Jason Scott and the High Heat perform at the MPR booth at the Minnesota State Fair
by Bill DeVille
August 24, 2025
Forged in the crucible that is the Oklahoma City music scene, five-piece band Jason Scott and the High Heat describe their sound as “a little rock and roll, a little country, a little blues.” Jason Scott and the High Heat brought their signature sound to the MPR booth at the Minnesota State Fair to play a couple of songs, including one that’s not yet officially released, and to chat with host Bill DeVille.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full session, and just below, find a transcript of Bill’s conversation with frontman Jason Scott.
Interview Transcript
Bill DeVille: It's Jason Scott and the High Heat, the rootsy, Americana, red-dirt band from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band is led by Jason Scott, who had a Pentecostal upbringing and at one point was training to become a preacher. Later, he had a faith crisis and headed in a different direction and formed a band, and things are going pretty good for Jason and the band. They have a new album called American Grin. They've done opening dates with the likes of Blackberry Smoke. Have some upcoming with The Mavericks and Dwight Yoakam, too. So Jason, why don't you introduce your guys in the band here?
Jason Scott: Over here on my right is Mr. Gabriel Mor. We're all from Oklahoma City, by the way, we live within several blocks of each other. Over here is Mr. Gary Brown; "Downtown Gary Brown" is what we call him back home. Mr. Ryan Magnani back here on the bass, and then back here on drums is Tremaine Wade.
Bill DeVille: Does Oklahoma City have a good music scene there?
Jason Scott: Yeah, I think one of the best, in my opinion. We sure know quite a few of the people there. So maybe we're a little partial, but—
Bill DeVille: I think of artists like The Flaming Lips for one, and Wyatt Flores is from Oklahoma. Turnpike Troubadours, lots of great music. What is it about Oklahoma and music?
Jason Scott: It must be something in that really bad water we're drinking down there.
Bill DeVille: How would you guys describe your sound?
Jason Scott: We like to call our music "high country," but, you know, we're sort of open to interpretation, it seems; a little rock and roll, a little country, a little blues. Certainly not "red dirt" — we need to cross that off that list.
Bill DeVille: Yeah, I suppose when you're from Oklahoma, you kind of get pigeonholed.
Jason Scott: We get lumped into the same ball of clay a lot.
Bill DeVille: Yeah, I don't even know what actual "red dirt" is — I mean, what the actual sound is for red dirt, do you?
Jason Scott: I think there's, yeah, several bands that you could label that, for sure, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours — again, those are all influences of ours, too — but certainly isn't what our sound falls under.
Bill DeVille: So your latest album is called American Grin. What inspired the title for the record?
Jason Scott: It was a lyric from a song that didn't make the record, but we've been on the road and kind of working on American Grin over the process of three or four years. A lot of new cities, a lot of new characters, a lot of new experiences, and all those together kind of formed the landscape for American Grin. Different characters, different experiences, and they manifested in songs.
Bill DeVille: So you were just talking about being on the road. You're on the road a lot. When you're in the van, what can you all agree on? You know, when somebody picks music. I mean, who's the artist you all have in common?
Jason Scott: We let Gary Brown DJ a lot. He knows all our tastes real well. We've learned not to pass the phone around, to be honest. It's one job for one man, and that man's Downtown Gary Brown.
Bill DeVille: You like rock and roll? Is that fair enough?
Jason Scott: Yeah, but we have one CD in the van, and it's the Rolling Stones live from somewhere that we just let spin all the time.
Bill DeVille: I've read that you're a big John Prine fan, too.
Jason Scott: Yeah, absolutely.
Bill DeVille: What is it about Prine that you like? The lyrics?
Jason Scott: Yeah. One hundred percent. Yeah. Simple, straightforward. He's just one of the best wordsmiths, too.
Bill DeVille: So what's it like opening up for an artist like Dwight Yoakam?
Jason Scott: It's as fun as it gets with Dwight Yoakam. Let me put it that way.
Bill DeVille: That guy's got it dialed in, huh?
Jason Scott: He's a wild man.
Bill DeVille: Yeah. Have you played a State Fair before?
Jason Scott: I have played the Oklahoma State Fair so many times, I can't count. They were way less attended, let me put it that way.
Bill DeVille: Yeah, we rank way up there with with Texas and Iowa for the largest state fairs.
Jason Scott: Yeah, this is awesome, you guys, and you got some really great weather out here.
Bill DeVille: Have you tried the foods yet, or is it too soon?
Jason Scott: I literally just sucked down chicken on a stick because it was the closest thing. Bob's probably had quite a few things already.
Bill DeVille: Cheese curds?
Jason Scott: No way yet.
Bill DeVille: There you go. Thanks so much for dropping by.
Bill DeVille: Thanks, y'all. We really appreciate it.
Bill DeVille: It's Jason Scott and the High Heat from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. How about a big hand for the band. Your song, "High Country," by the way, that, to me, is like, should be a massive, massive hit. That song is so great. What was the inspiration behind that one real quick?
Jason Scott: Again, kind of written along the American Grin landscape. I was going back and forth to Colorado quite a bit, and sleeping in rest stops and stuff like that. And there's some other influences there that I'm gonna let you guys work out on your own. But you could call "High Country" a state of mind, and right now we're way high up in it.
Bill DeVille: Fair enough. All right, Jason Scott and the High Heat here on The Current.
Songs Performed
“High Country”
”Too Good, Too Bad” (unreleased track expected late September)
Credits
Guests – Jason Scott and the High Heat
Host – Bill DeVille
Producer – Derrick Stevens
Digital Producer – Luke Taylor
External Link
Jason Scott and the High Heat – official site