By Andrew W. Griffin
pop writer
If you ever catch some of the rootsy, regional country music on certain radio stations in Oklahoma or Texas, there's a chance you've caught a song by the Scott Wiggins Band, a top-notch group from New Braunfels, Texas, that released an album in 2007, "Burn," and is still producing some stellar singles like "Perfect Way To Fall," currently in the Top 10 of the Texas Music chart.
Not bad, eh?
But who is Wiggins and what about his band?
POP recently caught up with Wiggins from his home in New Braunfels.
Ever since he was a boy, Texas singer-songwriter Wiggins was drawn to music. While he never sang in a church choir or at school, he found other outlets.
"I sang in the backseat. But I didn't really start singing until I was in high school," said Wiggins, remembering the self-described "pawn-shop guitar" he bought growing up in Pleasanton, Texas.
And when injury struck, sidelining his high school baseball, football and track career, Wiggins turned to that pawn shop guitar and began strumming more seriously. And in 2001, Wiggins was asked to sing at his high school graduation.
Soon after that, Wiggins entered the Colgate Country Showdown in nearby San Antonio and won. Later he performed at the state level and did well there, too.
But his move to Corpus Christi near the Gulf of Mexico culminated into the formation of the Scott Wiggins Band.
Armed with his guitar, Wiggins, along with his drumming pal John Diaz met up with several other musicians -- guitarists Jason Farjardo and Ricky Diaz and bassist Ryan Fedako. Wiggins finally had a full-fledged band and before long, a demo tape.
"The first album was "Only See..." and the first single, "Country Girl," did OK," Wiggins said.
All the while, Wiggins and the band were playing in Corpus Christi as often as they could. And that particular market is far enough from San Antonio and Houston that a decent band could gain a rapid fan base. Once "Only See..." was released in 2005, it solidified the Scott Wiggins Band as a Texas country group to be reckoned with.
"I got gigs all over Corpus, and before long, we became the hometown band," Wiggins said.
Later guitarist Austin Gilliam, who is more rock-oriented, replaced Farjardo.
Wiggins had admired Gilliam's playing. And when they lost their first guitarist, Gilliam was happy to fill in quickly. Soon, he was a member of the group, providing the distinctive, melodic guitar parts on their current release, "Burn," produced by Keith Davis.
By this stage, Wiggins said, a decision was made to relocate to New Braunfels, which claims a number of musicians on the Texas Red Dirt scene, including members of Oklahoma natives Cross Canadian Ragweed.
"We didn't want to be labeled the hometown band that never left, so we decided to move to New Braunfels," he said.
Wiggins, who writes most the songs, proved to audiences that you can have a nice singing voice and write good songs like "Lonely Is Holding Me," a wistful, beautiful song that should be considered a classic Texas country song.
But while this ballad is intensely appealing, Wiggins isn't afraid to rock out on songs like "Whole Time" or "Addicted" and embrace the idea that the heart of his songs are country persuasion.
"I am a country singer," Wiggins said. "I play country songs, and I think our band plays country with a flair."
Just listening to a twangy, dusky ballad like "Long Run," reminds listeners he has a love for country crooners.
"I'm a fan of singers. I can't listen to songwriters who can't sing all day long," said Wiggins, remembering how his own love of singing took a detour.
Wiggins said he was struggling to sing for long periods of time and discovered acid reflux disease was the root of it, but medication has helped remedy this.
"I like to strengthen my voice," Wiggins said. "I don't sing at all without vocal warm-ups." He added that he's baffled by his fellow singers who don't do vocal warm-ups and take better care of their voice.
Since "Burn" was released, guitarists Gilliam and Diaz have left the group -- on good terms -- and producer Keith Davis has taken over guitar duties, a situation that has worked out well for the band, he said.
And Wiggins said the band will record new material soon and hopes to expand the touring schedule into Oklahoma and beyond.
Despite a $10,000 loss in equipment stolen from their band trailer a few months ago, things have been looking up for the Scott Wiggins Band.
"I've been writing so much in the past few years," Wiggins said. "I have 25 to 30 new songs. I think the next album will touch on 'Burn' but will take the sound to a whole new level."
For more information, go to www.scottwigginsband.com.
