With an entrepreneurial spirit and a multitude of talents, Jonathan Scott has enjoyed massive success on- and off-screen alongside his twin brother, Drew Scott since first breaking out onto the scene in 2011. But in addition to flipping houses for HGTV, the home expert and filmmaker proves he can sing with his newest single, “Being Honest” for his directorial debut of the Independent Lens documentary, Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip. In an exclusive with PopCulture.com, the 42-year-old revealed how the song came about, admitting it’s one he’s very excited for fans to connect with.
“When I was working on the documentary — and again, I’ve been working on it for a very long time, it’s funny,” Scott said in a telephone interview with PopCulture. “So we did a fan cruise, and gosh, it would be probably a year and a half ago — maybe almost two years ago, I’m thinking. And two of my friends that came on the cruise are very, very well-known songwriters and music producers, and we locked ourselves in my room on the cruise ship for probably a good six hours with the intent of writing a song for the film.”
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Scott reveals he brought in a “bunch of messages” when writing the song for the film, which shines a light on the obstacles and opportunities in America’s solar industry. Ensuring all the elements were included, the Canadian producer and director knew exactly what he wanted to convey with the uptempo and poignant track. “Really, it’s a song that speaks to people whether or not it’s in their relationship or whether or not it’s the political climate,” he admitted. “I think right now it’s almost like, a kind of anthem for what everybody’s going through. We’re tired of the lies, we’re tired of the deceit. How about being honest for once? It really speaks to what the film is all about.”
Excited to share the film with fans after a “long journey” alongside “perfect timing,” the documentary, which premieres Monday, Nov. 16 on PBS, finds the Property Brothers star heading across the U.S. to uncover why renewable power isn’t available to all. Initially premiering at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival this past spring, he admits to having stumbled into this realm of energy sourcing when he first installed solar panels in his Las Vegas home. But it wasn’t easy for the home renovation expert, who was confronted with an alarming set of hurdles.
“I was met with so many challenges from the local utility — so many delays that seemed problematic when I thought I was just doing something that was good, so I dug in and I realized that Nevada in no way was the worst in the country,” Scott said. “There were places where there were these full-on wars being waged against renewable energy from fossil fuel utilities, and I thought this was stuff people really would want to know.”
Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip premieres Nov. 16 at 10 p.m. ET on PBS; check your local listings. For more information about the documentary and how you can make a difference, head to his official website. To stream the special PBS documentary, visit Independent Lens.
