Scott Saunders Has Spent 25 Years Refusing to Sound Like Everyone Else

Variety Press October 3, 2026 0

From discovering music as a nine-year-old in St. Louis to building songs around subjects most artists would never approach, Scott Saunders has made unpredictability part of his identity. With “Epstein Files” out now and “Water” arriving on Halloween, he is entering his next chapter without abandoning what has defined him from the beginning.

Scott Saunders has never seemed particularly interested in taking the obvious route.

His relationship with music stretches back to 1999, when he was just nine years old. At the time, Saunders watched his childhood best friend, who was two years older, making music of his own. Something about that experience immediately connected with him.

What began as childhood curiosity gradually became more serious. Years turned into decades of recording, performing and developing his identity as an artist in St. Louis.

More than 25 years later, Saunders is still creating.

But longevity only tells part of the story.

What has kept him moving is his refusal to become predictable.

Originality Over Familiarity

For Saunders, standing apart is not simply a marketing strategy. It influences everything from the titles of his songs to the subjects he chooses to explore.

Rather than repeatedly returning to familiar concepts, he looks for ideas that give him room to experiment, research and say something unexpected.

His recent single “Epstein Files” demonstrates that approach.

Inspired by the controversy and public discussion surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, Saunders built a record around one of the most recognizable scandals of the modern era. The track incorporates references connected to the story while placing the subject inside Saunders’ own musical world.

It is certainly not the kind of concept audiences hear every day.

That is precisely the point.

Saunders wants listeners to wonder what he might do next rather than already knowing the answer.

“I would rather stand out than make the same type of music that everyone else makes.”

That philosophy has helped shape his catalog and his broader approach to creativity.

More Than Two Decades of Experience

Spending more than two decades around music has also given Saunders something that cannot be recreated overnight: experience.

He has spent years recording in studios throughout St. Louis, performing in front of live audiences and continuing to sharpen his instincts as an independent artist.

There have been collaborations and features along the way, but Saunders has largely remained committed to building his own body of work.

That independence gives him room to change direction whenever inspiration demands it.

One release does not necessarily predict the next.

For Saunders, that freedom matters.

Turning Negativity Into Momentum

His motivation does not come exclusively from praise.

Saunders openly acknowledges that criticism and negativity can become fuel.

Instead of allowing outside opinions to interrupt his momentum, he attempts to redirect that energy toward creating more music. At the same time, his family remains one of the strongest foundations behind what he does.

That combination of personal purpose and competitive motivation has helped keep Saunders committed through the different stages of his career.

After more than 25 years, the goal is not simply to continue making songs.

It is to continue evolving.

“Water” Arrives on Halloween

Saunders is already preparing his next release.

His upcoming single “Water” is scheduled to arrive on October 31, following “Epstein Files.”

The two records represent the unpredictability Saunders continues to embrace. Rather than attempting to reproduce the same concept twice, he wants each release to introduce another side of his creativity.

It is an approach that has followed him since the beginning.

From discovering music as a child in 1999 to becoming an artist with decades of studio and performance experience behind him, Saunders has remained committed to doing things his own way.

Trends change.

Sounds change.

Audiences change.

Scott Saunders’ interest in being different has remained remarkably consistent.

And more than a quarter-century after he first discovered that passion, he is still searching for the next idea nobody expects.

“Epstein Files” is available now on streaming platforms. “Water” arrives October 31.