Joe Scarborough is best known as the host of Morning Joe, a political TV personality, and a former congressman. But during this interview, it was revealed that Scarborough has been a musician for much longer than most people realize. “Music has always been the most important thing in my life,” he said, recounting how his mother, a music teacher with a master’s degree, pushed him to take piano lessons at an early age. Although he initially resisted, Scarborough began playing piano by ear and even wrote his first song at the age of ten.
While his career took him into law, politics, and television, Scarborough never gave up on music. He kept bands throughout his various professional phases, and it wasn’t until recently that he decided to make music a public endeavor. “I was always a studio rat, recording in private, but I finally just decided to take a jump and see how it went.”
Scarborough has taken an unconventional approach, choosing to release music on a monthly basis rather than through traditional album cycles. “I’ve written over 400 songs,” he said, explaining that he had recorded around 50 of them and wanted to keep releasing them steadily. His goal was to release an EP every month, hoping that over time, listeners would appreciate the consistency and quality of his work. “It’s by attrition,” he joked, comparing himself to the protagonist in Cast Away who keeps trying to escape the island, only to be knocked back by waves.
The interview explored Scarborough’s eclectic musical influences, which span from R.E.M. and Weezer to The Psychedelic Furs. His debut EP featured tracks like “Mystified,” a song with an ’80s electronic feel, and “Let’s Fall in Love,” which was bolstered by brass instrumentation. Scarborough’s willingness to experiment across genres sets him apart from other musicians, with tracks ranging from indie rock to horn-driven ballads. “I’ve been around a while,” he noted, explaining that his flexibility as a musician comes from years of absorbing different sounds and styles.
“I’m not just doing one thing,” Scarborough said. “I can bring in horns, try different guitar sounds, or make a song sound like Psychedelic Furs.” He takes full advantage of modern technology, particularly the ability to record at home with Pro Tools, which allows him to experiment and tweak his sound.
Even with his background in politics and TV, Scarborough’s leap into music was not without trepidation. He admitted to his co-host and fiancé Mika Brzezinski that he knew the public would “kill him” for releasing music, but he ultimately decided to go forward. “I don’t care,” he told her, “this is what I love more than anything else, so I’m going to do it.”
Despite his fears, Scarborough has been pleasantly surprised by the response. He and his band have performed at venues in New York and even played at South by Southwest. The positive reception has given him confidence, though Scarborough is quick to joke about the initial skepticism he faced. “Everybody has a band,” he laughed, referencing public figures like John McEnroe, who also have their own music projects.
Scarborough’s EP releases and his focus on both personal and politically inspired songs show that his music isn’t just a hobby. “When Will You Go,” a track from his upcoming EP, was written shortly after a highly publicized Twitter spat with former President Donald Trump. While Scarborough tries to keep music and politics separate, sometimes the two naturally intersect. “You write what you know,” he said, adding that the August EP would likely contain more political commentary, though he remains mindful not to overwhelm listeners with it.
Scarborough’s music is still evolving, and with so many songs in his vault, listeners can expect a wide range of styles and themes in the months to come. As Scarborough himself puts it, “I’m just going to keep coming at people with songs every month.”
Listen to the interview above and then check out the "Mystified" video.
