIY recordings that prize feel over polish, and about indie music that smells like cold air, old cars, and real life, this one is for you.

Spin the conversation, let the deluxe play straight through, and if it hits you right, follow the show, pass it on, and leave a quick note. It keeps the whole thing moving.

Chapters

• 0:00 Deluxe Release And Album Overview
• 2:30 Origins: First Guitar And Small-Town Beginnings
• 5:30 Finding A Voice: DIY Recording Influences
• 9:10 Early Feedback And Momentum
• 11:20 From Solo To Collaboration
• 14:00 Landing The Merce Lemon Feature
• 16:10 Writing Sprint And Routine
• 19:20 Capturing Ideas On The Run
• 21:00 Shaping Songs And Inviting Players
• 23:10 Reception, Live Moments, And Gratitude
• 26:00 Tours, Next Album Finished, And What’s Next
• 28:30 Closing Thoughts And Listener Support

Transcript

colleyc: 0:46

Season six here. Reaching down to the Midwest, I have Mark Scott from villagerrr from Columbus, Ohio coming in. And we're going to talk about it's actually released day. I'm recording this on October 10th, 2025. You probably will hear this a couple weeks later, but this is uh Villager's official release of the deluxe version, deluxe version of Tear Your Heart Out, which is a today on Darling Records. This is Mark's fourth LP that he's put out, and it is an amazing record, I will say, Mark, um, which kind of dives around with I love this indie twang. I love that that that style. I mean, it's very indie. There's some folky elements, there's some slow core elements to it. It's a real diverse record, but it's, I think, meant to be played from top to bottom. It makes so much sense as a complete record, um, then picking and choosing songs. So if you're listening to the new deluxe, listen right through. Mark, pleasure to have you on here. Uh I really have been enjoying this. Uh I mean the deluxe just came out is out today. Um, but I've been enjoying the record since its release in March of Tear Your Heart Tear Your Heart Out. Um, Mark, as we start our conversation, I'd love to kind of look back into your tree of life and are there moments that you recognize that were kind of turning point in your musical career? Um, you know, encounters, experiences, meeting somebody, fighting something that you were gonna just do thing. Kind of pull out some of those memories of kind of the beginning art villager and and just your musical.

Mark Scott: 2:51

Yeah, I think um probably like a lot of people it just started like when I when I got my first car, it was like it was like a hand-me-down from my grandma, a Pontiac Sunfire, Red, 2006, I believe. Um it yeah, just like listening to the radio and like a lot of like stuff like prints and classic rock and just really anything with guitars just made me, I think, decide like, oh, I want a guitar. You get the guitar, and then I realized it was like, oh, I can't play this, like it's just impossible, and it hurts my hands. And then yeah, that was probably when I was like 16 or something, and I yeah, tried. It was hard, came back like a year later, and I don't know if it was just like the muscle memory or what, but it felt a little easier, and then it was just like learning how to play like other classic songs, and then and then it was like, oh, I'm gonna try to sing like while I play, and yeah, I used to like post like because I was in Chillicothe, Ohio, small town, right? Nobody really to play with except for a couple friends, but yeah, I was just like posting videos of me covering like MacDamarco songs on Instagram to like 40 followers. I don't know.

colleyc: 4:39

You just try and yeah, just I mean it's archived as well because you have this trace evidence of your footprint anyway. Yeah, on your bank hand page. It's really I really have enjoyed going back into some of your older like your first record come down. I mean, yeah, wow. Like it's a nice record.

Mark Scott: 5:02

Yeah, thank you. I have a hard time believing that it is, but there are probably some glimpses of what was to come. Or like there are albums before those too. I don't know if you would call like, yeah, albums. That feels like really intentional and like purposeful, but I have a few projects that I've made private before. I've thought about like making them public again, but I don't know.

colleyc: 5:33

We'll see. Anticipate, Mark. It's anticipation, that's really good. That builds more of a following. Right. And was it always like when you were first starting to be a singer-songwriter and you're writing your own songs? Did you find that process quite easy to do? Or you know, was it always like that first guitar, like when you first put it out, like it was painful and it was just didn't feel right? And like, what were your first kind of steps into the process of writing songs, your own song? Yeah.

Mark Scott: 6:08

I think it was it came pretty suddenly. Like I just knew again from like me like being interested in somebody like MacDemarco or whatever, trying to learn his songs, or even I mean, I'm gonna sound whatever, who cares? But just like the classic, like, like Tame Impala, Alex G, just unknown mortal orchestra, like all these people who were known for like, oh, they recorded everything by themselves. That just like made me it inspired me to be like, well, why can't I do it? And like, yeah, just went and got a laptop. I told my mom it was gonna be for college. She helped me get it. Thank you, mom. And then I think she knew that I was just trying to record myself. So yeah, I think it came pretty naturally. It was just like exciting. It was just writing about like very real things that were happening to me. Like, I wasn't doing a whole lot of like embellishing or that I guess came naturally, but I guess it was like I didn't really feel that uncomfortable or anything because I was just like sharing it with my friends and family. Yeah. Usually just in the moment, like random. Like I feel like I write a lot of times with somebody in mind. I feel like that hasn't really changed years later. Like it's usually about somebody, or like loosely about somebody I know, or like somebody I want to know, or like just stuff like that.

colleyc: 8:16

Like but occasionally it's like broader than that. I don't know. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And when you were first writing songs, you said that you were sharing them mainly with friends. Was that I mean that feedback must have prompted you to keep going, to keep pursuing this? I'm sure if if if your closest friends to you like brought you aside and said, Hey Mark, I don't want to be the bearer of that, you know, like they weren't coming to you saying that. They were like, there was encouragement and support. What were they finding in the music that you were making that they thought, you know, and expressed to you what it was about the music that they really were attracted to?

Mark Scott: 9:00

Yeah. I mean, there certainly were people who were not as hot on it for sure. But like then on the more encouraging side, yeah, like I don't know, they would just be like, hey, it's pretty good for your first song ever. And I'm like, okay, sure. Like, I don't know.

colleyc: 9:24

Like, yeah, I should do another one. Yeah, it does help.

Mark Scott: 9:28

Like, I yeah, that's a good sometimes it's easy. I think I have a tendency to feel like people aren't that supportive sometimes, but I don't yeah, that's probably not true. Like, there have been a lot of people from the very beginning who have just yeah, encouraged me to keep going and to explore for sure.

colleyc: 9:56

I mean, four records in that that you put out you know, to the public. I mean, it's you've you have a good consistency. And this has only been you started well, the first release I see on Bandcamp came out in 2021. Five now. So over spec you know, four years it's like an a record a year you've been putting out.

Mark Scott: 10:18

Yeah. I think it just I mean, I don't know if I'm jumping ahead or anything, but I I think it was definitely easier to write more often, just be like with less responsibilities and like uh I guess just that. Like I went to college, but it was mostly to like not in a bad way, if they ever if my parents listened to this to please them, but also because I like ran cross-country and track and really liked that, and the school I went to allowed me to do that more, and so like really those were like my only three obligations like running school and uh playing the guitar for the play. Not as such a bad uh gig.

colleyc: 11:24

No, it sounds very lovely, actually. Yeah, and you started out as I mean, you did everything yourself on on you know your first few albums. It was when did the collaboration come in? What when did you say, okay, I I I want other ideas or you know, like how did you decide that you wanted to open the door to other people to come in and participate in your creative process?

Mark Scott: 11:53

Yeah, I think I'm like still opening that door more. But like I think it just came down, especially with drums. Like, I'm a little better at drums than I used to be. I mean, I never even I didn't have a drum set for like a lot of those albums you're mentioning. Um so yeah, sometimes that was a big issue. Like my friend Dalton Kersheeter. I haven't seen him in a while. He lives in Tennessee now, but he uh he played drums on that come down album. That was like the first time I ever recorded anything with anyone else on it. Uh but then I went, yeah, I went back to just me for like a lot of stuff. I think, yeah, it just comes down to like, well, I'd sometimes I physically can't play the instrument as well as I would want to. Like also, I just like the idea of uh inviting like those close to me into the the music. Like, even though I feel pretty particular about how it sounds, like it's nice when I find somebody who I just am like, okay, like I like their music, they like mine. Like I'll we like similar things, like I can just feel confident handing it over and giving like loose instructions, and then they send it back, and I'm like, yeah, that's exactly what I wanted.

colleyc: 13:37

Yeah. Yeah. I love that. Well, your collaboration with Mercil Owen, like such a great tune that's on this this latest release. Uh how did that collaboration come to be? Just I mean, she's such a I mean it's such great music that and there's a similarity, there's definitely a thread that that yeah.

Mark Scott: 14:02

I mean, honestly, I saw it started the band Feeble Little Horse was coming through, Columbus, and I didn't even know at the time like who was on the show or anything. I just knew them, and I don't usually do this, but I just like emailed their booking agent and was like, Can I open? And they were like, sure. Like, literally, it was that simple. They I think they literally were like, That's chill. And I was like, Okay. So then, yeah, and then Murce happened to be on a run with them. That was in 2022, maybe. Uh and yeah, they I saw Merce play. That was the first I mean, I had been once I found out she was on the show, like I was listening to her music and loved it. And then yeah, they played and sounded even better, like not yeah, not to compare the two, but it was just like even better to see them play in person and after the show. Similarly, I was just like, hey, I have this new song, like, do you want to sing on it? And she was like, Yeah. Like, I wish there was a more romantic story, but it was like literally as simple as just asking, and she's down like yeah. Yeah, I'm glad that it seems like people really like that song. It's and I do think there are like similarities between us, maybe like musically or sonically, somewhere, but all in all, I do feel like our projects are like pretty different, so it's cool that like it fits like as it does, like yeah.

colleyc: 16:07

Yeah, and kind of looking back now, so I mean the deluxe is coming out today, but I mean this record's been out in the world for a while. How did this record come together? This was the first record that you did with Darling Records, is that right, Mark?

Mark Scott: 16:22

Yeah, and Windspears re-releasing it, yeah. They how did it come together? I just kind of was coming off of a pretty wild, like I don't know, I was spending like a lot of time alone and like almost exclusively like making music. Like yeah, I don't even know. Like, not even in like a bragging way or anything, just I was just so into it, like kind of just retreating into myself, yeah. Kind of and just constantly writing, and this kind of came on like a lot of those songs came on the tail end of that spurt.

colleyc: 17:14

And yeah, I don't think about like what was your so it's 16 songs. I mean, it's it's a it's a it's a very big record, right? Typically you're not passing them.

Mark Scott: 17:32

Right, right. Initially 10 or 11 before okay.

colleyc: 17:36

And like what was your process like when you were you know kind of like in yourself and in into your music? What was your ritual for assembling these songs? Did you kind of have a routine that you would go through that allowed you to these songs so close together?

Mark Scott: 17:55

For sure, yeah. I feel like when I'm like most active with writing, like I'm very yeah, I have a pretty good routine of like getting up pretty early and like whether it's for work or like my work schedule at the time was pretty chaotic. Like I was cutting concrete with my dad, like me and him, and yeah, sometimes that would be really early in the day, sometimes it'd be later, sometimes I would have like a few days off in a row, sometimes I would work all day and like till like three in the morning or something. But yeah, like I would be running a lot because I always yeah, that is like a huge part, I think, just yeah, the repetitive nature of running, and uh it just helps me I don't know, lock into some kind of groove or something, and I'd be thinking of stuff while like listening to either my own mixes or ideas or other people's ideas or other music interviews, whatever it is, really, or nothing, listening to nothing, and like but finding inspiration through all of these different medias or no media, like yeah finding ideas and cultivating and what when you would catch on to an idea where you weren't close to you know your recording devices or your instrument, like how do you how do you preserve those those were like Yeah, sometimes I mean just the typical thing, I guess. Like it's funny you talk about this stuff and then you realize how like uh maybe it's not as unique as you think it is, but it's like yeah, just like voice memo on the phone or notes app or a piece of paper, like or just humming it in your head until like you get somewhere where you can do it. There are definitely like voice memos on my phone, like me typing out the title like of what it is, and then I go to listen to it, and it's just like the concrete saw just like roaring like so loud, and you can like very faintly hear me like humming something. Like I'm probably even and I probably even like misinterpreted those ideas and they came something totally different. Right. Uh yeah, sometimes I go back to songs too that I've released and like change, like almost like cover my own song, get something new and put it out on the next album or that's a great idea. I like that. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I try not to I'm precious about things, but like I try not to be too precious. Right, right.

colleyc: 21:11

Well, speaking in that, in that on that line of not being too precious, when you went to record this this record, what did you have ready for the people that were gonna help you uh play it? Like, was it pretty defined already as how you wanted it to sound? Like you had those ideas in your head? Or were you able to let people bring in certain aspects um that they felt would fit well? Like how how how much did you let others collaborate with these songs that we have um on your latest release?

Mark Scott: 21:50

Yeah, I think with Merce, like she was just down and open to sing harmonies, and it was like that easy. Um Zane Dway, who drums with me now like all the time, added to some songs, and like that was kind of like hey, do whatever you want. Maybe I was like, oh no, play the ride there. But like I wasn't gonna tell him how to play the drums, like just did it. Uh but yeah, my friend now, similar to Merce, like I know him better now, but Boone Patrello, who plays in the band Teed, has his own project called Dead Sullivan. He kind of added the most. Like, we just had one phone call, and he asked like what the vibe was, and like a week later, before he went on a tour, like the biggest tour they ever went on, or went on to that point, uh, with like the band's waveform, and they're getting a body of water, like they went like across the country. Anyway, it was just wild that this guy who I I mean, I do think he's cool, but in my mind, I was like, oh my god, this guy's so cool. Like, and yeah, he was so chill, and I think we had the most like collaborative, like I don't want to say chemistry, but just there was a little more back and forth, and he sent me a lot back, and I I picked a lot out of what he sent. And but I guess to your sorry, I'm not really answering your question, it it started most of the songs were pretty fleshed out. It was almost kind of like I was comfortable even saying they were done, and then I just was like, maybe this person will add to it, or maybe it was almost done, and I asked if they would add, and if they couldn't, then I was just gonna find a way to like fill it myself, like yeah. How are you feeling about it?

colleyc: 24:09

Like it's had some times to time to percolate and kind of get massaged out in the world a bit. Yeah. How have you found the response has been to this latest, your latest release?

Mark Scott: 24:24

I think it's been good. I think like it's really hard not to get down sometimes with the way like the music industry can maybe just feel naturally competitive. Um I feel like I'm like a competitive person, but like not in a way that not with music, yeah. I don't know. Maybe I'm like constantly want to compete with myself and like make things better, but I think if you put all that aside, like it is really special sometimes to play a show and maybe not feel that great about it, like opening for some big band or something, and then having like people come up and just be like, hey, you made you made a new fan, or like they want to buy our our record, and they've been listening since blah blah blah album three years ago, or like or they ask us to sign something. I'm like, you want my screen? I can't even write in cursive. But yeah, it's just it's cool, like it's it's really I have a hard time focusing on those more positive sides sometimes, right? So I want to in this moment and say that I think it's been going pretty well.

colleyc: 25:54

Yeah, yeah. Well, it's very validating too, and I'm sure it drives the next, you know, the next release as well. That particularly I I love what you said about being amongst the people doing a show and just you know being in the crowd and then you know, people wanting to, you know, hey dude, awesome, like whatever it might be, you know, hey, you want to sign my head forehead or you know, like that's a valid, I mean it's it's a very it validates all of that struggle because it's not easy doing what you do. As you said, the music industry is not doesn't make things easy and well doesn't make things easy, period. Um, so you do have to struggle, and it takes a long time from the idea of the songs to actually putting them down on tape. And it's a huge journey that you go through. So it it it must feel good that yes, I I think that I have something that people are enjoying, and they're they're singing the words when I'm I'm I'm playing live on on stage, and I'm like, what the hell? Why are you singing my songs? For sure. Oh yeah. It's like weird experience, yeah.

Mark Scott: 27:09

And it's funny, like, I guess it's all a little vain, but like it's kind of like you you want that sort of, and then I think recently we've noticed people doing that, like we've noticed a few people like singing the words, even to some of the songs that are a little more, you know, like a deeper cut. Everything is a deep cut, we're not that big or anything, but to me, but like yeah, it's cool, or like having somebody like tell us to play a song that's not out yet, even kind of like how do you know? Like, and they're like, Oh, I've seen a live video or something. Like, yeah, it's just like whoa, like yeah, it's cool, but obviously that doesn't happen without yeah, I don't know. We have our friends who have came with us and have recorded us, our my friend Trevor Hawk, who does a lot of our music videos up to this point. He's recorded so many like live sets for us, and yeah, I wouldn't be able to play the the live band shows without the band, like so you know, like there's a lot of people I have to thank, but it is cool that like things seem to be getting better, I guess. I don't I don't know.

colleyc: 28:40

I mean, just take a gander at your October 10th release of your deluxe, and everybody has purchased it already. I mean, right, just that is amazing validation that you know I have a bank camp page and I have one person the bottom. I mean, yeah, you know, you take the crunches with the smooths, but I do think that you're on to um an incredible thread with this record. Um, and it's shown the progress that you've been going through and the maturity that your music has gained over time. Uh, and I really, really appreciate this latest release. What can we look forward to with Villager down the road? What does the end of this year into 2026 look like for Villager?

Mark Scott: 29:28

Yeah, we're playing a few shows here in Ohio. Um, one at Oberlin College and one in Athens, uh, Ohio, at like near Ohio University. Uh, those are both in October. And then in December, we're hopping on uh tour with that Banteed, who's also on Windspear. They just put out a really good record and they're amazing new records. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they're so good. But yeah, Boone, who I mentioned he's played on. So yeah, I don't know. I don't even know if there are any rules about this or anything, but I do have my next album, it's done, and it's getting mastered, so like that's cool. But Boone plays on that. I have a few other friends too who I really love who have their own projects that are awesome, who are on there, and I have a little more of my own band. My live band is involved a little more than before. Still not a ton. They probably want to be involved more. It's not that I don't want them to. I just like get going and then it's like I'm done. Yeah, but like we have a lot of stuff.

colleyc: 31:00

Yeah, really.

Mark Scott: 31:06

Yeah, for sure. Probably earlier than later. Yeah. I think so. I think it's you know, I still aside from like friends who I had record like remotely, I still like recorded and engineered and produced everything. Like I think it sounds better, like just sonically, I think it sounds better. I think the writing might be like I'm not even trying to talk myself off and just like I think it follows a similar thread, but I think it just is better. Like in all way.

colleyc: 31:58

Yeah. Hello Mark. I really appreciate you taking some time and and sharing your thoughts with us. Very introspective. Um and I just love your stories and your thoughts that you have about your music and your records and the collaboration. It's been a real treat to kind of get a little glimpse into that. The new record is sensational. I in my books, I listen to it often. Um so listeners out there, please go and check Villager. Get a show-in, get a t-shirt, a record if they have them. Mark loves signing them. Sign it, go and talk to him about his music if you love it, and sing along if you can. But support Villager, they're a great, great outfit. And Mark, this has been awesome. I hope that we can do this again, uh maybe in the new year.

Mark Scott: 32:53

Yeah, thanks, Chris. Yeah, it's it's really cool. I think this is yeah, you got a cool thing going yourself. Thanks, man. I appreciate that.

colleyc: 33:03

Yeah. You have yourself a good one.

Mark Scott: 33:05

Yeah, you do not know.