Scott Oatley, better known as Vân Scott, has spent years giving his voice to other people’s dreams. He’s crooned behind the curtain for Maroon 5, slipped into soundtracks like La La Land and Sing, and turned up on The Simpsons, The Voice, and even Black-ish.

His voice has traveled as far as NBC’s Olympic stage. Like a musical Forrest Gump, he’s been everywhere without being the headline. But with “Turn Off the Tears,” he’s not just stepping into the spotlight; he’s dragging the mic stand into the living room and singing straight to his sister.

“Turn Off the Tears” isn’t your typical “chin-up, champ” pep talk. It’s more like a sonic shoulder squeeze from someone who’s seen the wreckage and still believes in the rebuild. The song began as a request: Kayt, his sister, asked for help putting words to the kind of pain that doesn’t come with instructions. Her life was first shaken back in 2017 by a traumatic brain injury, followed by twelve more concussions over the next seven years. She didn’t need a Hallmark card. She needed something that sounded like survival with a melody.

The title, “Turn Off the Tears,” is a relic from their childhood, a phrase their uncle used to lob into the backseat when the cousins got too dramatic. Scott reclaims it, transforming what was once a dismissive quip into an emotional rallying cry.

Co-written with Bede Benjamin-Korporaal—a name that sounds fit for a spaceship commander but belongs to a master of synths—the song rises from quiet ache to full-blown catharsis. Imagine Bleachers but raised on empathy and sibling loyalty instead of stadium reverb. The chorus dares you to live like the sky’s finally cleared.

Vân Scott’s debut album, “Almost Gone,” won top honors at the USA Songwriting Competition, and his follow-up, “Songs I Never Wrote (because they would’ve been about you),” was basically a breakup record for ghosts. His next project, “Those Closest,” promises to go full family mode: less romance, more real talk, and more emotional heavy lifting.

“Turn Off the Tears” is a love letter disguised as a lifeline. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like their pain was invisible. Sure, Scott wrote it for his sister. But if you’ve ever had to patch your spirit back together and pretend you were fine, this one’s for you, too.

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