Excerpt from transcription, audio
recorded on Sunday, February 2, 2025
Scarlett: Hello. I'm Scarlett. I am in the scene, and I perform and I vend my jewelry sometimes.
Ameer: How did you start making music?
Scarlett: Honestly, it's like, you know, how everyone starts making music—it’s like, someone breaks your heart, and you write about it.
So, it kinda started like that. And, you know, that’s how I got into the scene. It actually began when I got there. So yeah, you know?
But yeah, I really enjoy performing. I’m really glad I have a nice, safe, and supportive community around me—one that encourages me and gives me a real pat on the back. It’s a great feeling to perform in front of them. Like, it’s very supportive, you know? Yeah.
Ameer: Was there ever a time, I guess, when you were younger or whatever, where you didn't have that support that you feel like you needed?
Scarlett: Yeah, honestly, yeah. I grew up in a very, like, verbally abusive household, you know? I isolate myself a lot, so I feel like joining the scene has really helped me open up and really, like, be myself—regardless of anything going on outside of, you know, what's happening right now.
But yeah, it’s just taught me to be myself, and I’m just happy to be here. Like, I don’t know, it’s very… it’s very different. Since I’m so closed off, you know, before, it was just super difficult to find a sense of self.
You know? But yeah, I feel like I have a community that supports that.
Ameer: Mhmm. Do you feel like your music really helps with that—self-expression and, kind of, like, putting yourself out there more?
Scarlett: Yeah. Very much so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Ameer: So how would you describe your sound, your music?
Scarlett: You know, it's okay.
So, the thing I like about music is how tempo changes—like, any sort of, I guess... I don't know what to call it. I call it a chord switch. Not like a different tone in the music, but more like a switch in the flow. It has to be really unique for me to listen to it.
I feel like my music is unique. I really enjoy playing it. So, I mean... yeah. Yeah. I feel like—I don’t know.
My sound? It's very emotional. Very emotional. Very tear-jerking. But, you know, we're gonna get out of that soon. You know?
We're gonna create some more positive music—more uplifting, you know? But yeah, I feel like it's very sad. Still, I think it's really relatable. Mhmm.
Ameer: I agree.
Scarlett: Thank you.
Ameer: Any artist, like, that inspired you starting out?
Scarlett: I would say, okay—so, the very first maybe Sales. Okay, there's a band called Sales—capital S-A-L-E-S. You should go check them out.
Lauren and Jordan are the people in the band, but unfortunately, they've broken apart. Not on bad terms or anything—they’re just not a band anymore. But they really inspired me with their music.
It's very... like, it's on the indie spectrum, but it's different. Like, the first song everyone should go listen to is Off and On by Sales. It's really good. It's very much what I'm into—like I mentioned earlier with my music and stuff, how I like the switch in tone and all that. Yeah, I feel like it’s that same wave.
Ameer: How has the scene impacted your life?
Scarlett: It's really crazy how insane it is—like a switch, a complete 180. Well, no, I lied—we're turning a new leaf. That's how my life changed.
We were turning a new leaf. I started gaining more confidence being here. Yeah. It's just really nice being in a space where you can do anything without being judged—whether it's in the mosh pit or just chatting, you know? But yeah.
Ameer: I guess, on the topic of feeling like a judgment-free zone—that’s something I’ve heard a lot when talking to people in the scene.
So, do you feel like being judged was a big part of your childhood?
Scarlett: Yeah. I feel like I was held to an expectation of how to be, and I feel like the scene brought me out of that. You know? I can really, like—fuck, sorry. I don't mean to curse, but, like, fuck everything. Like, you know what I mean? It's not that serious, like, genuinely. And, man, who cares if you get judged? Who cares? Because, you know, the only person that's gonna be there for you at the end of the day is yourself. So you need to treat yourself with more respect and more self-love. You know?
I feel like being in the scene, I've had a lot more opportunities to do music and perform. And, like, even, I have a lot of mutuals on Instagram, and it's just so cool to see everyone interacting. It's really cool.
What else was I gonna say? Okay. So there's a band called The Poserz, right? They're a local Houston, Texas band, and I love them so much. I saw them for the first time at either House of J or Ojeman’s, but it was life-changing. Amazing experience. I also wanna include that, like, the people here are so carefree. You can literally dance and mosh with anybody. Like, literally, put your arm around anyone while headbanging to music, and they’ll join you. That's the best part about being in the scene, I feel like.
But The Poserz... I was, like, a super fan, you know? Ugh. [Laughter] I would tag them a lot. Eventually, I got an opportunity to host my own little gathering—like a birthday show—at House of J. The Poserz said they do it for the free skis. Yeah, so they performed, and they let me grab the mic and sing into it. Apparently, they liked it, because guess what, guys? A few days, a few weeks later, they were like, 'Hey, do you wanna perform a couple of songs for us?' I was like, oh no. I literally started freaking the hell out. But I did it, and it was amazing. It was great. It's on my Instagram if you wanna go see it. Yeah, but that was so amazing. Oh my god, that was so amazing.
That was the coolest fucking thing I've ever, like, done in my fucking life. Like, that's the coolest shit ever. Like, just imagine your favorite fucking artist asking you to perform two songs for them at their fucking show. Like, imagine that. Yeah. But, yeah, dream come true, to be honest.
Ameer: Yeah. When you were up on stage at Ojeman, I just, like, saw, like, the light in your eyes [laughter]. You were so happy.
Scarlett: God, it was so—oh my god. It was so cool. It was so cool. Yeah, it was so cool. I was nervous as hell. Like, man, you should’ve seen me—looking at the lyrics, analyzing the lyrics, listening to it back to back to back to back, because I performed their songs, "Nose Drugs" and "Programmed to Disagree." Had those on repeat for like three days. I was not going to mess this up. But yeah, I think I did pretty good. I feel like I sounded amazing. Not to be cocky, but I just really love their music, you know? And I wanted to fucking prove myself.
Ameer: Why do you do what you do as an artist?
Scarlett: I feel like it helps other people open up. I meet a lot of people here who seem more closed off. Being here in general, and being part of a supportive scene, you want to be a part of that too. You know? You want to spread positivity and confidence to others. A compliment goes a long way. So, if anything, I'm doing it for everyone else and myself second, just because I put others before myself. But that's just me in general.
Ameer: What do you want people, like, in the community to understand about you as a individual?
Scarlett: Okay. I want them to understand that I am—I'm, of course—a nice person. I'm very open-minded. You can talk to me about anything, and I hope they can relate to me. I also hope that everybody I come across has a good impression of me because, like, being an asshole to someone is just not cool.
Especially, like, even if you don't know them, and even if you think you're judging them from the outside—you know, don’t judge a book by its cover. Like, you know what? That's what I meant to say last time. Don't judge a book by its cover. You know what I mean?
Because, thank you—everybody is amazing. Like, don’t judge a book by its cover. Who cares if you walk by someone and they have split-dye hair? Who cares?
They’re the nicest person you’ll ever meet. Like, please.
Scarlett: Do you have, like, a favorite picture you've taken?
Ameer: Oh, that's a tough one. There's so many. Honestly, I was talking to Lexi about this, but a lot of my favorite photos are the ones I have an emotional attachment to. Like, if I got to see a band I really wanted to see, or, like, my favorite band. For local bands, I definitely had this one time I saw Strange Joy. Yeah. It was at White Swan. I had wanted to see them for so long, and I guess that impacted the photos because I feel like those are some of the best photos I've ever taken. Yeah. I was just really happy with those.
Scarlett: Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Concerts are life-changing.
Scarlett: How did you get into the scene?
Ameer: Oh, well, since I was a kid, I’ve just been listening to metal and stuff like that. So coming here was just kinda a natural progression. I think I had been wanting to get into local music since I was probably a senior in high school—like, when I really started thinking about it.
For some reason, I didn’t consider or even understand that Houston—a major city—has its own scene. I don’t know why I never thought about it. But after I saw Tyler’s videos and stuff, I was like, "Oh, wait. This is so accessible to me."
Scarlett: That’s what I’m saying! It’s really cool. You’d never think this is happening right now. Yeah, for sure. But yeah, it’s been really nice.
Ameer: It has been really nice. So many good bands, and I’m like, "We have this right here in my backyard?"
Scarlett: And people in other states are begging them to come play there. Like, what?!
Ameer: Yeah. This scene has completely transformed my photography—made it so much better and turned it into something so worthwhile for me again. It’s just
been amazing, really.
Scarlett: Hell yeah. Hell yeah. I agree. Just building, just coming from—ugh, you know—it’s just really cool. Oh god, this scene is so cool.
