Scott Mallone

A friendship with the founders of Matter Music (Chris Cornell, Beastie Boys, Wedding Crashers), a leading music house in L.A., started when Scott Mallone slipped a band demo under the door of the studio just to see if they would meet with him. What they heard was a voice that was raw, open, and seeped with passion. A deal was struck and the next year was spent producing a demo for Scott’s band Cinderglass. During this time Matter Music tapped Scott to sing on numerous session recording and commercial spots there at the studio.
Music may feed the soul but a paycheck feeds your belly. Scott had the songs, had the studio but lacked that ever-important job. After a flurry of interviews Scott connected with Long Beach Advertising Agency 689 Design. The 689 Design team dressed in Converse and suit jackets, and walked with an air of cool Californian meets kick-your-teeth-in Texan. Scott fit right in. He had met Zander Vera and Adam R. Cagle, the founders of 689 Design, along with James Bircher in 2000 through a mutual friend. Zander would eventually become bass player and collaborator for Scott’s new solo project, James Bircher the drummer and Adam Cagle the band’s manager.
Over the next three years, Scott created innovative designs with 689 Design, delivered staggering live shows in and around L.A., and sang on commercials and TV pilots for Matter Music. He surrounded himself with people that didn’t just talk, but broke down doors to create what they wanted. This atmosphere of “passion” beats “reason” kept him constantly artistic and caused him to never cease in pushing the boundaries for himself and his music.
Scott recently sang “What We Are Made Of”, composed and recorded by Matter Music, for the Bee Season movie trailer. In the short time it has been out it has created a major buzz. People are aching for honesty and Scott delivers it in a raw, Ben Harper-like form.
Life has come full circle for Scott Mallone. He now finds himself re-entering the Matter Music studio to record his second album under the production of Dan Pinnella. Backed by, Zander Vera on bass, James Bircher on drums, and Drew Harold on keys one thing is for certain...this story hasn’t even begun. When the demo was complete it was strong enough to secure a development deal with DreamWorks Records. For the next six months, and with producer Dan Pinnella at the helm, they recorded their EP “Reaching Gwandalan”. EP in tow they were off to Australia on a three month promotional tour. The band was on the move.
A painful homecoming. After a successful tour Scott returns home to an adoring fan base but days later the band is struck a heart-wrenching blow. DreamWorks Records is sold to Universal and the whole deal is killed. All the principle players at DreamWorks are let go and the band is back to square one. Having come this close to success the fall is devastating. With no support from their label the band began to dissolve.
Enter the Red Room. In 2002 Scott Mallone found himself at a crossroads. A raucous tour through Australia with his former band Cinderglass had left him drained, jobless, and in search of a new sound. Unsure of what to do next he did what all songwriters do, he began to write. A poet with a penchant for the dramatic, Scott sculpted a diary like story of heartache, passion and ultimately triumph. Needing a place to make music and no longer having the label funding Scott got creative. He converted an old storage room at the Tides Motel in Laguna Beach into recording studio and painted it red. Those who were lucky enough to be present said soulful cries, reminiscent of Otis Redding, bled through the door. These songs would eventually become the Red Room Sessions EP. With influences as varied as James Taylor, Radiohead, and well, everything Motown, the new songs told the story of a life in transition.

By Haydon Burns - Long Beach Magazine - Oct. 2005