Singled Out: Scott Whiddon's Maybe That's Enough For Now

Keavin Wiggins | 11-27-2023

Scott Whiddon recently released his sophomore album, "The Best of Intentions," and to celebrate we asked him to tell us about the song "Maybe That's Enough For Now" (feat Jay Gonzalez of Drive-By-Truckers). Here is the story:

There's a book by Joe Carducci called Enter Naomi: SST, L.A., and All That. It's a fantastic account of not only Carducci's first-hand experience with the famed SST Records in its heyday, but also of the photographer Naomi Petersen. Petersen's photographs - mostly in sharp black and white - gave a sense of drama and timelessness to bands such as Black Flag, The Minutemen, and more. Petersen died of cancer at age 38. You can see some of her work on Instagram at @punkrocknaomi - curated by her brother, Chris.

I re-read Carduci's book at the height of pandemic lockdown and thought a lot about the stories that Petersen told via her images. It struck me that, even though I might not have realized it, I'd spent a lifetime looking at these photographs via fanzines and other punk rock ephemera. While "Maybe That's Enough For Now" is a long way from the sounds that Petersen helped document, and while Naomi is only part of the song, I was excited to try and weave parts of her story with other images and ideas. It's strange to reference a punk rock photographer in a song that also nods to 70s West Coast songwriters such as Jackson Browne or Warren Zevon, but I also like how this contrast plays into my record (The Best of Intentions) as a whole.

I'm honored that Jay Gonzalez of Drive-by Truckers generously added some lovely keyboard parts to this single. And, I was also able to collaborate with Louisville-based visual artist Lori Larusso and digital artist Brian Powers in making this video for the single.

And maybe that's enough for now. I hope you enjoy it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about the album here