10 Questions with ... Allan Scott

1. Brief History / Synopsis

I live in State College, Pennsylvania with my wife Jana. We basically are surrounded by cornfields and we love it! I met my wife here while she was finishing up her degree at Penn State and we stayed in the area. We have a 16 month old daughter named Brynn. My wife doubles as wedding photographer and also tours the country exhibiting a body of work that she has created (www.janascottfineart.com). She takes pictures of rusting metal. It's hard to explain what they look like except to say that hey are super cool. I am a full time songwriter/artist at www.allanscottmusic.com.

2. What does a normal day at home look like for you?

My wife and I are both self employed and both travel frequently, So it makes for an interesting and many times non-repetitive lifestyle :-) On a typical weekday, one of us will run our kiddo to day care in the morning. Then we both will work from home. Lately I have been spending my days working on content for a ministry event that my band and I will be a part of this fall. It's a one night event for Fathers and their Sons (www.borntobebravetour.com) and is the brother show to the Secret Keeper Girl Tour (www.secretkeepergirl.com). We are bringing the show to 12 cities in October. That has been keeping me busy lately. Also throughout the day I will have different ministry related meetings, songwriting sessions and then sometimes rehearsal with the band in the evening. Generally my wife and I try to spend time as a family together from about 5-8:00pm. It has been a good habit for us to get into. A lot of times, we work after family time. Then off to bed!

3. What's the song that you just can't get out of your head right now?

I am really loving the new Casting Crowns song "Oh My Soul". It is just so well written lyrically and I think speaks to a place where we all will find ourselves at one time or another.

4. How much do you travel? How do you juggle life on the road with wanting to be home?

This last year I played about 85 dates and was gone probably 100 or more days with travel factored in. I think the biggest challenge for Jana and I has been creating as much predictability in our schedule as possible for our daughter. So that she can thrive and get into rhythm. We have worked really hard at that. Also, making sure that we (my wife and I) stay connected is important. So we have a date night once a week. Which usually consists of hanging out in our living room! It's just the life phase we are in with a young kiddo. When I am traveling we facetime a lot. My daughter likes that. She usually ends up taking the phone and running off somewhere with it, which makes for a bumpy facetime experience on my end :-)

5. What Artist or Pastor has had the greatest impact on you?

There are a couple Pastors that I love, Judah Smith and Joseph Prince are my top two. I love how they talk about Jesus and everything that He did for us on the cross... I used to have a very limited view of the gospel...I knew it affected me eternally, but I did not really understand that Jesus died to give me abundant life in the "now" moment. But through preachers like Judah and Joseph, I began to realize how much the power of the gospel affects our lives every day. After all, I don't live in my past, and I don't live in my future. I need a gospel that meets me where I am at now. And that is precisely what the power of the gospel does.

6. What's the last book you read?

Andrew Farley's "The Naked Gospel". I think it helped me understand more fully the "rest" that is referred to in book of Hebrews. A rest that comes by trusting in Jesus and the sufficiency of His work on the cross. When He said "It is finished", He accomplished all that was needed to make us whole and clean in the eyes of God the Father. That is great news if you are imperfect like me :-) Knowing that God's grace is greater than our failings.

7. Funniest or most embarrassing moment on the road?

Not sure if this is the most embarrassing or not....so I have an ice cream addiction. I usually start to crave it around 10pm. One night the band and I were in New Jersey, probably around 9 or 10pm. We were looking for an ice cream spot. The guys told me that Wendy's served the Frosty in a cone. Which is ridiculous because it is basically a milkshake. So I order this thing, and start trying to eat it. And this huge waffle cone and all the contents explode all over my lap. So anyway, I begin to scream and freak out. The worst thing about this whole situation is that I was the one driving our van at the time. I had rolled to a slow stop in the Wendy's parking lot, and decided that it would be a good idea to get out of the van. So that is what I did, all while failing to realize that I had not put the van in park. And so our 12 passenger van and fully loaded 14 foot trailer begin rolling away from me with all of the band members still inside. Who at this point are laughing hysterically. So then, I start running after the van and trailer, and am able to push the floor brake with my hand. And remember, I have a large Frosty and waffle cone dripping down my pants through this whole experience. Yeah, so, that was it. I would have loved to have seen it all unfold from the perspective of the drive through guy or the cars that were in line behind us :-)

8. Take us through a couple songs on your latest project.

We released the "Run To You" EP on June 9th. The album hit the #5 spot on the iTunes Christian and Gospel charts on release day, which was awesome. We also released a music video for the title track which can be viewed here:

We got to work with some great guys on the project including Sean Moffitt (Mercy Me, Colton Dixon), Ainslie Grosser (for KING & COUNTRY, Casting Crowns) and Drew Lavyne (Kari Jobe, Jesus Culture).

My favorite song I think is "Waymaker" which is our first radio release from the project. The song is about how God can make a way when there seems to be no way. I know that personally from my own life experience. I am an ex-drug addict, dropout loser and thief. I really did my best to throw my life away. When I eventually cried out to God he intervened and began to put the broken pieces of my life back together. That was 15 years ago and I have continually seen his faithfulness in my life since then. Not because I deserve it, but because He is good!

Another track from the EP is called "Run To You". It's about the story of the prodigal son. The thing about that story that gets me is how the father ran out to embrace his son, even after all that son had done. I think it's a beautiful picture of the Gospel. God aggressively pursues us and comes to meet us right where we are at, and restores us into a position of rightness. He runs to us.

9. What organization/service group are you affiliated with?

In 2015 we started a nonprofit called Found & Favored Ministries. Through FFM we do a lot of work in prisons, rehabs and homeless shelters. It is our goal to share the message that "God is for you" with those who are addicted, beat up and losing in life. My story connects a lot in those types of places. We love seeing how hurting people react when they hear the message that God loves them and that there is hope for their situation. So, right now Found & Favored Ministries is our main affiliation. I love Compassion and World Vision (Jana and I personally sponsor a child), but right now the band's focus has been meeting the needs of those who are in prisons, rehabs, etc. in the U.S. So FFM is what we promote and raise support for when we are on the road.

10. Person you'd most like to have a discussion with, living or dead.....Deities are excused from this question

I think the apostle Paul. I have tons of questions for him :-) Next would be Bono.

Favorite Bible Verse....life verse?

2 Corinthians 5:21 He who knew no sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.

I love this verse. It speaks of the exchange that took place on the cross. He took all my sin and filth and gave me credit for his perfection. That is as good as it gets for me.

How & When did you become a believer?

When I was 3, my mom lead me in the sinner's prayer. I am not sure if that was my actual salvation point or not. Many years later I really cried out to God when I was beat up, addicted and at the tail end of a losing streak. One thing I know for sure. Because my mom instilled that faith in me at a young age, I knew Who I was running from and Who to run back to. So I am grateful for that.

What's the biggest "God moment" you've ever experienced?

I think that would be when He intervened in my life after some hard years of substance abuse. I remember being in my jail cell knowing so clearly that God was giving me an opportunity to hit the "reset" button in my life. I am really grateful for that experience.