Scott Pryor Is Wide Awake and Unapologetically Becoming

The first thing you notice about Scott Pryor isn’t his past.

Not the courtroom victories. Not the military stripes. Not even the weight of his award-winning films.

It’s his eyes. They’re not loud, but they see. There’s something unshakably present about the way he carries himself, like someone who’s lived through too many endings to fake anything for the sake of attention.

And now, after years of defining success on his own terms, Scott Pryor is stepping into a new chapter, not with flash, but with fire. Not to prove anything, but because the music won’t let him stay silent.

Scott is a Marine Veteran, a trial attorney, a champion wrestler, and a filmmaker. But these days, Scott Pryor is focusing on letting his voice do the heavy lifting.

And make no mistake: he’s never sounded more awake.

Photography courtesy of Phil Wages

Scott Pryor doesn’t sugarcoat his story. His debut album, Wide Awake, was born from tragedy. Midway through its production, Pryor experienced the unthinkable: the loss of his son, Elijah, to suicide.

That kind of pain doesn’t just break you. It remakes you.

And instead of walking away from the mic, Pryor ran toward it, pouring everything he had into music that could hold both the grief and the hope, the ache and the fight. The album’s title track became both a memorial and a mission: to create stories that help people feel less alone in the dark.

“It changed me,” he’s shared. “Music became a way to speak when I didn’t have the words.”

The result is haunting and holy. A blend of alternative rock and raw, soul-cutting honesty that doesn’t ask for your approval, it just asks you to feel.

Pryor’s résumé reads like three lifetimes. Raised between Montana, Wyoming, and Indiana, he went from the Marine Corps to the courtroom, where he became a top-ranked trial attorney. His knack for storytelling evolved into filmmaking, with emotionally charged projects like Blackbear, The List, and Tulsa cementing his voice behind the camera.

But music? That’s different. That’s his.

“It’s like going back to my roots,” he says of his journey into rock music. “My dad was a honky-tonk pianist. I was raised with rhythm in my bones.”

The inspiration for his sound is equal parts spiritual and gritty: U2. Foo Fighters. Pearl Jam. Tina Turner. Metallica. And while most artists take years to find their lane, Pryor builds his own road and drives full speed into it.

Photography courtesy of Phil Wages

In May 2025, Pryor released a bold, unapologetic cover of Pat Benatar’s “We Belong”—the first offering in a tribute series honoring iconic women in rock. Now, he’s gearing up for the release of AWOL, a hard-hitting single dropping August 20 that dives even deeper into the raw layers of his evolving sound.

And now, his most anticipated release yet is just days away.

“Bad Romance,” dropping July 11, is gritty, cinematic, and charged with tension. The track, a reinterpretation of the Lady Gaga hit, delivers something different, not just a cover, but a reimagination of what it means to unravel love, loss, and vulnerability under pressure.

It’s personal. It’s powerfully male, but deeply emotional. It’s the kind of track that doesn’t need permission to hit you, it just does.

Whether it climbs charts or quietly makes waves, one thing is clear: Pryor is done playing it safe.

Scott’s work isn’t just about the sound; it’s about the people it reaches. His creative circle includes Grammy-winning vocal coach Jan Smith, producer Jesse Owen Astin, and songwriter Heidi Huelskoetter, who help refine every line, every note, every heartbreak he translates into art.

Together, they’re building more than music. They’re building moments.

And with a tour on the horizon and a second full-length album in the works, Scott Pryor is showing up in a way that’s full-bodied, faith-rooted, and fearless.

Photography courtesy of Phil Wages

There’s something sacred about watching a man rise from unimaginable grief and say, “This is who I am now.” Not with armor, but with art.

Scott Pryor isn’t trying to reclaim a platform. He’s building one that never existed before.

One where men are allowed to feel. Where grief becomes melody. Where a Marine, a father, and a rocker can sit in the same chair and be whole.

So if you’re looking for polished perfection, keep scrolling. But if you’re looking for proof that beauty can grow out of ashes, press play.

Because Scott Pryor isn’t just making music.

He’s telling the truth.

And every note feels like the beginning of something we all needed but didn’t know how to say.

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INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT PRYOR

Q: From the Marine Corps to courtroom wins and now the stage, your life is marked by powerful transformations. How has your journey prepared you to pour raw emotion and truth into your music, especially in songs like your upcoming single Bad Romance?

A: I’ve lived a life where nothing came easy; every chapter has been about pushing through pain, whether that was on the battlefield, in the courtroom, or in my personal life. The Marine Corps taught me discipline and grit, but also how to stay calm in chaos. That mindset carried me into my career as a trial lawyer, where I had to fight for people at their most vulnerable. Music, especially writing and performing, has become my most personal battleground. Bad Romance is a reflection of scars that don't always show, and I pour that truth into every lyric. I'm not interested in sugarcoating the story; I want to give people something real.

Q: You’ve said your work is rooted in stories of love, loss, and redemption. With Bad Romance set to launch on July 11th, what message are you hoping to deliver through this track, and why now?

A: Bad Romance is about that space where love turns toxic, but you stay anyway. It’s not just a breakup song; it’s a mirror to all of us who’ve clung to something broken, hoping it would fix itself. I think a lot of people are carrying quiet heartbreaks and guilt they don’t talk about. This song is about facing that pain head-on. Why now? Because the world needs honesty more than ever, and I’m ready to deliver that with full volume.

Q: Your debut album, Wide Awake, was born from tragedy, honoring your son Elijah’s memory. How has that loss not only shaped your art but given you a deeper mission behind every release, including Bad Romance?

A: Losing Elijah was the most shattering moment of my life. But it also cracked me open creatively. Wide Awake was a way for me to grieve and heal, and every song since then has been about using that pain to connect with others. With Bad Romance, I’m not just singing about a bad relationship; I'm giving voice to the people who feel stuck, hurt, and alone. Elijah’s memory reminds me that every moment counts. Every lyric I write has to mean something, or it’s not worth putting out.

Q: Your recent take on Pat Benatar’s We Belong honors legendary women in rock. As a male artist, why is amplifying female voices in music important to you, and how does it tie into the emotional layers you're exploring in your own sound?

A: Women have always shaped the emotional core of rock. Pat Benatar, Heart, Stevie Nicks, they sang with fire and vulnerability that moved mountains. Covering We Belong wasn’t just a tribute; it was me saying, “We hear you. We need your voice in this space.” As a guy, it’s important to acknowledge that strength doesn’t mean silence. I want my music to have that same emotional complexity, raw, honest, fearless, just like the women who paved the way before me.

Q: Many men struggle to express vulnerability, yet your music is unapologetically emotional and honest. What do you hope men, especially those facing inner battles, hear in your story and in the new music you’re bringing to life this year?

A: I want men to know it’s okay to bend and feel, but you must keep the faith and stay strong. Never break. What’s not okay is pretending you're fine when you're not. I’ve been through war, I’ve buried a child, and I’ve walked through my battles that nearly consumed me. But I came out on the other side by owning my pain and putting it into my music. If my songs help one guy say, “Yeah, that’s how I feel too,” then I’ve done my job. Bad Romance and the other tracks I’m working on this year are all about that journey, owning the darkness so you can fight your way back into the light.

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Listen to “Bad Romance” on July 11 on all streaming platforms

Stream “We Belong” and the Wide Awake album now

Follow Scott on YouTube and X @thescottpryor

Learn more at aoagwllc.com

Photography courtesy of Phil Wages

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