Jeff Scott Soto: Music Industry Is ‘Not For Weak-Hearted’

"It's not for the weak-hearted," vocalist Jeff Scott Soto tells Noisecreep of the music industry. "You have to have your strong self perseverance in this business. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I've learned the process to get over the humps, because there are just too many humps to even count."

Get over the 'humps' indeed. Soto has lent his trademark pipes to a slew of projects, including singing for the fictional band Steel Dragon on the 'Rock Star' soundtrack. He's also fronted Journey, Talisman and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, among others. For Soto, musical variety is the spice of life. It also helps him earn a living.

"It wasn't on purpose that I wanted to tap in to so many different things and be in so many different projects and albums," Soto carefully admits. "It was more so the fact that people I worked with, be it bands or other artists ... I tend to get bored to easy. If I'm in a band and it's more of a rock 'n' roll outfit, I'll start missing the R&B side of things. And then if it's an R&B outfit, I'll start missing the rock. It's been very difficult for me to find one band that's filled all those voids and different challenges."

For all the struggling, Soto has been able to carve a stable career out of a very unstable industry -- in a down economy at that. Even during the lowest periods, Soto credits his perseverance for keeping him in the game and behind the mic.

"It isn't the best life ever, especially when it comes to making a living. I guess that adds to why I've been involved in so many projects. I am a musician, a singer. I do a lot of different things, like writing, producing and performing. With that comes the responsibility of earning a keep. If I can't earn my keep by doing what I do -- just because people have a problem of me being spread too thinly all over the map -- then that's their problem. I sing for a living. There's always a means of musical endeavor that I can pick up to earn my keep."

Soto is currently on tour, handling vocal duties for Trans-Siberian Orchestra. His new project, W.E.T. just released a debut album available through Frontiers Records and iTunes. Soto will also release a solo live CD and DVD next year.