August 5, 2025 • 10 mins
I sat down with Rival Sons' guitarist Scott Holiday ahead of their Billy Bob's show Aug 28th! We talk all about what it was like for them to play at Back to the Beginning, his favorite Ozzy memories and even what he does in his down time (you may be surprised!). Listen, enjoy, and don't miss Rival Sons when they're in town later this month!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Christina Ray here and I am joined by the one
and only Scott Holiday of rival Sons. How are we
doing today, Scott?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Very good, good morning. Just starting coffee.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Here, Yeah, we need that coffee on a Monday. Now,
first things first, I am very excited for you guys
to be coming to Billy Bob's the Old honky Tonk
at the end of this month, and there are tickets
available right now, not for long, I'm sure over at
AXS dot com. So Scott, to kick things off, I
have to ask you, guys played one of the biggest
(00:32):
shows of all time a month ago, the Black Sabbath.
Back to the beginning show plea. I mean, I have
a billion questions about that, but just what was that
feeling being on that stage and what is like your
favorite memory that stands out to you from that day.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Oh, that's tough to pick a favorite.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
It was, first off and foremost like a great honor
to be included.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
If you look at the list.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Of artists that played that day, they're just like a
whose who of head bands, you know. So I think
we felt like we were the kind of like a
more token rock and roll band compared to most of
the heavier metal bands that were included, but these are
also bands that we've toured with and that we just love,
(01:14):
that all deserve to be there so much. So we
felt super honored, super super honored to be there. As
you know, maybe you know, we spent about a year
and a half with Sabbath opening for them, so it
was kind of for us like a full circle moment
to come back around.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
And like kind of high five of them at the
Slash show.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Big moments for the day, Oh my gosh, I mean,
had I had my family there. I had my wife
and my son there. I thought I couldn't make it,
but most of my family there, So that was really
really really great for them to see them side stage.
I think the best part of the day was getting
to perform and see everybody's side stage, watching and having fun.
(02:00):
But it was such a vibe backstage everybody. It's sometimes
you play these shows with lots of who's who of
bands and there's a vibe where people are kind of
vying for space and vying for time, and it's just
the thing, you know, and this show was just everybody
felt really vulnerable and humble and happy to be there
(02:24):
and wanting to do this great service ushuring out Aussie's
performance career. You know, I think just a vibe of
everybody backstage was just so impressive and different. It's different
than anything I've ever experienced. But it was amazing and
it's crazy. We actually that was the second time we
(02:44):
played aston Villa on that tour. A week earlier we
had come through with Guns n' Roses, so it's weird
to walk into a stadium a week later that you
just played and go, we're doing this place again.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Oh, this old poll again.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
But we're fine with it. And it's a kind of
a completely different vibe. Okay, So like you said.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
It was, it was a completely different vibe. And then
I mean Guns played too, so it was kind of fun.
Maybe we ended up seeing those guys there later too
and got to say.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Hi, and it was it was just amazing. It was
just amazing, and it was emotional.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Our whole band and crew, you know, had this little
box that we could watch Ousie's Sabbath play and it
was just totally heavy, totally emotional. I think there was
some feeling, not that we knew Ozzie would be leaving.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Us that quick, but that it wasn't too far off.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
You know, I think everybody, just the whole audience just
felt emotional. And for those of that didn't stream it,
I think it'll come out in a movie form, and
I think everyone will be able to feel that very
much when they watched the film.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
It will be I believe it's next year and I
cannot wait to see it. So just one thing on
what you said. As a fan of every band that
played in everyone including you guys, had such an amazing
performance that day. There was like so much pressure and
such a big deal. You guys all did great, but
seeing all of you backstage, all of your favorite artists
getting along and just having fun, that was just really
(04:13):
really cool to see.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
It was a love fest. Yeah, and it would be interesting.
That's it's good.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
You mentioned that there was a lot of nerves backstage,
and I'm not used to seeing that either, a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I think us and our dear Friends and Hailstorm were
maybe the only besides Guns were the only bands on tour.
So all the artists flew in, so everybody wasn't totally rehearsed.
Everybody had like a day or two of rehearsal, I think,
and everybody really wanted to get their songs right that
(04:43):
they were doing, you know, all the Aussy and sabatunes.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Everybody wanted to really feel like they were nailing it.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
And there was actually nerves backstage, which is kind of rad.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, kind of a cool vive.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So I've played so many shows but still being nervous
a little bit. I mean, you're playing for the man
himself while he's there. So I won't spend too much
time on Ozzy, but I do want to know. You
mentioned that you guys had toured with Black Sabbath for
about a year and a half before. Do you have
a favorite Ozzy story?
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Well, I don't want to double down, but I made
a post after Ozzie passed, and there are so many
great moments. We got lots of time with them and
got to become friends and get to know the family little,
and it was just warm and wonderful and.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Pretty magical the cruise and all of us, everybody just got.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Along really really well the whole time. It was amazing
and like something you don't even dream about.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It was beyond beyond, you know. But when I made this.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Post, there was a I guess maybe halfway through the
tour Ozzie was noticing I always had some kind of
funky boots on. I got these dear friends in the UK,
a company called Jeffrey West, and I wear their boots
and they're amazing and funky. And I had these like
at that, like there were snake skin with like a
(06:08):
stripe up the middle, like a white stripe of the middle,
like really kind of hideous, but kind of rad too.
And he really loved these boots. And Auzie had said, oh,
you know, dude, I love these boots. These are so great,
and he had commented on him a couple of times.
So I said, all right, I'm going to hit him
(06:30):
up and try to get them a pair of these boots.
And they set me up and I presented him these
boots towards the end of the.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Tour, and right when I showed him to him, he
was like truly stoked about this.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
He was really happy, like, oh my gosh, yes, you know,
these are great, And instead of just taking them and
saying thank you and moving on with.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Today, he went hold on put them on while we.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Were hanging out, immediately right onto his feet, and I
was wearing some kind of boots too. We talked for
a minute, he put these boots on and then started
We both started dancing around with our boots on and
kind of being silly, and it was just a It
kind of just is how the whole tour felt to me,
(07:17):
Like it was just fun and loose and warm like that.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
That's a moment I probably won't soon forget.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Just hanging out with him and dancing around like fools
with these boots on.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That is amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Yeah, and I need to see those boots immediately, and
I'm glad they fit him. Can you imagine putting them on?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
He's like, well, that's why. Yeah, that's why he was
trying them on, because they don't fit. You got to
get me the other.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Side, all right, Scott. Now let's focus on you for
a second. Okay, So obviously you play guitar, so.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Let's keep talking about I would sit here all day.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I'm not kidding talking about OUs. But obviously you play
guitar as a hobby. Is there some other hobby that
you have that many people may be surprised to learn
about you.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I don't know if it's that surprising, but I do
golf with a lot of my free time.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
A few of us in the band golf. Maybe that's surprising.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I guess a lot of musicians golf. I'm really in
the cars. That's not that surprising, I guess either.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
What else? You know?
Speaker 3 (08:25):
A lot of my time, too, is spent being a
family man. I have teenagers and a wife and pets.
When I come home, if I'm not writing music, playing music,
producing music and helping friends and other bands and stuff
and tending to the cars or playing golf, I'm doing
the family.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
And it's absolutely consuming.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
But I don't have anything juicy, like maybe you wanted,
like bird watching or something.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
So I love bird watching myself, and I'm thirty five.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, I don't have anything good like that, but just
the ones I named.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Okay, So I was looking at y'all's tour schedule, and
really this Billy Bob's date is the only one. So
what is next for you? Guys? You taking a little
summer break, little family break.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Well, we just got home, so we'll head back out
and do y'all show and then we have another show
on that run up in Detroit and then head back home.
Not too long after that, me and Jay are going
to go to some writing out in We're going to
record in Savannah in Georgia this time, So we're scheduled
(09:34):
to record in the fall. So before we go do that,
we're going to jump out to where we're going to
make the record and just kind of spend a week
ten days out there writing, kind of feeling out the
energy of the room and seeing seeing trading ideas and
seeing where we're at. And we want to do this
record different than we did the last couple. We want
to hit the ground running really hard. And our early
(09:57):
records we would spend literally just a month, just inside
of a month, you know, twenty days, and that's when
we would really finish writing, recording, mixing, everything just done.
And so when we walk away, that record's done and
we're gonna think do something very similar to that this time.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Okay, well that's very exciting, all right, Scott. Just a reminder,
Rival Suns will be at Billie Bob's August twenty eight,
so get those tickets while you still can at AXS
dot com. Scott, I'm gonna let you enjoy your breakfast
with your lovely wife and dog. Okay, thank you so
much for.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Your time, Thanks for having me. See soon.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah bye.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Cheap
Christina Ray here and I am joined by the one
and only Scott Holiday of rival Sons. How are we
doing today, Scott?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Very good, good morning. Just starting coffee.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Here, Yeah, we need that coffee on a Monday. Now,
first things first, I am very excited for you guys
to be coming to Billy Bob's the Old honky Tonk
at the end of this month, and there are tickets
available right now, not for long, I'm sure over at
AXS dot com. So Scott, to kick things off, I
have to ask you, guys played one of the biggest
(00:32):
shows of all time a month ago, the Black Sabbath.
Back to the beginning show plea. I mean, I have
a billion questions about that, but just what was that
feeling being on that stage and what is like your
favorite memory that stands out to you from that day.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Oh, that's tough to pick a favorite.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
It was, first off and foremost like a great honor
to be included.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
If you look at the list.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Of artists that played that day, they're just like a
whose who of head bands, you know. So I think
we felt like we were the kind of like a
more token rock and roll band compared to most of
the heavier metal bands that were included, but these are
also bands that we've toured with and that we just love,
(01:14):
that all deserve to be there so much. So we
felt super honored, super super honored to be there. As
you know, maybe you know, we spent about a year
and a half with Sabbath opening for them, so it
was kind of for us like a full circle moment
to come back around.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
And like kind of high five of them at the
Slash show.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Big moments for the day, Oh my gosh, I mean,
had I had my family there. I had my wife
and my son there. I thought I couldn't make it,
but most of my family there, So that was really
really really great for them to see them side stage.
I think the best part of the day was getting
to perform and see everybody's side stage, watching and having fun.
(02:00):
But it was such a vibe backstage everybody. It's sometimes
you play these shows with lots of who's who of
bands and there's a vibe where people are kind of
vying for space and vying for time, and it's just
the thing, you know, and this show was just everybody
felt really vulnerable and humble and happy to be there
(02:24):
and wanting to do this great service ushuring out Aussie's
performance career. You know, I think just a vibe of
everybody backstage was just so impressive and different. It's different
than anything I've ever experienced. But it was amazing and
it's crazy. We actually that was the second time we
(02:44):
played aston Villa on that tour. A week earlier we
had come through with Guns n' Roses, so it's weird
to walk into a stadium a week later that you
just played and go, we're doing this place again.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Oh, this old poll again.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
But we're fine with it. And it's a kind of
a completely different vibe. Okay, So like you said.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
It was, it was a completely different vibe. And then
I mean Guns played too, so it was kind of fun.
Maybe we ended up seeing those guys there later too
and got to say.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Hi, and it was it was just amazing. It was
just amazing, and it was emotional.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Our whole band and crew, you know, had this little
box that we could watch Ousie's Sabbath play and it
was just totally heavy, totally emotional. I think there was
some feeling, not that we knew Ozzie would be leaving.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Us that quick, but that it wasn't too far off.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
You know, I think everybody, just the whole audience just
felt emotional. And for those of that didn't stream it,
I think it'll come out in a movie form, and
I think everyone will be able to feel that very
much when they watched the film.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
It will be I believe it's next year and I
cannot wait to see it. So just one thing on
what you said. As a fan of every band that
played in everyone including you guys, had such an amazing
performance that day. There was like so much pressure and
such a big deal. You guys all did great, but
seeing all of you backstage, all of your favorite artists
getting along and just having fun, that was just really
(04:13):
really cool to see.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
It was a love fest. Yeah, and it would be interesting.
That's it's good.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
You mentioned that there was a lot of nerves backstage,
and I'm not used to seeing that either, a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I think us and our dear Friends and Hailstorm were
maybe the only besides Guns were the only bands on tour.
So all the artists flew in, so everybody wasn't totally rehearsed.
Everybody had like a day or two of rehearsal, I think,
and everybody really wanted to get their songs right that
(04:43):
they were doing, you know, all the Aussy and sabatunes.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Everybody wanted to really feel like they were nailing it.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
And there was actually nerves backstage, which is kind of rad.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, kind of a cool vive.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So I've played so many shows but still being nervous
a little bit. I mean, you're playing for the man
himself while he's there. So I won't spend too much
time on Ozzy, but I do want to know. You
mentioned that you guys had toured with Black Sabbath for
about a year and a half before. Do you have
a favorite Ozzy story?
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Well, I don't want to double down, but I made
a post after Ozzie passed, and there are so many
great moments. We got lots of time with them and
got to become friends and get to know the family little,
and it was just warm and wonderful and.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Pretty magical the cruise and all of us, everybody just got.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Along really really well the whole time. It was amazing
and like something you don't even dream about.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It was beyond beyond, you know. But when I made this.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Post, there was a I guess maybe halfway through the
tour Ozzie was noticing I always had some kind of
funky boots on. I got these dear friends in the UK,
a company called Jeffrey West, and I wear their boots
and they're amazing and funky. And I had these like
at that, like there were snake skin with like a
(06:08):
stripe up the middle, like a white stripe of the middle,
like really kind of hideous, but kind of rad too.
And he really loved these boots. And Auzie had said, oh,
you know, dude, I love these boots. These are so great,
and he had commented on him a couple of times.
So I said, all right, I'm going to hit him
(06:30):
up and try to get them a pair of these boots.
And they set me up and I presented him these
boots towards the end of the.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Tour, and right when I showed him to him, he
was like truly stoked about this.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
He was really happy, like, oh my gosh, yes, you know,
these are great, And instead of just taking them and
saying thank you and moving on with.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Today, he went hold on put them on while we.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Were hanging out, immediately right onto his feet, and I
was wearing some kind of boots too. We talked for
a minute, he put these boots on and then started
We both started dancing around with our boots on and
kind of being silly, and it was just a It
kind of just is how the whole tour felt to me,
(07:17):
Like it was just fun and loose and warm like that.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
That's a moment I probably won't soon forget.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Just hanging out with him and dancing around like fools
with these boots on.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That is amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Yeah, and I need to see those boots immediately, and
I'm glad they fit him. Can you imagine putting them on?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
He's like, well, that's why. Yeah, that's why he was
trying them on, because they don't fit. You got to
get me the other.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Side, all right, Scott. Now let's focus on you for
a second. Okay, So obviously you play guitar, so.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Let's keep talking about I would sit here all day.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I'm not kidding talking about OUs. But obviously you play
guitar as a hobby. Is there some other hobby that
you have that many people may be surprised to learn
about you.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I don't know if it's that surprising, but I do
golf with a lot of my free time.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
A few of us in the band golf. Maybe that's surprising.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I guess a lot of musicians golf. I'm really in
the cars. That's not that surprising, I guess either.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
What else? You know?
Speaker 3 (08:25):
A lot of my time, too, is spent being a
family man. I have teenagers and a wife and pets.
When I come home, if I'm not writing music, playing music,
producing music and helping friends and other bands and stuff
and tending to the cars or playing golf, I'm doing
the family.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
And it's absolutely consuming.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
But I don't have anything juicy, like maybe you wanted,
like bird watching or something.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
So I love bird watching myself, and I'm thirty five.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, I don't have anything good like that, but just
the ones I named.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Okay, So I was looking at y'all's tour schedule, and
really this Billy Bob's date is the only one. So
what is next for you? Guys? You taking a little
summer break, little family break.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Well, we just got home, so we'll head back out
and do y'all show and then we have another show
on that run up in Detroit and then head back home.
Not too long after that, me and Jay are going
to go to some writing out in We're going to
record in Savannah in Georgia this time, So we're scheduled
(09:34):
to record in the fall. So before we go do that,
we're going to jump out to where we're going to
make the record and just kind of spend a week
ten days out there writing, kind of feeling out the
energy of the room and seeing seeing trading ideas and
seeing where we're at. And we want to do this
record different than we did the last couple. We want
to hit the ground running really hard. And our early
(09:57):
records we would spend literally just a month, just inside
of a month, you know, twenty days, and that's when
we would really finish writing, recording, mixing, everything just done.
And so when we walk away, that record's done and
we're gonna think do something very similar to that this time.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Okay, well that's very exciting, all right, Scott. Just a reminder,
Rival Suns will be at Billie Bob's August twenty eight,
so get those tickets while you still can at AXS
dot com. Scott, I'm gonna let you enjoy your breakfast
with your lovely wife and dog. Okay, thank you so
much for.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Your time, Thanks for having me. See soon.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah bye.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Cheap
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