Of all the words and music that emanate from Nashville each year, Scott Mulvahill’s 2018 debut, Himalayas, was striking and singular. Despite the amount of music and imagery Mulvahill was able to convey with just his upright bass, his vocals, and his pen, astute listeners sensed the potential for him to expand his sonic palette. That intuition has proven accurate with SURVIVE, Scott’s second full-length album. The resonant ten-track side is infused with production and instrumentation, giving his contemplative songs about the human condition heightened emotion, ambiguity, atmosphere, and most of all, clarity. Down low, Mulvahill issues more bass colors than just his Kay upright, but it remains the unique counter-voice to his singer–songwriter persona. That the two are inextricably woven can be traced to Mulvahill’s upbringing. Drawn to the bass guitar at age 14 in his native Friendswood, Texas, he immersed himself in the instrument, adding the upright to his studies at 15. Soon after, he had a life-changing moment while on the family riding mower, listening to Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland on his Sony Walkman. He laughs, “The impact of the lyrics, as well as Bakithi Kumalo’s amazing bass lines, freaked me out and I almost crashed!” Combining the influence of songwriters like Simon, Bob Dylan, and James Taylor, along with bassists Scott LaFaro, Eddie Gomez, Stanley Clarke, Jaco, John Patitucci, and Victor Wooten, Mulvahill marinated in the prestigious University of North Texas music program for four years. He then headed to Nashville in 2010, where he landed the bass chair with bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs. The five-year stint included a cruise with guest artist Bruce Hornsby, who offered key songwriting advice and paved the way for Scott to get a vocal feature with Skaggs. Mulvahill’s journey as a solo artist has ranged from the lofty Himalayas — which includes “The Lord Is Coming,” a song he co-wrote with H.E.R. at a songwriters’ retreat — and two exploratory EPs, Surrounded and Creative Potential, to a Tiny Desk Concert appearance and opening touring slots with Lauren Dagle, Cory Wong, and Keb’ Mo.’ Exciting new possibilities lie ahead with his invention of the DataBass, an upright with mounted MIDI triggers. We spoke to Scott not long after his annual Graceland tribute show in Nashville (with guest Bakithi Kumalo) to gain more insight into his new record and his new instrument. SURVIVE feels like you’ve arrived at a few places you were headed toward. I think so. With my first record I was making a statement about what you can do with just bass and vocals. Then I put out an EP where I was exploring a pop sound, and a second EP that utilized some strings and horns. For this record I wanted to find the center of what I do — especially as a producer and arranger — and what sounds and textures I wanted along with my bass and voice. It d