Scott Mik: Turning Setbacks Into New Beginnings

Scott Mik: Turning Setbacks Into New Beginnings

For many musicians, adversity can either become a stopping point or fuel for reinvention. For guitarist and songwriter Scott Mik, a series of unexpected setbacks became the catalyst for an entirely new creative chapter. Known for his work in Hollywood Nightmare and a variety of other projects throughout the Los Angeles music scene, Mik is now stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist with releases such as Glitched Reality, Don’t Hurt Yourself, and Boss Level.

In this candid conversation with Highwire Daze, Scott discusses the inspiration behind his solo material, collaborating with Echo the Savage, touring with Nathan James, navigating one of the darkest periods of his life, and his hopes for the future of Hollywood Nightmare. Through it all, his passion for music remains stronger than ever.

We’re here with Scott Mik. You’re a part of the local Los Angeles music scene. What are your overall impressions of the scene?
The local scene is fun, but it can also be toxic at the same time. I guess I don’t really need to go into all the details. There’s a lot of ego, both between bands and sometimes even within bands.

At the same time, though, that’s kind of something a scene needs in order to survive, right? It’s all part of what keeps things moving. So yeah, I guess it’s a cycle that feeds itself.

What made you decide it was time to start releasing solo music?
As you know, I’ve spent the past few years doing a lot of band-related music. I’ve been playing in bands for a very long time, but I’ve actually been creating my own material for even longer.

As anyone who’s been in a band knows, when there are multiple people involved, not every idea in your head makes it into the final product exactly the way you envision it.

I wanted a platform where I could truly showcase what I’m doing instrumentally, not just as a guitar player but also as a songwriter. I felt it was the right move to release music under my own name and put out tracks that represent me as accurately as possible.

Let’s talk about some of the tracks. Your latest single is called Glitched Reality. What was the inspiration behind it?
It has a lot to do with depression. That’s not something I normally struggle with, but something pretty traumatic happened in my life that almost made me quit music entirely.

Glitched Reality represents the beginning of a new chapter for me, both as an artist and as a person. It’s given me an opportunity to showcase who I am beyond being just a guitar player in a band.

“Don’t Hurt Yourself” and “Boss Level” feature Echo the Savage, who I’m not very familiar with. How did that collaboration come about, and can you tell me a little about Echo?
I met Echo through NAMM in 2024, I believe. I went by myself that year and happened to walk past the Ormsby booth, where Echo was hanging out in his typical style. He’s a very interesting guy with a great sense of style and humor.

We clicked almost immediately. We have very similar musical tastes, and we’re both ADHD as hell when it comes to songwriting. We send music back and forth constantly through text messages. At this point, I think 50 percent of my phone storage is probably Echo’s music.

We’re just really good songwriters together. Once you find people who are on the same wavelength creatively, it’s hard to ignore that connection.

Are there more collaborations with Echo on the way?
Yeah, there are.

Maybe you guys should do a whole EP together.
Something like that could definitely happen down the line. We already have another song in the works right now, so I’m sure you’ll be hearing more from us soon.

Tell me about your other two songs, Flower Sea and Djentastic.
Those two songs were more of a test run for establishing the aesthetic of my own YouTube channel and solo artist brand.

When I was in Hollywood Nightmare, there was a YouTube topic channel associated with the band that was pretty frustrating. We’d release our own music videos, and then the topic channel would automatically upload the tracks as well. I think it was controlled through DistroKid, but I never really figured out how to claim it until recently.

I used those two tracks to establish the Scott Mik name online and prepare for the Echo the Savage collaboration. Since collaborations require proper credit splits and artist profiles on streaming platforms, I needed to establish myself as an artist first.

That was the main purpose behind those releases, but I still think they’re great songs.

Who are some of the guitarists that inspire you?
Man, that’s a tough question because it changes depending on what I’m listening to at the time.

Sometimes I’m really into ’80s metal players like Yngwie Malmsteen and Eddie Van Halen. Other times I’m in full djent mode. I love Periphery, Plini, Polyphia, and all those modern progressive artists. Obviously, you can’t forget Animals as Leaders either.

All of those musicians have had a huge influence on how I approach the guitar, especially rhythm playing and composition.

But at the end of the day, you can never forget Gary Moore.

Of course.
In my opinion, he’s the most emotional guitar player on the planet.

How did you end up touring with Nathan James? This isn’t your first run with him, is it? How did that opportunity come about?
I’ve done a few runs with Nathan, and I’ll probably be doing more in the future.

Like I mentioned earlier, I was going through a really dark period because of an incident in my life. It had nothing to do with Hollywood Nightmare. But I was genuinely trying to figure out what to do with my future.

I was at a crossroads. Either I would keep grinding in music, or I would take the advice of some relatives who were giving me very solid guidance about other opportunities life could offer outside of music.

Then one day, completely out of nowhere, I checked Instagram and found an unread message sitting in my requests folder. It wasn’t even in my regular inbox. It was practically buried.

The message was from Nathan James.

Long story short, he needed a guitarist for a couple of shows in Mexico. One was a headlining show, and the other was a direct-support slot for As I Lay Dying.

I remember thinking, “Man, please let this happen. I really need this right now.”

Luckily, I got the gig and played the shows. It was only two performances, but psychologically it meant so much more than that. I was very close to walking away from music altogether, and those shows reignited my passion and reminded me why I wanted to keep doing this in the first place.

What are you looking forward to most about this upcoming tour with Nathan?
Definitely doing a great job on my end and being as entertaining as possible on stage.

At the same time, I want to use this opportunity as a platform for my own music. The cool thing about working with Nathan is that even though we’re all part of the Nathan James project, he still gives me the freedom to do my own thing as an artist. Shout out to him for that.

It’s a situation where I can help promote his project while also building awareness for my own music. We can both grow together, and that’s something I really appreciate.

You’re also working with Mekari.exe. Tell me about that project and how it came about.
I discovered Mekari through a couple of mutual friends. I thought he had a really cool look. At the time, he had black-and-blue hair, and I had bright red hair, so visually we looked pretty wild together.

He’s also the person who got me involved with Pouty Fairy’s project, so I’ll always appreciate that. He’s definitely a good friend.

We’ve worked on some music together. It’s not necessarily the kind of music I listen to on a daily basis, but I really enjoy performing it live because of the energy.

A lot of people have told us we look like characters from Nana. It’s an anime centered around a punk band.

I was actually going to say that. You guys look like you’re straight out of an anime.
Exactly. That’s why we joke that the project is basically “NanoCore” these days.

Earlier you mentioned dealing with depression because of a difficult situation. What happened?
Here’s the story, and I’ll keep it as respectful as possible.

About a year ago, before my birthday, one of my best friends, Mikey, who I’ve played with for years in various projects, presented me with an opportunity to play for Amira Elfeky. Mikey is an incredible drummer, by the way.

The plan was for me to join a tour package that included Bring Me The Horizon, but unfortunately things didn’t work out, and I ended up not going on the tour.

That experience really devastated me. It hurt a lot.

I want to make it clear that I don’t have any anger toward anyone involved. I can only speak from my side of the situation, and I don’t want to speculate about what happened behind the scenes.

My understanding was that they didn’t want to take a risk on bringing me into that environment. That’s what I was told through management. Amira and I never actually communicated directly, so everything went through other people.

Even though it was a painful experience and I went through a period of depression afterward, it ended up becoming a very important chapter in my life.

During that low point, I learned a lot about myself. I had to figure out who I was without all of the expectations and dreams I had attached to that opportunity.

In a way, that experience helped inspire Glitched Reality.

There are pros and cons in every situation. Sometimes life knocks you down, but you get back up stronger. It’s like a Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball Z. You get destroyed, then you come back stronger than before.

That’s honestly how I feel after everything that happened.

Sometimes a setback can become an opportunity.
Exactly. At the end of the day, as long as I’m still making music, that’s what matters.

What’s currently happening with Hollywood Nightmare?
Let’s just say that me and the guys are still good. We’re still brothers, and we still make music together. We’re just not doing it under the Hollywood Nightmare name right now.

Hollywood Nightmare will always be my legacy. It’s my baby, and I’ll always love that project and everyone who was involved in it.

At the same time, it’s a new chapter in my life. I need to put out the music that truly represents where I am creatively right now.

My goal is to grow as much as possible with my solo project and continue pushing hard with everything I’m working on. Then, someday, if I reach that dream stage I’ve always envisioned, I would love for Hollywood Nightmare to reunite and have the guys up there with me again.

So you’d like to reunite the band someday?
Eventually, yes. But first I need to figure myself out and continue growing as both a musician and a person.

What were some of the highlights of the Pain Tour?
Honestly? The biker bars.

Hollywood Nightmare playing biker bars?
Yeah. We were honestly nervous going into some of those shows, but they turned out great. The bikers loved us.

It was just funny seeing how much those crowds connected with heavy music. We didn’t necessarily expect that reaction, but it ended up being amazing.

You attended Berklee Online and also studied at MI. What was the MI experience like for you?
It was definitely a crazy experience.

You meet all kinds of people there, and it becomes this huge creative playground where you can network, socialize, and build friendships.

Hollywood Nightmare was basically formed in that environment, so MI played a huge role in my musical journey.

Are you currently involved with any other bands or projects that we haven’t discussed?
I’m still involved with Pouty Fairy, which is a project I absolutely love.

The music is really heavy. I’d describe it as a blend of Spiritbox and Jinjer, but with a very melodic side as well.

I’ll definitely have to check that out.
Yeah. What’s funny is that a lot of us are involved in that project. Me, Luke from Hollywood Nightmare, and Mekari are all part of it. Mekari plays bass.

It’s just a great group of people. Whether we’re rehearsing, performing, or simply hanging out, it’s always a good time.

Last question. What’s next for Scott Mik?
First up, I’ll be performing at the Gathering of the Juggalos in Missouri with Nathan, which I’m really excited about.

After that, we’ll be heading out on a tour in October. It’s going to be about twenty shows throughout the East Coast and Midwest, along with several dates in Canada.

Beyond touring, I’m currently working on a music video for Glitched Reality. I’m also putting together guitar playthrough videos and Guitar Pro tabs for fans who want to learn the song.

So definitely keep an eye out for all of that.

And more new music as well?
Absolutely. There will definitely be more music coming out before the end of the year.

In Conclusion

Whether performing onstage alongside Nathan James, building his solo catalog, or laying the groundwork for future collaborations, Scott Mik is clearly entering a new phase of his career with renewed focus and determination. What could have become a career-ending disappointment instead became the inspiration for Glitched Reality and a fresh artistic direction that is already gathering momentum.

With new music, music videos, touring, and additional collaborations on the horizon, Scott Mik appears poised to make an even bigger impact in the months ahead. And if his vision eventually includes a Hollywood Nightmare reunion, longtime fans may have plenty to look forward to as well.

For now, Scott Mik is focused on one thing above all else: continuing to create, perform, and push forward. Judging by his passion and perseverance, this next chapter is only just beginning.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Scott Waters)

Scott Mik on Instagram