Music Saved Me. Welcome to Music Saved Me, the podcast where we dive deep into the transformative power of music and the stories behind the artists who inspire us. And if you're into stories of inspiration and resilience, which I suspect you might be, please check out our sister podcast, Comedy Saved Me, hosted by yours truly wherever you get your podcasts. I'm your host, Lynn Hoffman, and today's episode is a story of extraordinary resilience, courage, and the pursuit of purpose. Joining us, rising country star Scotty Hasting, an Army veteran and singer-songwriter who is a living testament to the human spirit. Scotty's journey from active military service on the battlefields of Afghanistan to surviving, being shot 10 times, surviving, and confronting PTSD is nothing short of remarkable. But it's what happened after all of that that marks his deepest transformation. Taking up a guitar during the darkest days of the pandemic to combat PTSD and discovering that music wouldn't just be a lifeline, it would be a new path forward. Since his first record deal in 23, he shared the stage with country giants like Tanya Tucker, Jelly Roll, and Chris Jansen. And he's also become a proud advocate for organizations like CreativeVets and Guitars for Vets. And as a Purple Heart recipient himself, his music carries the weight of his story and the hope of his message that no matter how tough things get, there's always a light on the other side. Today's conversation, Scotty opens up about songwriting, how it became his saving grace, how sharing his story helped his fellow veterans, and what it feels like to connect with his audiences from stage to stage. Reminding us all that sometimes music truly does save us. So wherever you're listening, settle in for an honest and inspiring and unforgettable episode with Scotty Hastings right here on Music Saved Me. Scotty, welcome to the show. It is so wonderful to have you here. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time. Thanks for having me. Well, first and foremost, thank you for your service and for joining us today. And your incredible journey. I have goosebumps just thinking about it. And I know we didn't plan this and it's not like this won't live on forever, but today just happens to be the day I get to talk to you on National Purple Heart Day. Oh, wow. I didn't even know that. I didn't even know that. I didn't even know that. Wow. It's incredible. Well, I can't wait to talk to you all about your incredible story starting with how you survived and how that survival shaped your music. But first we got to take a quick break and have a word from our wonderful sponsors who pay for all of this to be able to happen. So we'll be right back with Scotty Hastings. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. No gloss. No filter. No text. Stories. Spoken without fear. A person who is not generous cannot be an artist. The world will be at peace only when it is ruled by poets and philosophers. Listen to my weekly podcast, the Pooja Bhachon on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Come for the honesty. Stay for the fire. Music saved me. Welcome back to Music Saved Me, my guest Scotty Hastings. All right, let's talk about your journey from serving in the army to becoming a musical artist, a country music artist. Can you describe what role music played for you before your time in Afghanistan and then after? Yeah, you know, it's funny. When I was, I grew up listening to music. I grew up singing it. Music was never a thought as like a career or something that I ever thought that I could do. You know, music was just, for me, it was just a hobby. I just, I sang songs in the car or in the shower. I never let anyone ever hear me sing. It was just something for me. It was my happy place. Did you, did you know that you were a good singer or was it just in the bathroom in the shower? Like good acoustics? Yeah, I mean, my mom told me I was good once. But no, I mean, I would sing like karaoke and stuff. Like as I got older, I started singing karaoke because my dad was a karaoke DJ for a while. And, and yeah, I mean, I was always told that I was, you know, good, but you know, it's hard to be like, oh, well, thanks, you know, some drunk guy at a bar thought I was good at karaoke. It's hard to be like, oh, yeah, I'm good, you know, but, but not, it was for me, it was just, it was my happy place was what I did for me. And, and yeah, I never thought in a million years I'd be doing what I'm doing now. Wow. It's pretty incredible. And it's, it's only been a few short years. I know that you've spoken openly and in vivid detail about surviving being shot and not just shot, but like 10 times at point blank range. I mean, you were looking into your shooter's eyes. And you also dealt dealt a lot with PTSD, which, which followed. And I'm very familiar with that. My dad was in the military as well. So he suffered greatly with that. How, how did those experience shape your musical voice and basically your purpose moving forward? Yeah, you know, I think it shaped my musical voice and since that it was therapy for me. You know, I started all of this as just a form of therapy, you know, learning how to play the guitar, learning how to write music. And in the music that came out, it was just therapeutic. It was what I needed before the cup over flowed. And it's amazing because I remember going to my first show ever and I played the first song I ever learned how to play, which should have been a cowboy. And I was at an open mic night in Cookville, Tennessee out in middle of nowhere at Red Salad Brewing Company. And, and I was just like, you know, I'm just going to go up there and play and see what happens. And I, and I remember playing that song and I remember feeling like this is what I need to do forever. It was like in that moment, like the stage became my sanctuary. And it was, it was my place where I could escape and live in a moment away from the PTSD, the depression, the anxiety, all of that stuff. And it was, and for me, that's all it was. That's all, that's all I wanted music for was to be therapy. That was it. And, and then I started writing songs for myself as therapy. And then I started playing those songs out and I started realizing that veterans were and other people who were struggling were connecting with these songs. And I was like, well, hold on, like I might be able to do some good with this. Like, let me hold on. Like, let me, let me do it. So I was like, I remember going, I played for one of the first shows I ever played for a veteran nonprofit was for creative bets. And it was in Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona before the Super Bowl when I was opening for Dave Groll. And there was like 200 veterans in this room. And I was like, I was so scared. I was nervous. I wasn't, it was like the first time I'd ever truly been by myself in a big show. And, and I remember playing a song about my survivor skills called, how do you choose? It's a song about my best friend being killed. And, and it's something I struggle with every day still to this day, something I struggle with. Survivors guilt is there. It's always going to be there. And, and I remember playing it. And it was the first time that I ever played a song and no one clapped after. And I was like, oh my God, like they hate it. They hated it. Like I just poured my heart, my soul into this. They hated this song. And then I looked around the room and I realized that everyone was kind of consoling each other. And, and they were consoling each other. And then after that, I started getting messages from all these people. And then they came up to me and they started talking to me and, and talking about how, like, how I was giving them a voice when they didn't know what to say. And all this, and I was like, like, like, I, like, I could, I could help people with what I'm doing. Like, I want to do that. Like, I want to help. Like this is like getting the messages that I get and all that stuff. Like that's what this is all about. I, I never came into music thinking, you know, this is going to be a career for me. And I'm going to make a buttload of money and I'm going to be super famous. Like, no, for me, it was, it became a mission and it became a way for me to help people. And that's, and a way for me to help myself, honestly, as well. And, and that's all it will ever be for me. Wow. I find it hard to believe that you are scared of anything after everything that, that you went through. Well, you know, it's fun. It's fun. I get questions all the time about, man, are you nervous about the going stage? You nervous? And I'm like, well, no one's shooting at me today. So, right. Exactly. But no, I mean, I think a little bit of nerves is good. I think it means that it means something to you. You know, I think that it's important. But, but yeah, it was, it was, it was the first like big stage I've ever been on. And it was just me by myself with my guitar. So it was, it was definitely nerve-wracking for sure. I bet it was. You know, I want to, I want to start this next question off with one of your quotes. You were quoted as saying, for me, the demons of PTSD knocked the loudest when it's quiet. And when I have my guitar in my hands, I find peace. At what point did you realize that music was more than a hobby and therapy? And, and if you already said that, forgive me for asking again, but can you also describe that moment when you picked up the guitar during the pandemic and how that changed your whole path of existence? Yeah, 100%. So before the pandemic, I was shooting archery with the U.S. Paralympic program. I traveled all over the country. I represented the United States. For me, shooting archery seven seconds before I released that arrow, nothing in the world mattered. PTSD, depression, it all disappeared for those seven seconds. And I lived for those seven seconds. And, and then COVID happened and the world shut down. And my escape and my way to deal got taken away. And I, I was struggling. I was struggling really bad. I started going into a very dark place. And yeah, and, you know, like I said, the demon's not the loudest when it gets quiet and COVID was very quiet. And, and I needed something. I needed something to focus on and it did something to get out of my head. And I had a guitar in a corner of my room. And one day I was like, I'm just going to, I'm going to learn how to do this. Like I'm going to figure out how to play this thing. Like I've, I've, you know, ever since Walter Reed, I've never let anything stop me from doing something that mattered my injury or whatever. Like I'm just going to try it. Who knows. And I jumped on YouTube and I started learning how to play a guitar and it was like that escape was back again. You know, I was able to, I was able to just focus on one thing. And I spent every day playing that and learning how to play the guitar. And, and then I went from there to, okay, well now I have this escape and I have, I have this ability to get away from everything. But I still have all these feelings and emotions that are bottled up. Like I need to, I need to find a way to get these out, put them somewhere. I need to figure out a way to do this. And so then I started learning how to write songs. I jumped on YouTube and I started learning how songs are structured and I started learning how it goes from a verse to a chorus to a bridge to how it all comes together and becomes one thing. And, and then I started writing songs for myself just so I could get the things that I was dealing with out of myself and put them somewhere else. And, and then, you know, that's what I did for the longest time while COVID was happening. That, that was my, my way of dealing with the demons that I was dealing with. And, and then, you know, slowly the world started opening up again. And that's when I went out to Cookville, Tennessee, the red salad brewing company. And I, the moment that I knew that I was, that I wanted to do this was forever was that day I went and I put my name on a list and then open my night. Just said, why not? It's funny. I went out there, I put my name on the list and I was like, man, I don't know if I'm going to do this. Like there's going to be a lot of people there, whatever. And I got up on stage and there were four people up there. There were four people out in this out in the audience. In the audience? Yeah, I was like, good for you. It was during COVID. So like everyone was like six and I was like, man, I've made a fool of myself in front of way more than four people. So like, why not? Why not? Let's go for it. Yeah. So I went, I played should have been a cowboy. And in that moment, it was like that escape, that, that purpose that, that drive, it was there, but it was magnified a hundred times. And I knew that that's, that this is what I need to do forever. In that moment, the stage truly became my sanctuary. And, and, you know, for, I went from seven seconds at a time to be able to nothing else matter in the world to now three minutes at a time where nothing else in the world mattered to then, you know, slowly the world started opening up. And I went down to Nashville and Broadway and learned that you can play three or four hours at a time while you're down on Broadway. And I was like, well, you're telling me three or four hours a day, I can disappear from all of the stuff that I deal with. Like, I want to do that. Hello. Can you put a, can you put an apartment in the back of this place? I'm going to live here. There's anywhere I could stay like in the room for something. But yeah, so I went, you know, I went and played at one point in time, I was playing six nights a week down on Broadway for three to four hours a day. And, and my vocal cords hated me, but the therapy that I got from it was more than anything I've ever experienced. And, and, you know, it has since grown into so much more than I ever thought possible. Yeah. And now I have a platform where I can try to help people find something the way that I was able to find music. Wow. YouTube and focus. Yes. And I guess the only thing you didn't look up was, was how not to fry your vocal cords. No, no, I didn't. I just went for it. Wow. But that's determination. And that has to come from somewhere deep within. And especially when you're going down a dark path. I mean, it's a slippery slope. So, yeah, I, you know, I've just, I've lost a lot of friends that have struggled and I, I have kids and I didn't want to be, I didn't want to be that. I didn't want to just leave early. I wanted to be able to experience my kids and watch them grow up and be there for them when they needed me. So I needed to find something. So you became a country superstar. It's just incredible to me. I started, I just started singing songs. I started, yeah. But it all starts somewhere, you know, and this songwriting process for you, can you share how writing a song helps you process these difficult emotions? Yeah, you know, when I first started, it was just a way for me to get emotions and feelings out and put them somewhere else. You know, it was, it wasn't, you know, a lot of their songs don't make any sense. And they're not even really songs. It was just like word vomit that I needed to get out. And, and, and now they live in this notebook and that that's where they stay. They live here. Like that's, that's, this is where it belongs now. And, you know, that for me, that was, that was huge. You know, I was able to take, to take all the things that were eating me alive and put them somewhere else. And, and, you know, now that I've gotten a little bit better at songwriting, I, you know, now I can kind of make sense more of the emotions. And, and honestly, like songwriting has given me the opportunity to really, to really focus on the emotions that I'm feeling and to really think about them and talk about them. And, you know, before I would just put them in a box and just hope that that box doesn't ever bust open. And now I'm able to talk about them and think about them and put them somewhere and find a way to make it connect with people. And, and it's, it's, it's truly taking, you know, the trauma and the things that I deal with and flipping it and trying to make it something that means something. Just stories, spoken without fear. Addiction is a disease and it should be looked upon as any other disease. How did you cope with a reckless father like me? Join me, Pooja Bhatt, as I sit down every week with directors, actors, musicians, technicians and beyond. You don't need to work with the biggest people and the biggest sound to have great music. I have gone through this sub-credits, Chakka. The reach, the pinnacle, it's stung by the snake and I've fallen down again. Yeah, I am not writing actively anymore and when I see my old work, it kind of saddens me. I'm only as good as the last shot that I gave. I'm gone but don't shut the theater. The show must go on. Listen to my weekly podcast, the Pooja Bhatt Show on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Come for the honesty, stay for the fire. Welcome back to the Music Saved Me podcast. I don't know how deeply you are able to speak of the situation you came out of. I have seen you speak of it but I just, I can't stress enough to our listeners what a turnaround your life is because literally you were pretty much gone. And I was wondering if you could, in a short amount of time, kind of give an example of where you can, and then also can you just tell me, did you ever find out who that woman was that whispered to you in? I have no idea. Okay. No one knows what I'm talking about but I figured I'd lead you into that. That was wild. But yeah, I'll talk a little bit for sure. I have no problem talking about it. I think it's important for people to hear it because maybe it can help somebody. April 21, 2011, I was shot 10 times in Afghanistan. Everyone always asked so I gotta say it. Five times on shoulder, four times on hip, once on the thigh. And I had lost so much blood at one point in time that my eyesight shut down. For me, I think that that's, it was kind of like a white film. And for me, the way that I think about it now is like when people say, man, I see the light, like that's what I associate with that. But somehow I pushed and I pushed and I didn't give up. I remember feeling how easy it would have been to just kind of slip off and just let go. But I was not going to do that. I pushed and pushed and fought until I got the Kandahar airfield. When we got into the Kandahar airfield, that's when they started, they hooked me up to blood immediately and started pumping blood into my system while they're trying to patch up holes and stuff like that. And yeah, like you said, my eyesight started coming back and I heard a lady bend down and say, hey, it's okay for you to let go. It's okay for you to go to sleep. It's okay. It will be fine. We have you. And I passed out. I woke up a couple of days later and yeah, it's crazy because like you said, I mean, I found out a couple of years later that there wasn't a woman in that room when they were initially doing the trauma on light. But when they were initially doing the emergency trauma procedures on me, there was not a woman in that room. So whoever that was, I have no idea. But it's crazy and it still gives me goosebumps to think about. You, when I heard about it the first time, I was like, I have to share this because I mean, it truly, it's, you know, to go from that to battle just to get your life normal again, just to walk. And I mean, I don't even know how you hold a guitar being shot that many times in your own life. Yeah, yeah. You know, thank God for guitar straps because I'm sure. But you know, it was, yeah, it was hard. I mean, it was a crazy hard ride. And honestly, it still kind of is, you know, I mean, it never, you know, it never, you never stop trying to heal. You know, and I think that that's, that's the most important part out of all of it is that you never stop trying to heal. You know, I feel like when you stop trying, that's when, when the bad things, when that wins. And, you know, it was, you know, learning how to walk again, learning how to write and do everything left handed because I was originally right handed like. Oh, I didn't know that. Wow. That was, that was, that was rough. You're incredible, Scotty. Well, thank you. Yeah, it was, it was so, I felt it was crazy in the moment because I remember my, my son at the time had a children's book where he was learning how to write, like he had to like outline like letters and stuff. And I had to do that with my left hand. So we were both working on the same children's book trying to learn how to write. It was crazy. That's a great bonding moment though, for sure. Absolutely. Wow. But it was, you know, it was, it was rough. It was hard and it still is. I mean, I still have days where, you know, that are so much harder than others. And, and a lot of times that's where I'm able to just grab a guitar and kind of escape for a second. And, and, you know, and I'm blessed that I have that outlet. You know, I've, I've been lucky enough and blessed enough my whole time ever since getting injured that I've had some type of outlet. There's a lot of people who don't. And, and I, and that's, that's terrifying. And that's where music comes in, which is why we're even talking about this right now, because it is so powerful. It allows you to focus and there's so many aspects of why it can be helpful to pull us out of those moments where we could just, you know, hit the checkout and say goodbye. And, and it's, you've become really active also in supporting fellow veterans dealing with mental health struggles. I understand. And I want to know why this mission for you is so important and so personal, obviously. Like I said, I've lost too many friends. I've lost too many of the greatest people I've ever known. And, and just with something that, you know, with the struggles that we deal with here, I've lost more people here than I ever did in Afghanistan. And that's, that's awful. But that is, that's, that shouldn't, it shouldn't be that way. And, and honestly, my mission, my purpose is to try to get rid of that number as much as possible. I mean, if I can, if I can help one person decide to try tomorrow, then I've done more in this industry than I could have ever imagined. Like that's, that's all I care about. What message do you hope other veterans and listeners who are struggling, who aren't veterans just with, with mental health, what do you hope that they take away from your story and your journey? You know, I hope that they see that there's hope that, that you don't have to be defined by what happened, but you don't have to be defined by the bad, but rather be defined by what you do with it. You know, I never, you know, there's, there were so many times when I could have just given up and I could have just said, I don't, I don't want to do this. I could, I could be sitting on my couch right now feeling sorry for myself and, and just in a really bad place. But, you know, I think it's important to push forward and keep going. You know, there's so much to live for. There's so, so many incredible things out here. And, and yeah, man, and the world is better with them in it, with you in it. And, and I think that that's hopefully that that's what people take from me and from my story is that, you know, some type of hope, you know, I mean, I never in a million years thought that I would be where I am. And I hope that that shows other people that they can literally do anything. If I can be up there playing guitar and singing songs on some of these stages that I'm on, literally anyone can do anything. There's always, you can find it on YouTube, you can figure it out. Yeah, there's, you know, dreams come true every day and there's, and if you, if you work hard enough and you push hard enough, you can make anything happen. You know, considering your journey and your recovery and battling back all of the issues mentally that come along with it. Can you describe what it feels like to you when you hit the stage performing? Oh, that's sanctuary. What's the connection? That's my sanctuary. Is it like a piece or this? It's just, yeah, it's, it's a, it's a piece. Like it's, it's, it's insane. So there's only, you know, for someone who suffers from PTSD, depression, anxiety, like it's, it's really hard to live in a moment and not be over. There and not think about my friends that are, that got killed and not think about, you know, all the bad. It's, it's, it's very hard to find a place where you can just be there. For me, there's only two places that I can find that when I'm on my motorcycle. And as soon as I step on stage, the stage has become a sanctuary for me. It is the place where I can truly live in a moment and enjoy that moment and just be there with whoever else is there. It is, it is truly one of the most magical, most incredible places that I can be. And I live to, for every moment that I get to be on a stage. Well, we're grateful that you are. I'm curious, can you share a moment that maybe stands out in your mind when you've maybe had a conversation with a fellow veteran who's told you that your music has helped them? Oh man, there's been so many. But the one that really sticks with me is the one that made me realize that I needed to keep doing what I was doing. So it was when I opened for Dave Grohl in Phoenix, Arizona, there was a guy who came to the show who reached out to one of my buddies. We didn't realize, we didn't know that we knew each other. But I played, how do you choose the song about my survivor's guilt and everything that I'm dealing with. And, and he texted one of my buddies and he was like, he's like, dude, like there's this guy that was in Phoenix that played and he played this song called How Do You Choose? And he said, I'm going to be 100% honest with you, man. Like I was going to this show because I wanted to see Dave Grohl go before I killed myself. And, and he's like, but listening to Scotty, like I, he showed me that there's so much more. And that song made me understand that, that I'm not the only one who suffers from this, that I'm not the only one who's dealing with this. And that, that moment will forever, forever live in my heart and in my soul. And that is, that's the one thing that as soon as I saw that, as soon as I heard that, I was like, I have to open my chest and let people see who I am. And I have to show them that I struggle and that I'm still successful and that I have been through the worst of the worst and I'm still here. And, and I have to write music and I have to perform music that means something to not only myself, but other people. Well, that was meant to be. I mean, you were supposed to be there that day with Dave Grohl after you have that conversation. Man, it was, it was insane. That moment will truly live with me forever. Yeah. Wow. Well, you know, something that really tickled me was that you got to recently work with, I mean, this is incredible to me, your rise, but not incredible because of your incredible skill and talent. Sorry, I keep using the word incredible all the time, but you got to work with one of my favorite artists. I'm working with one of my favorite people in the planet, Dolly Parton and Lee Bryce for your rendition of that song till the last shots fired. I'm curious, what was it like working with them? And are there any new projects or songs or collaborations like that in the horizon that you're excited about? That that song changed my life. That's the first time I ever heard that song. I was at Walter Reed and we were at an event and the original version, Trace Atkins version came on. It was the first time I'd ever heard that song and it touched a part of my soul and it grabbed me and I cried like a baby for two hours and I couldn't stop. And in those two hours, I made the decision that I was going to live my life to the fullest, that I wasn't going to let my injury dictate my life. And fast forward 10 years and I'm sitting in the office of one of the guys who wrote the song talking about signing a record deal. And he's like, Hey, like I put out this song with Trace Atkins. I don't know if you've ever heard it. It's a song called Till The Last Shots Fired. And I was like, Yeah, I've heard it. I love that song. Like that song changed my life. And he was like, he said, Well, would you want to do a version of it? And I was like, Yeah, man, absolutely. I want to do a version of it. So we went into the studio and we had an I did a version of it. It was just me on it. And I put every emotion and every feeling that I originally felt when I heard the song into that song. And I thought it was perfect. I thought it was, it was exactly what I needed when I needed it. And, and then Doug Johnson, who was one of the writers who was also my producer, his friends with Lee Bryce. And he's like, Hey, we're going to reach out to some other artists and see if they want to be a part of this. Like, what do you think? And I said, man, send it to everybody. Like, let's see what happens. Yeah. And Lee Bryce was the first one to jump on it. He was the, he was the, he's, and a testament to who Lee Bryce is the person. He's an incredible person. He's become a very dear friend of mine now, which is crazy to say. But he was like, man, I don't care what part I play in the song. I just want to be a part of what you're doing with this. Like, this is incredible. I want to be a part of this. And so we, then we had me and Lee's version and I thought it was perfect. I was like, dude, this is all I like, this is more than I could have ever imagined. And then, you know, three weeks later, I get a call from Doug again with the producer and he said, Hey, Dolly Parton wants to be on this song. What do you think? And I was like, Dolly, do whatever she wants. Like, what are you talking about? What do I think? Why are you calling me? Oh my God. But yeah, and you know, that song, that song changed my life when I was at Walt's Reed. It made me decide that I wanted to live my life to the fullest. It's the reason why I'm doing music now. And, you know, a song that changed my life that I thought was perfect truly became perfect when I heard Dolly's voice on it. It was, it's so angelic and it's absolutely beautiful. And still, I've probably listened to that song thousands of times at this point. And I still get chills every time she comes on. It is unbelievable. And it's more than I could have ever imagined. And as far as stuff in the works, we have some stuff in the works. I can't really say too much, but we have some stuff in the works with some other artists and stuff. So, okay. Well, I mean, gosh, I have so many more questions for you. But I've, you know, sitting here with you thinking that I introduced you as a rising country star. I mean, when you're on a song with Dolly Parton, you've achieved, you know, success in music. I still don't know how that happened. What does success look like to you personally and beyond? Success to me is, it's not wealth. It's not fame. Success to me is, is making one person decide that they want to continue tomorrow. Success to me is being able to make some headway in the 22 a day for our veterans. And success to me is being able to help somebody, anybody as much as possible. That is success. Well, that's the whole reason why we do this podcast. So it makes total sense that we would have you on today. And I'm so grateful. I don't want to let you go. But Scotty Aisding, thank you so much for your service again to this country for, for all of these people that you're helping every day with your music, your story, and your passion to help and inspire others. We're so grateful to have the opportunity to have you on today. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me. No gloss, no filter, just stories, spoken without fear. A person who is not generous cannot be an artist. The world will be at peace only when it is ruled by poets and philosophers. Listen to my weekly podcast, the Pooja Bhachow on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Come for the honesty, stay for the fire.
