SCOTT PRYOR

An Officer and GentleWoman, LLC

Defying Limits

Scott Pryor’s Rebellion Through Rock

Scott Pryor doesn’t walk into a room, he storms it. The Marine Veteran turned singer/ songwriter, has lived more lives than most band frontmen could dream of and now he’s turned every scar, every scream, every courtroom victory into fuel for a rock revolution.

His voice rips through the silence like a survivor’s confession. On tracks like Dancing With My Dangerous and Burn It All Down, Pryor bleeds honesty — mixing rage, redemption, and faith into anthems that sound less like songs and more like cinematic awakenings. His latest work isn’t about destruction; it’s about rebirth. A man torching his past so something stronger can rise from the ashes.

To Pryor, the stage is proving ground. The lights, his call to purpose. Backed by a powerhouse band and a fan base he calls Pryor Nation, he leads with the same intensity that carried him through boot camp, courtrooms, and film sets. “We aren’t just a band,” he says. “We’re a movement.”

Every show feels like a reckoning — gritty, soulful, defiant. In a world where most artists play it safe, Scott Pryor is out here fighting for truth, one verse at a time.

We caught up with Pryor just after a studio session that felt electric with purpose. What followed was a raw, no-filter conversation about defiance, loss, and the kind of fire it takes to turn pain into power. He opened up about the discipline of the Marines, the chaos of creativity, and why every song he writes is a fight for truth and transformation.

You’ve taken on one of Broadway’s most iconic songs, “Defying Gravity,” and turned it into a rock anthem. What made you feel confident that this song could live in the world of rock — and how did you approach honoring the original while making it your own?

SP: I’ve always heard “Defying Gravity” as a declaration. It was also a challenge to me that fits in my wheelhouse. The first time I heard the song I said let’s rock it out! We kept the spine of the melody and the emotional lift, but put muscle behind it: drop-tuned guitars and a chorus that explodes instead of just soars. The rule was “honor the musical and the amazing artists that created this musical and tell the truth.” I didn’t try to out-Broadway the original — I treated the lyric like an anthem and dug into a performance with some teeth. I like the grit in our version.

Your new track, “Dancing With My Dangerous,” sounds like both a warning and a confession. What inspired the story behind this song, and what emotional space were you in when you wrote or recorded it?

SP: This song is primal! It’s both a warning and a confession because it’s about the part of you that could burn the house down if you let it. Betrayal, rage, survival — all of it. This is a declaration of war, fight the battle inside of you and externally. I wrote it from the edge of my life, where you’re deciding whether to stay wounded or fight for your future. I left the rough edges in on purpose, raw and real. I’m singing as if I’m the gladiator in the arena. Those screams aren’t a gimmick — they’re the sound of choosing to live, deciding to fight and winning at all costs.

Burn It All Down” releases on Veterans Day — a symbolic date for you as a Marine veteran. Was that intentional, and does the song carry any message about rebirth, resilience, or the kind of battles that never really end?

SP: Yes, we timed it for the Veterans Day window on purpose, and specifically on November 10th which is the Marine Corps Birthday (the day before Veteran’s Day). As a Marine, I know some battles end and some follow you home. The song isn’t about destruction for shock value — it’s about burning down lies, shame, and fear so something stronger can rise. It’s a funeral for what is pushing you to break. It’s an anthem for rising out of the fog and winning the fight.

Across songs like “Pale Horse,” “Save Me,” and now “Dancing With My Dangerous,” your lyrics often confront pain, loss, and redemption. How do you balance being that emotionally open while also leading a band with such power and intensity?

SP: I lead the band with an understanding of where we are really at when we write the song. What are the struggles we as people are battling with? We aren’t just a band; we are a movement, we are Pryor Nation. I lead with three rules: bleed honestly, go hard, and help be the voice of our fans. The band’s intensity is the sword; the lyric is the open wound. I’ve walked through real heart-shattering loss, and I don’t pretend otherwise — but I also believe in redemption you can feel in your soul. Onstage we check in with each other, lock eyes, and serve the song. As we write and perform, we want to take our pain, triumph, loss, and victories and serve our audience. Our fans are our family and we fight hard for our family. That’s how you hold pain and power at the same time.

Looking ahead, your band has covered everything from Pat Benatar to Lady Gaga. If you could collaborate with any artist — living or gone — to merge their world with yours, who would it be and what kind of song would you create together?

SP: U2 is what inspired me as a kid to become an artist. Their anthems, message and the way they translate love to their audience is an amazing example. I also draw inspiration from Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam, Imagine Dragons, Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Metallica, GNR, Linkin Park, and I’d love to collab with Post Malone and the late Chris Cornell. These are only a few of my influences but they are special to me.

Before leading a rock band, you built a career as a U.S. Marine, trial lawyer, and filmmaker. How have those experiences shaped the way you write music and lead creatively — especially when it comes to discipline, storytelling, and purpose?

SP: The Marines gave me discipline and a mission mindset — show up early, know your gear, take care of your team. Marines have the toughest mindset on earth. Throughout history the Marines have always won unwinnable battles with not enough resources. I get my grit from the Marines for sure. Trial law taught me narrative: who’s the hero, what’s at stake, why the jury should care — same questions I ask in every song. Filmmaking gave me pacing and purpose: every scene (and every section) must move the story. Put together, it’s simple — tell the truth, serve the audience, and finish the mission. We win by doing the work. We fight for our fans because we love our fans.

Many fans see your music as deeply cinematic, almost like scenes from a film. Do you think your background as an award-winning filmmaker influences how you visualize songs when writing or performing them — and how do those two worlds, film and music, inspire each other in your creative process?

SP: I see songs as stories. When I’m writing, I’m seeing the story unfold with each lyric. Onstage we translate that into dynamics, lighting, and arrangement so the crowd doesn’t just hear it — they see it. We want them to feel the connection to us as a band and to the songs. Film sharpens my storytelling; music gives the story pulse and soul. Together they turn a setlist into a narrative you can carry home.

By Jaxon Reed

Public relations: @aoagwllc

Singer And Songwriter: @officialscottpryor

Photo: @philip_wages