Scott Tournet is known for being a founding member and musical director of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals (2003-2014), the frontman for the world beat rock & roll group Elektric Voodoo, a mixing engineer and producer. With The Nocturnals he was a co-writer on 3 Top 40 albums and scored a gold record for the song “Paris” and co producer on many of the groups output. During their successful run the band played Letterman, Conan, Leno, Kimmel, Good Morning America, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock Fest, Rock in Rio, along with many other TV spots and festivals. The band toured the world and even were asked to perform for President Obama while he was campaigning for his second term.
In addition to his work with the Nocturnals, Scott has written and recorded with Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Willie Nelson, T Bone Burnett, Kenny Chesney, Alison Krauss, Mark Batson (Dr. Dre, Alicia Keys, Eminem) and others. He has performed with The Allman Brothers Band, members of The Grateful Dead and Phish, Heart, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Sharon Jones, and many others.
At the height of Grace Potter & The Nocturnal’s success, Scott walked away from the group he helped build to pursue a new musical path. After spending the summer playing football stadiums opening for Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, Scott felt the like the Nocturnals were going in the wrong direction in addition to feeling musically stifled by 30 minute sets of the same songs every night. Having studied music composition, world music, and jazz at college, Scott decided to combine the rock & roll he had been steeped in with some more disparate influences. This became San Diego based Elektric Voodoo. For the past 6 years Scott has fronted this 7 piece ensemble and written all the music which combines Latin and Afrobeat grooves with rock & roll guitars, a horn section, and psychedelic sonics. Elektric Voodoo has toured the country numerous times, built up a loyal following, and put out 3 records that Tournet produced.
After a long hiatus from the roots and pop driven rock & roll that propelled his early career, Scott found himself starting to naturally write music in that direction again. “I just sat down and allowed myself to write whatever came out naturally, with no judgement or preconceptions”, says Tournet. “It started with a heavy drum beat and an electric guitar. I had been writing with keyboards and bass for the Elektric Voodoo records and while that had been liberating in it’s own way, picking up the instrument I started on felt new and exciting again. I also realized that this is what I’m best at. American roots based electric guitar with a powerful groove and a succinct song. The songs came flooding out and the process was fun and easy.”
2023 finds Scott releasing a new album under his own name with a new 4 piece band consisting of Hammond B3 organ, bass, drums, and electric guitar. While the sound is sonically current, it also draws from American roots and pop music from the 1950s until today.
