Scott Van Zen On The New “Trouble” EP, Working With KISS, Gene Simmons, Vegas & More

Trouble is the new EP from blues-rock guitarist Scott Van Zen, as set for release on October 22, 2021. Simply put, Van Zen is one of those accomplished guitarists you may not have heard of, but most likely have heard. A sought-after session player, he has had over a 1,000 songs placed in films, TV and commercials. Van Zen’s credits otherwise include co-writing songs with KISS for 2 of their major label albums, beyond work with Bad Company’s Brian Howe and DOVE Award-winner Ken Tamplin.

The aforementioned Trouble EP was written and recorded by Scott Van Zen when he was going through cancer treatment. The theme throughout the release is escapism, or as Van Zen has described it: “6 songs about devil’s behavior.” Van Zen’s focus on music kept his dark thoughts at bay, with his cancer now thankfully in remission and the aforementioned Trouble EP slated for release this month.

On October 12, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Van Zen via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond Trouble, we spoke about how he wound up working with KISS, the influence of Eddie Van Halen on his guitar-playing, how it feels to know most people have heard some of his music yet don’t know it is him having written or played on it, and his current gig in Vegas with Blue String Theory at the Westgate Hotel. More on Van Zen can be found by clicking here, here, here and here.

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Tags: Eddie Van Halen, Gene Simmons, Hasbro, Ken Tamplin, KISS, Las Vegas, Nashville, Scott Van Zen

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."