Though Winnipeg’s Scott Hinkson has pinched himself repeatedly, the dream-come-true of having Failure drummer Kellii Scott play on his last two albums is still very much real; the line between fan and fantasy gleefully blurred.
Since 2022’s >> (pronounced Fast-Forward), Hinkson and Scott have collaborated on more than 20 electro-rock songs, including 12 new ones slated for Hinkson’s upcoming sixth solo album, The Betterment, to be released this January.
For Hinkson, a fan of Failure and Scott’s since catching that band’s opening slot for TOOL many years ago, the thrill of having the group’s tasty timekeeper grace his album once again is not even close to wearing off.
“It’s wild to now be years into this relationship with one of my musical heroes,” he admits. “I literally couldn’t name another drummer I would rather work with than Kellii. His generosity in lending his unique style to my stuff has inspired me as both a songwriter and a musician. These last two albums wouldn’t be even remotely the same without him.”
During pre-production for The Betterment, Hinkson gave himself an audacious mission: to create his ultimate favourite record—a tall order after more than 25 years of writing and recording. The result? His first full batch of songs laced with consistently punchy rock hooks.
“I’ve always wanted to write an end-to-end rock album,” he admits. “Listening back to my last few albums, I realized I hadn’t really pushed myself recently as an electric guitar player. This album I have. Lots of rhythm and twists. [The Betterment] is one I truly would buy and listen to and be a solid fan of every track.”
Proof lies in its first single, “Rental,” a fast-paced, undeniably snappy rocker that Hinkson says his veteran counterpart called out early in the writing process.
“Kellii proposed this bad boy as the lead track,” he recalls. “His flawless execution affirmed it was gonna be a real banger.”
Lyrically, The Betterment trolls an entire generation of social-media obsessed narcissists with a similarly uncompromising outlook.
“[The album] is meant to be a sarcastic appraisal of the advancements of today, where perhaps we’re not so much better than previous generations after all,” Hinkson explains. “Social media tribes, selling your soul for for a role, living for the weekend, not showing up to your own life, and a loss of practicality as a consequence of wokeism or entitlement are just a few of the chapters I explored.”
And while Hinkson happily effuses over Scott’s distinctive playing, Failure’s legendary drummer is similarly generous in his praise for Hinkson’s abilities as a lyricist and composer. “Scott’s music crawls into your brain and smashes around until you relent and give it free room and board,” he says. “He creates those rare and wonderful moments when the mind stops and music just pours out of me, unfiltered, unedited.”
