Lys Scott had quite a birthday this year.

Scott, a first-generation Thai-American who identifies as queer, turned 32 on Oct. 24 — the same day that she released her debut album “Squashed Dreams & Broken Wings.”

After losing a restaurant job as the covid-19 pandemic ramped up in 2020, Scott connected on a musical level with several of her former co-workers and found herself diving headlong into writing, primarily journal entries and poems.

“I had a ton of them that were collecting dust, and I wanted to breathe life into those words and into my own self,” she said.

Backed by a band that includes guitarist Skyler Brimmierer from the Pittsburgh band Sleep Movies, Scott got to work remastering and repackaging a group of songs she originally released on her own in 2021.

Now, backed by Pittsburgh label Crafted Sounds, the album’s first single, “Big Shot,” is out. The 14-track album blends nostalgic elements of 1990s boom-bap hip-hop with lush soundscapes that blend seamlessly with Scott’s rapping and singing.

Scott spoke with the Tribune-Review about the process of creating the record and discovering her voice along the way. This interview has been edited for length.

Q: What first drew you to songwriting, and to hip-hop and R&B initially?

A: Emcees are modern-day historians, and I wanted to tell my own story. I didn’t want other people to tell it for me.

Q: What is the significance of your album title “Squashed Dreams & Broken Wings”?

A: My Uncle Tommy passed away and left me his record collection; it was probably over 600 records. So we had this invisible thread of music binding us together. We had a lot more in common than I knew while he was alive. Anyways, I had this dream I was painfully trying to get this album done and he was there encouraging me, and it felt like he was really there. He said, “I know how it feels to be the butterfly with squashed wings dreaming to fly and to soar,” alluding to life doesn’t always work out the way you planned, but you’re strong enough to figure it out and get the life you dream of. And that dream stuck with me.

Below, watch a live performance of “Flowerchild,” the album’s first track.

Q: The track “God’s Call” hits on a number of personal themes with the chorus, “That’s just what I do,” and you mentioned that this album is partly about coming to terms with your queer identity. Is “God’s Call” the most outward example of that?

A: It was a response to some bullying I was receiving at the time dealing with homosexuality. I get it: I make art and, once I make it public, it’s for the people to take from there. But it was a way of coping with my own internal homophobia — like I’m not ready for the bullying and the criticism, but the younger version of me needed someone saying and feeling these things, so it’s bigger than me. And it comes with the territory, so I had to own up to it and be proud of it and flip it. It’s hard to be different, but it’s worth it.

Q: What did you enjoy most about the process of creating this album?

A: Probably watching the metamorphosis of my life. Ups and downs and standstills and times when I absolutely lost my mind. In the past, I would crumble and self-sabotage and just go deeper into my hole, but I didn’t give up on myself, not this time, not on this album, and I saw it through. … It’s special when you believe in yourself and you have a crew of people fueling that belief who stand up behind and for you. That’s love.

Q: As a new artist, what were some of your strategies for getting your music out there and making a name for yourself?

A: The internet is my BFF because I live way out (in Beaver County), so I use social media as a platform for sure. … I started doing live shows with my band Lys Scott Deluxe, and I think that legitimized the artistry. Really cool venues and festivals asked us to play, so why not? Life is too short to not jam out with your best friends. They’re also highly skilled musicians, so just being around them elevated my own skills on music theory, delivery, stage presence and timing/breath control.

For more, or to preorder “Squashed Dreams & Broken Wings,” see CraftedSounds.com.

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