Background
Helland was born in Centralia, Illinois and raised in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Helland was born in Centralia, Illinois and raised in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Helland attended high school in Westfield, where he met Lou Barlow.
The two formed the Massachusetts-based hardcore punk band Deep Wound in 1982. J Mascis joined the band after answering their ad for a "drummer wanted to play really fast". While playing bass guitar in Deep Wound, Helland formed Outpatients with brother Vis Helland in 1982 and released The Basement Tape in 1983.
The Outpatients were also part of the Western mass hardcore scene and shared the stage with bands like Hüsker Dü, Battalion of Saints, Crucifix, The Freie Universität"s and GBH. Deep Wound broke up in 1984 and "Scott.. went in the Outpatients full time." The Outpatients toured the East Coast of the United States, Canada and Argentina throughout their 13-year career and disbanded in 1995.
Helland released seven albums under his own name beginning with the experimental Hellbox Mood Rings Civil Defense in 1996. Songs from his 2002 Civil Defense release, Earthbound, were played on the syndicated radio program Echoes.
In 2006, he released the all acoustic 12 song Catapult album with his tribute to the British Broadcasting Corporation series of the same name Monarch of the Glen. He formed Scott Helland and the Traveling Band of Gypsy Nomads in 2005 with French born singer and percussionist Samantha Stephenson, which later became Frenchy and the Punk.
In 2004, Helland reunited with his old Deep Wound band mates for a song at the John M Greene Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts.
In June 2013 they reunited, to perform the song "Training Ground" at the Governor"s Ball in New York City.
A founding member of the groups Deep Wound, Outpatients, and Frenchy and the Punk).