Scotty McCreery’s Surprising Pre-Show Routine

Country star and “American Idol” season 10 winner Scotty McCreery is pretty laid back when it comes to performing. Before his shows, he can be found backstage watching sports. “I’m probably watching ESPN … watching hockey, watching golf,” he shared during an interview with Marty & McGee on July 24.

“And then my tour manager says, ‘Hey man, you got two minutes’ and I was like ‘Alright, I’m ready,'” McCreery said. He admitted that his lack of pre-show prep was not the norm, and that others have tried to get him and his band to rally a little harder, but the relaxed approach seems to be working.

“I’ve always been told by my vocal coaches, ‘you should be warming up,'” the singer revealed. “Or, ‘hey, let’s get a little hoorah ‘Mighty Ducks’ quack quack quack’ before. But we’re pretty chill.”

McCreery continued, “Everybody in my band has pretty much been with me since 2011 … we go play our show and have a great time.”

McCreery’s New Collaboration

McCreery dropped his latest project on July 18, an EP titled “Scooter & Friends.” The EP contains 5 new tracks on which McCreery is joined by artists such as Lee Brice, Charlie Wilson, and Hootie & the Blowfish.

As for the title, McCreery explained to Music Talkers, “Back home everyone calls me ‘Scooter,’ so since I’m singing with a few of my favorite artists, I decided to call this project Scooter & Friends.”

McCreery’s single “Bottle Rockets” which features ’90s pop group Hootie & the Blowfish is a standout song on the EP, and the collab was a dream come true. McCreery and Hootie frontman Darius Rucker are pals, but asking him to participate in the project was still nerve-wracking.

“…it’s not just being boys, now we’re talking business,” McCreery told Marty & McGee about reaching out to Rucker. “I was a little nervous but he texted right back that he loved the song and wanted to do it …,” he shared.

McCreery Stays True to His Roots

McCreery has been touring the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. since March, and his tour will continue through December. But he counts his 2024 Concert for Carolina appearance as one of his favorite experiences.

For the singer, a native of Garner, North Carolina, the show felt like coming home. “Yeah it’s family back home in Carolina … I think that concert for me is like number one,” McCreery said of the benefit for Hurricane Helene relief.

The show included performances by Luke Combs, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, and Keith Urban, among others. “There were no egos …,” McCreery said. “Everybody was there for one cause. Everybody was one family.”