Business

Desert Winds and Storytellers in Darryl Scotti’s “Poets & Heroes”

May 30, 2026

By: Ethan Lee

Releasing an EP in the modern streaming landscape can often feel like throwing stones into a vast digital ocean. But with their latest release, Poets & Heroes, Darryl Scotti and Big Yard Nation have crafted something that commands the tide.

Earning global features ahead of its May 29th release, the six-track collection honors the tradition of the great American songwriter while cementing Scotti’s place within it. Blending the soulful weight of artists like Lewis Capaldi with the sharp melodic sensibilities of John Mayer and Jason Isbell, the EP is an interconnected journey exploring legacy, resilience, social injustice, and humanity.

We sat down with Darryl Scotti to discuss his collaboration with Pablo Cruise’s Larry Antonino, his shift toward cinematic storytelling, and how the sweeping landscapes of the Arizona desert shaped the record’s profound sonic depth.

Q. “Poets & Heroes” feels incredibly deliberate. In an era where many artists are focused on dropping rapid-fire singles to game algorithms, you’ve released a deeply interconnected collection of stories that practically demands a front-to-back listen. Was that sequencing always part of the vision?

Darryl Scotti: It was essential. We did run a singles campaign leading up to this, which was incredible for getting the music out there, but the EP format is how this vision was truly intended to be experienced. We wanted to build a landscape of human experiences rather than just throwing a random assortment of songs at the wall. The sequence is the map. It guides the listener through these different corners of life, from reflecting on the artists who raised us to grappling with the immediate realities of the world today.

Q. You co-produced this project with Larry Antonino from Pablo Cruise. The resulting sound is massive: cinematic and orchestral, yet entirely grounded in organic instrumentation and rich vocal harmonies. What was it like finding that balance in the studio?

Darryl Scotti: Larry is a phenomenal talent, and working with him allowed us to push these boundaries. We wanted a warm, lived-in depth. It had to feel organic at its core, wood and wire, but we weren’t afraid to use cinematic production to elevate the emotion. You hear that juxtaposition throughout the record. We wanted the soulfulness and weight to carry the narrative, without losing those strong, crossover melodic hooks that keep a song in your head long after it ends.

Q. Let’s talk about the title track, “Poets & Heroes.” It acts as the sweeping thesis for the entire project. What sparked that specific homage?

Darryl Scotti: “Poets & Heroes” is really about the spirit of storytelling itself. It’s an acoustic-driven nod to the legends who shaped our generation. There’s a certain magic in taking raw, often difficult life experiences and turning them into poetry. We approached that track with subtle restraint because the imagery does the heavy lifting. It’s a thank-you note to the artists who taught us how to do this.

Q. You don’t shy away from heavy subject matter on this record. You pivot from the uplifting, rhythmic heartbeat of “Better Day,” which touches on second chances for veterans, to the incredibly heavy “Weight of the World,” which tackles homelessness.

Darryl Scotti: Exactly. “Better Day” is our anthem of survival. It’s got this driving groove and unifying message that feels really urgent right now. But you can’t talk about resilience without acknowledging the people who are currently struggling to survive. “Weight of the World” takes a deeply empathetic look at homelessness. We started it in a very quiet, acoustic space to reflect that isolation, and then let it build into this powerful, orchestral crescendo. We wanted to leave the listener with a lasting emotional resonance, not just a passing thought.

Q. The storytelling turns deeply intimate on the back half of the record. “Coming Home” addresses family fractures and mental dysfunction, while “Back to Georgia” leans into a nostalgic, Southern groove.

Darryl Scotti: “Coming Home” is probably the most stripped-back Americana ballad on the record. It deals with geographical distance, yes, but more importantly, the emotional distance that happens when families fracture, and the complicated realities of reconciliation. “Back to Georgia” balances that out. It’s grounded in memory and place; a place to rest, sonically, with a laid-back feel.

Q. The biggest surprise on the EP might be the closer: the “State of Mind (Remix).” You took a track from 2024 and completely reimagined it into this minimalist, a cappella-driven, jazz-tinged Americana piece. It feels heavily influenced by your current environment.

Darryl Scotti: It absolutely is. Big Yard Nation is operating out of the Arizona southwest desert now. There’s a line that inspired this whole movement: “a place outside of Phoenix up in the hills northwest, where the skies roar with thunder and ancient souls have gone to rest.” The desert gives you this vast, quiet space to process things. We wanted to leave the listener in that chill, groove-based headspace. Stripping the track down to its vocal core gave it an avant-garde feel that perfectly closes out the narrative journey.

The Poets & Heroes EP does exactly what its title promises. Avoiding the trap of “just dropping music,” Darryl Scotti and Big Yard Nation have delivered a beautiful, deliberate sequence of stories that demand, and reward, your undivided attention. For fans of authentic, narrative-driven Americana, this EP stands as one of the most cohesive and emotionally grounded releases of the year.