An Interview with Scott Crain

Scott Crain was taught in Broward County, Florida public schools and educated in South Florida bars and stages. As a singer-songwriter, he has long been drawn to stories of the struggle, of love and pay checks that are not enough; of families that work like families should, to a point; of triumph and failure as it is lived in humid, sticky circumstances. Now, he is turning that eye to poetry. A familiar face on the South Florida music scene, Scott has been part of a number of bands. He also runs independent record label Unfiltered Southern Grit. His writing mixes humor and indignation, cold-eyed realism and hard-won optimism. He is an exciting young voice whose words thrive on the page as well as they have when coming from a microphone.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

I started writing Hollow Trophies for Howling Idiots in 2018 after I walked out on my job as a barista. The owners of the coffee shop were all pretty awful toward their staff, and the place seemed to have a revolving door. When I got home that afternoon, I felt liberated but angry. I channeled that angst through writing, and over the next seven years, I wrote over a hundred poems and a few short stories that were inspired by jobs that didn’t pay enough, my career as a musician, addiction, and heartbreak. I compiled what I thought were the best poems, lyrics, and short stories in the summer of 2025 and finished writing the book.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title of my book is derived from a poem that’s on page eighty-five with the same name. The words poured out of me naturally when I was describing empty beer bottles in my writing, and I found it to be suitable title because of the book’s content.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

One song that I was listening to on repeat while compiling the manuscript earlier this year is Change by Blind Melon. It’s a pretty great song, and I mention it in one of my pieces in the book called The Gremlin Hours. Shannon Hoon delivers some of his best vocals and most relatable lyrics on this track. It’s definitely an ear worm.

Also, anything by Jeff Buckley. I was listening to his music a lot in 2019 when I was writing many of the poems featured in the book, specifically Lover, You Should’ve Come Over. It’s a heart-wrenching admission about a man who takes responsibility for his failing love life, singing, “too young to hold on, too old to just break free and run.” It gives me chills just talking about it.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Besides working as a professional musician for the past eleven years, I’ve also worked a lot in the food-service industry. My most recent and longest lasting gig was working at a brewery as a waiter/bartender in my hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I actually loved it, which I can’t say about most of my jobs outside of music. I met a lot of genuinely nice folks, saw some familiar faces, and got to move around a lot. Also, I got free beer at the end of my shift. Who wouldn’t love that?

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve been writing and journaling since I was a kid, since before I even picked up the guitar at age ten. It’s always felt natural to me. Songwriting was pretty tricky though. My younger brother Mike is a huge inspiration for me; he’s always been a great songwriter. The person who inspired me the most for this particular collection is Leonard Cohen, specifically Book of Longing. There’s something about his writing style that is refreshing and comes off as effortless. It makes you say to yourself, “You know what? I can do this, too.”

Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place to write is either at home in my studio or at a bar. I’ve wrenched out a decent amount of poems on the ‘Notes’ app while sitting in a tavern having a drink. The noise of people talking, the music playing on the jukebox…it all reminds me that I’m part of this human experience and helps me to connect with it.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

Simply put, the advice I’d give my younger self is to keep going. Take the curveballs that life throws at you and don’t ever get discouraged or too distracted. Don’t put needless pressure on yourself, either. Just keep the balance. Take breaks. Go for a walk and come back to the piece.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

Spoiler alert: The last line in my book is “maybe that was enough.” I hope my readers get to know themselves a little better, which might be asking for a lot. I hope they feel a little more seen, more understood. I want the readers to feel like they’re enough.

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