Scout Willis makes music to make out to. At least, that’s the effect she hopes her latest single, “It Ain’t Nothing,” will have on fans. “People aren’t kissing enough,” she tells NYLON over the phone. “I want to bring back making out at parties.”
Though Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore) has had a lifelong obsession with music — she tells a story of checking out every single band listed in the NYLON Music Issue she owned when she was 15 — she hasn’t always been open to the idea of being a musician. “With many things that are so close to our heart and special, there can be moments of fear or running away from it,” she says. “I think I was in a bit of an avoidant relationship with music because it’s so real and so special to me.”
“There was a big moment — I was in this spiritual psychology class, and I had this epiphany where I realized, ‘Oh, this is the closest thing to my heart. My connection to God, to a higher power, is me writing music.’ And there was this unconscious story running, that if I were to finally give it everything I had and still feel lacking or to be found wanting, then it would feel like I was dying.” Naming those fears finally helped Willis dismantle her mental blocks for good, clearing the path to get straight to work on what would become her debut album, Scout LaRue Willis, in 2020. Five years later, she can’t imagine doing anything else. “I’ll make music every day for the rest of my life, because if I didn’t, I would die,” she says.
Willis returned with the up-tempo anthem “Blame Me” in September, which she followed up with the sultry, evocative, and titillating “It Ain’t Nothing” on Nov. 14. In honor of the track’s release (and the steamy music video starring Gossip Girl alum Thomas Doherty), we caught up with the singer-songwriter to talk about the inspiration behind the new song, her upcoming album, her favorite affirmations, and working with Doherty.
Congratulations on the release of your new single. How are you feeling?
I feel so excited. This one is really special to me because it really encapsulates part of what my mission is, which is to embed mantras and affirmations in music that’ll get stuck in your head. The idea that all these people could be bopping around their lives, singing “It ain’t nothing, baby, if I want you. Nothing, baby, I can have you” makes me just giddy.
Oh, wow, I love that. Are you a big affirmations person?
Absolutely, but in my own way. I don’t subscribe to this “I always have to be positive; I always have to be perfect and spiritual.” It’s more like a messy, human way, which is why I love the idea of doing it through really sensual, dropped-in, pop-leaning music.
You wrote this song with Steph Jones, who’s written songs for Sabrina Carpenter and Selena Gomez. What was that writing session like?
And Daniel Tashian, by the way, who’s another absolute legend. It was like I tripped and fell forward into the room with these absolute legends. Up until February, I’d never even done a co-write before. It was like a playdate, and all of us were just having the absolute best time. They are just the coolest, most amazing people on earth, and my producer, JT Daly, is like my brother and my sonic soulmate. I just found myself in a space where we all just got to play and talk about ideas, and bat around what is the vibe and energy of this song, who are these people, and what is the story.
It feels very important to me that everything is a positive, uplifting take on romance. And so this [song], the first thing we had was “If I want you, it ain’t nothing,” and what that means. It’s not about being controlling. It’s not about ego or narcissism. It’s just that quiet sense of self that knows your worth and value, and that moment when you meet someone and you just see that spark between you and the tension and anticipation that just fills your whole body before anything’s happened yet, but you know it’s on.
You mentioned you’ve only just started co-writing. What made you want to bring other people into the process?
I had new, wonderful managers who suggested it. I’ve been doing it for so long on my own, and I love writing music on my own. And I just thought, how fun to try it with other people and see where I can grow, because I taught myself guitar, but I’m bound within that structure a bit. And so, it’s really fun for me to get to feel other people’s energy and respond to something, like someone plays a little melody on a piano, and I just get to make up a riff and see what happens.
And now, the music video. What’s the story there? Who came up with the concept?
Whenever I write and finish a song that I love so much, I start immediately seeing the visuals in my head. I was with Thomas [Doherty], and he had asked to be in the video. He was like, “What’s the concept for the video?” And I hadn’t even thought about it. I closed my eyes and I just got this image of us at a party, and it’s like this wild Hollywood, Babylon, Saltburn party. I’m dancing in a crowd of people, and he looks at me and then looks back, and the room is empty, and it’s just me. It’s this idea of when you see someone across a room and you’re so struck by them and their presence and aura and everything, and it came from there.
So the concept just bloomed from that place, and I just feel like it’s the right time to bring back — I see it on the Internet — people want romance and yearning and tension. This video is for my yearners and for romantics, and people who will recognize the subtle nods to Pride and Prejudice, and Atonement, and Romeo and Juliet, and the people who are so excited about Wuthering Heights, which I just read for the first time.
It was really fun and exciting to get to bring all of those references to life in my own way. My friend, Lili Peper, directed it. And to create something that felt almost more like a short film, I’ve never gotten to do that on a video, and it was so exciting and so fun to really think about how to convey everything we wanted to convey in a few minutes.
What was it like having Thomas as a scene partner?
I mean, he is amazing to work with and is truly an incredibly talented actor and person, and incredible human being. I’m so grateful that he is in this video. He really is the perfect, most iconic romantic lead that I could have hoped for. The energy that we have and got to play with all day is really special.
Obviously, you’ve just released this new song. You released another single back in September — can we expect a new album from you soon?
Oh, absolutely. We have all of the music. I’m so proud of it. I’m so happy with how it turned out. It feels like such a reflection of where I am in my life right now, and I’m champing at the bit to get this record out.
We have the end of the year coming up. Besides your album release, is there anything else you’re looking forward to for 2026?
I’m excited to be on tour again. I got to do my first real, proper tour in October with Kingfishr. It was so moving and so special to be a part of that whole experience. I’m really excited to tour [and] to work on some acting projects that are coming up.
Sometimes my greatest prayer is “God, blow my mind for the highest good.” Because there are things that I can imagine that I’d be excited for my year, but what’s really exciting to me is that I have no idea what could happen. I feel very excited to be surrendered, knowing I’m working really hard and I’m putting effort in and working on something I love, and always becoming the best version of myself. And then I let go and lean back, and see what happens.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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