For Scott Argiro, a song can begin far from the studio: the melody and bass line for “Cool Shades” came to him while hiking in Colorado. That openness runs through ARGYRO’s Glitterati, an album that explores celebrity and self-promotion while leaving room for atmosphere and reflection. As he prepares to spotlight “She’s So LA” with a new video, Argiro talks about the Los Angeles that inspires him, the value of keeping an arrangement simple, and how his acting experience shapes what happens on camera.
- Glitterati has given listeners a broader picture of you as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and storyteller. Looking back at the album now, which song reveals the most about who Scott Argiro really is when the performer and actor are stripped away?
“Cool Shades” showcases my melodic writing style. I love music with a lot of open space in it. I’ve never been a fan of too many notes. I would much rather create an atmosphere, which I feel I may have accomplished on “Cool Shades.”
- “She’s So LA” is your upcoming single, and you also have a new video on the way. Why did this track feel like the right song to spotlight next, and what can you tell us about the video?
“She’s So LA” is a bit of a love letter to California. Anytime I travel out west, I spend a lot of time in Malibu and Calabasas. These areas have been quite inspirational to my writing. The concept of the upcoming video is a guy who is trying to hitchhike to Los Angeles, thinking about a woman who is engrossed in the Hollywood lifestyle. The woman is a metaphor for the city of Los Angeles, and the hitchhiker is dreaming of occupying that world. The video is directed by Elgin Cahill, who has produced many of my music videos here in Colorado.
- “She’s So LA” plays with California imagery, attraction, and the mythology surrounding Los Angeles. Is the woman in the song inspired by a particular person, an archetype you created, or your own experiences with LA and the entertainment industry?
The woman in the video is a metaphor for Los Angeles, the lifestyle, and the entertainment scene as a whole.
- Your background as an actor gives you a cinematic approach to songwriting. Did making the “She’s So LA” video allow you to bring your music and film worlds together?
Yes. Though there is rarely dialogue in my music videos, it helps to understand the lens and anticipate how a camera angle or shot may be received. My years of acting experience have gradually made me more comfortable in front of the camera. Luckily, I have an exceptional director in Elgin Cahill, who is able to think outside the box and capture powerful shots that parallel the musical style I’m going for.
- “Cool Shades” began with a melody and bass line that came to you while hiking in Colorado. Has the response to that song changed the way you trust spontaneous ideas that arrive when you’re nowhere near a studio?
Actually, that process is very common in my writing. Songwriting is a bit of a manifestation experience in my view. Many melodies and song ideas come to me while driving, hiking, or in the shower. I’ve always found it interesting that you can sit at a guitar or piano and completely commit to writing a song, and then nothing happens. Other times, you can be engaged in an activity completely outside of music, and an idea spontaneously flows to you.
- You play drums, bass, keyboards, guitar, and vocals on your recordings. When you’re working alone with that much creative control, how do you know when a song is finished?
I’ve learned to simplify through the years and pull back on the multiple sounds and ideas you can throw at a blank canvas. The “less is more” concept is something I’ve learned to embrace as my writing has matured. You don’t need to put every color of paint on the canvas, just the necessary tones.
- Much of Glitterati examines celebrity, ego, authenticity, and the culture of constantly promoting ourselves. Has writing about those subjects changed the way you approach social media, publicity, and the business of being an artist?
Probably, yes. I think producing music and movies comes down to one thing: authenticity. When you deliver something authentically, the audience seems to embrace it. If you are not being truthful in your lyric, dialogue, or delivery, they catch on and see through it. That is the main thing I’ve learned through the process of self-promotion.
- With “She’s So LA” and its video representing the next chapter of the Glitterati campaign, what else is ahead for ARGYRO?
I’m wrapping up a new EP, which should be completed by spring 2027. I’ve been active in the movie scene, most recently playing a doctor, detective, lawyer, and playboy in new films that are being marketed to film festivals. I’m continuing to help promote my romantic comedy Christmas Cards, which is available on Apple TV and Amazon. I’ve also recently completed a coming-of-age novel that I’m excited about and expect to release in the coming months. I continue to stay quite busy and creatively fulfilled.
Argiro has plenty underway beyond the next single. Across music, film, and fiction, he keeps returning to the idea at the heart of this conversation: give the work the space it needs, and make it feel true.
