Hailing from Oklahoma City, OK, a former Pentecostal pastor who left the church for a career as a road warrior, Jason Scott formed the High Heat. These stories of the American Everyman are delivered with all the charisma and road-tested chemistry of a band that's built its audience the old-school way: by piling into a van, hitting the highway, and playing self-booked shows across the country. Heartland anthems like "Bernadette" and "Golden" are laced with all the ringing guitars and larger-than-life hooks of Tom Petty's best work, while "High Country" crystallizes the genre-spanning High Heat sound that's so unique, even the bandmates themselves have trouble describing it. Their new album, American Grin, is out March 28.