Day 309 - Amy Scott - Gotta Pay The Byrds

Filmmaker Amy Scott joins Dystopia Tonight for a thoughtful conversation about music, identity, and the emotional weight of being seen. Amy Scott is an acclaimed documentary director known for intimate, artist-focused films that explore creativity, vulnerability, and legacy. She directed Hal, the Sundance-premiered documentary about influential filmmaker Hal Ashby, and Sheryl, her revealing portrait of Grammy-winning musician Sheryl Crow. Her latest film, Have You Seen Me Lately?, is part of HBO’s Music Box series and focuses on Adam Duritz and Counting Crows. The documentary examines the band’s rise, the pressure of sudden fame, and the deeply personal stories behind some of the most enduring songs of the 1990s, offering an honest look at mental health, self-reflection, and survival in the public eye. In this episode, Amy discusses earning an artist’s trust, telling stories without nostalgia or mythmaking, and why the most compelling documentaries live in emotional truth rather than mythology.