V Magazine exclusively unveils “Blame Me,” the striking new single from LA-based singer/songwriter Scout Willis. Co-written with Madi Diaz and Hank Compton and produced by JT Daly, the track is Willis’ first release since last October and the opening chapter to her long-awaited collaborative album. With its pulsing rhythm and hypnotic vocals, “Blame Me” cements Willis’ magnetic presence, one that drew festival crowds this summer when she debuted the track at Glastonbury.

A soulful anthem of release, “Blame Me” channels heartbreak into something both compassionate and playful, offering listeners an irresistible soundtrack for letting go. Today, the song stands as a powerful signal of Willis’ new era and a testament to her evolving artistry. To mark the release, Scout connected with V’s Digital Director Mathias Rosenzweig to discuss the track, her creative process, and what lies ahead.

Photography by Daniel Ray Hilsinger

Mathias Rosenzweig: As I’ve listened to your work, I’ve noticed this new project feels connected to what you’ve been building sonically, but it also carries a bit of a different energy than before. I’ll let you put it into your own words, but it feels like an evolution—but without abandoning what you’ve been doing thus far.

Scout Willis: Yeah, it definitely is. Well, it’s the first time I’ve ever really done co-writes and collaborated with people. And that was so fun to get to play off of other songwriters and musicians who had their own brilliant projects and not treat it like, ‘oh, this song is coming through, and I have to really capture it.’ We just got to experiment and see what was there. It’s fun, because it’s all if I like it, then it’s authentic to me. If I would listen to it in my car, even if it weren’t my own song, then it’s authentic to me. And so it’s fun to get to play in that realm.

MR: Since you were writing about something you had actually experienced, sometimes in co-writing situations, there’s a little bit of a wall that you have to break through because you’re sharing. So I wonder, what was that experience like for you?

SW: You know what’s cool? I was in Nashville with people who are such pros at getting down into the deep, nitty-gritty stuff. And in fact, when we wrote this song, I came in and was already having a tough day. I was feeling emotional. I was deep in some grief, and my friend, Madi Diaz, who I was working with said, ‘I have this idea, this idea of, you can blame me,’ and we started writing it as a really sad song. And I said, ‘I’m so sorry, you guys. I just can’t write a song like this today.’ Because I had already let myself have a moment of grief that morning and let it out. So I said, ‘What do you guys think about doing something with the same energy and with the same idea, but a complete pivot and code shift around the energy of the song?’ And this song came out of that.

MR: It’s so funny you say that, because when I was listening, “Blame Me” reminded me of a Robyn song. She’ll be singing the most devastating lyrics, yet the track itself is so upbeat. There’s something beautiful in that contrast. If you really sit with the lyrics, it’s heartbreaking, but sonically, it’s so optimistic. So, “Blame Me” was giving me this Nashville but Robyn-esque energy.

SW: I love that read. Well, two years ago, around this time, I ended a very long relationship, and the last two years have been a major exploration of who I am as a single person out in the world at this new part of my life. And so a lot of these songs became a meditation on modern relationships and romance. And I am a romantic. I am a lover girl. I am a yearner. I’m a triple water sign. At the same time, I’ve done a lot of growth and a lot of learning about how to engage in energies in a way that is uplifting and exciting and rich and delicious, as opposed to just constantly painful or going through the same cycle. So what’s beautiful about this song is it has this energy of something that I’ve found, which is the ability to move on quicker, and doing so without resentment, without anger, and without pressure—I mean some anger—but without holding judgment for the other person. That, to me, is what the song is about. There’s also a playfulness. It’s like, you know, I love you. You are important to me, and if you want to blame me for stuff, I’ll take it, babe, because I’m strong enough to do that. And it’s very much, I know you feel a little bit in love with me, but like… I gotta go.

MR: It almost sounds like you’re singing it with a little bit of a smile and a wink, you know?

SW: Oh, 100% I am.

Photography by Lowfield

MR: It’s interesting that you were exploring so much about the end of relationships, but you were also exploring forming new relationships—with co-writers and the people you were making music with. Obviously, there are romantic relationships, but there are other relationships that can be just as profound. And I think sometimes when you’re so stuck in a romantic relationship, you kind of forget how much meeting an artistic collaborator can mean to you, or just like other types of intimacy with people.

SW: Well, people kept asking me if I was dating when I was in Nashville, and I said, ‘You know what? Not really, because I am so romantically and creatively fulfilled by writing everything, that kind of I’m good!’ Like, if someone would’ve taken me out two-stepping I’d be like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’ But at the same time I feel creatively, romantically, and erotically fulfilled by my art and by my work.

MR: Yeah. That really speaks to self-actualization, which people often talk about as the ultimate goal. It’s a bit of a cliché, but it’s true: having partners and relationships is amazing, but you shouldn’t need them. You need to be good on your own.

SW: And it’s easier said than done, right? I want my music to serve as, let’s say, and a more easy way to do some of this work. This is a breakup anthem. It is about an ending, and at the same time, there’s an energy of ease and playfulness. It’s sort of a whimsical take on the breakup song that shows people, in my mind, I hope, how delightful it can be. Move on quicker. Let go. Do not linger in something that’s not serving you. Do not stay when there is so much to explore in the world.

Photography by Lowfield

MR: So… you’re performing when the song drops… How are you with performing live? Do you love it? Do you get nervous?

SW: Oh my god, I love it.

MR: *laughs* I felt like you would say that.

SW: I just love performing. I have since I was a child, and it’s this way that I feel like I get to love people. I don’t know. I know it sounds kind of funny, but I truly get to share all of my energy, all of my work, all of my joy, and interact with people through that lens. These girls came to my show in Nashville, and they were like, ‘God, I just, I feel like I want to make out with someone. I feel so alive and confident.’ And I was like, ‘that’s literally the greatest thing anyone has ever said to me.’ I want people to get activated. I’ve been thinking about this a lot—in a world where a lot of people are saying, ‘No one goes out. How do you meet people? How do you find crushes? Everyone’s chronically online.’ I want my shows to be a space where people meet and feel this sort of lust for life.

MR: Yeah, you can kind of tell when someone’s like, faking the ease and when they’re actually really at ease. And I’m like, this girl loves what she’s doing. It’s always nice to see someone in their element, you know? And I feel like when you’re on stage, you seem really in your element.

SW: I really feel so lucky because it’s my favorite thing in the world to do, and I get to do it. The fact that people are interested is one of the greatest privileges of my entire life.

MR: But it’s not like you wrote your first song yesterday. You’ve worked for your audience. There was a time when you were making songs, regardless of whether people were listening or not.

SW: I definitely have played many bars with very few people in them over the last 10 years. *laughs* People are like, “You’re such a natural.’ Well, I’m not. I worked at it. I really worked at it. I’ve become a better musician, I’ve become a better artist, I’ve become a better songwriter—and thank God.

Photography by Daniel Ray Hilsinger