Quinn Sullivan is a guitarist, singer-songwriter hailing from Massachusetts praised by Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana. His new album “Wide Awake” is his most critically acclaimed release, with a blues rock heart tied to classic soul and pop hooks. Jason Barnard speaks to Quinn to hear about his creative process.
Hi Quinn – how long did you work on “Wide Awake” for? How did you approach writing and producing it?
Hey there! My new album ‘Wide Awake’ took about 2 years to make from the first writing session to the last recording session. I first met the producer of this album (Oliver Leiber) in the middle of 2018. I flew out to LA to meet with him and write some songs with him. That turned into us getting together every few months to write songs, and as we were developing this natural musical chemistry, I asked if he wanted to produce this album. The album itself took about 6 months to make. We tracked all of the band first, and then I came back a couple months later to overdub my guitars and vocals. It was such a fun, and great experience for me to make an album in LA and be in that headspace for so long.
The LP was preceded by the “All Around The World” single. It has a positive message in these troubling times. Was this something you consciously decided to focus on?
It was something that became more apparent to me as 2020 began to unfold. We wrote the song in 2019, before COVID and before the murder of George Floyd, so as these events began to occur, it made total sense to put this song out as the first single. It wasn’t one of those “pandemic” induced songs, it’s a song about hope and about coming together and being unified. It just resonates now more than ever, and I’m really proud of that song and the response it’s gotten.
“How Many Tears” has a superb soulful, blues rock sound. What inspired you to write the song?
Thanks! Yeah, that was a fun one to write. I remember one night at the studio, after a day of writing another song, I began playing this chord progression on the guitar. Oliver grabbed a guitar and we started playing it together, which is how a lot of these songs actually originated. I started singing random words and melodies and we grabbed a pen and paper and just began writing a tune. The song is a reflection of my high school self and how I felt about love and relationships at that time in my life. It was a moment of nostalgia for me because of that innocence you have at 16, and you think you know so much about that subject, when in reality you really don’t. It’s the most timeless song on the album I think.
How does “Wide Awake” compare to your previous solo albums?
I’ll be honest, I don’t think ‘Wide Awake’ compares to any of my previous albums. I consider this album a true turning point in my musical career. It has elements and qualities to it that I’ve never had on any other album before. I’m using my voice in a different way on a lot of these songs, and experimenting with certain sounds that I hadn’t experimented with in the studio before. It just feels right at this time in my life. I’ve grown a lot these last few years, and I know myself a lot more than I did at 18, so I’m more comfortable now.
You achieved success in the music industry at a young age and some artists have struggled the transition into adulthood. How have you managed to keep grounded and find your own voice?
It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. It takes time and a lot of reflecting and making mistakes along the way to figure yourself out on who and what you want to say musically. I’ve been so lucky in the sense that I’ve been around super creative people most of my life, who have really helped me along the way to find my sound. You have to do a lot of self discovery and realize that the only way this will ever work is if you’re solely making the music you want to make and not the music someone is telling you to make. Of course you want to satisfy the people who love what you do, but you won’t ever satisfy anyone until you satisfy yourself.
Which artists that you have played with have you had the most affinity with and why?
I believe that I’ve had the most affinity with being able to play with artists like Carlos Santana and Buddy Guy. Of course Buddy was my mentor for a long time, so I’ve just had a long connection with him. Carlos on the other hand is one of those guys who I grew up listening to and had such a deep connection to his music, so being able to share the stage with him was something I never thought would ever happen. He’s just a brilliant musician and continues to reinvent himself, which is something I always strive to do. They’re both just such talented and kind human beings.
What are you most proud of achieving in your musical career?
I feel like I’m most proud of this new album I’ve just put out. It was a huge goal for me to be a writer on every single song I put out, and I’ve done that with this album, so that’s something I’m really proud of. I always feel as though you’re only as good as your last album, so I have so much more I want to put out there, but for now, this album is where I’m at musically, so that’s good enough for me.
What impact has the pandemic had on you?
Well, I certainly have missed playing live. I think that’s personally the worst part of this whole thing. I feel hopeful because shows are beginning to come back, so it will be nice to play live again. I’ve had more time than ever to be home and rekindle old friendships that I’ve haven’t had a chance to have because I’ve always been on the road, which can be tough sometimes to maintain great relationships with such a busy schedule, so I suppose the pandemic has made me stay in touch more with close friends.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Well there are some shows that are being booked, so I’m excited to get back out and play again! I’m always writing songs and being creative in some way or another. I’m lucky that I can pretty much work anywhere I am, and ideas can come at any time, anywhere, so I’m able to be working at any part of the day. I’m most excited for getting in front of audiences again. That’s my favorite thing in the world is playing music for people.
Quinn Sullivan’s album, Wide Awake is available on CD, LP and digitally at smarturl.it/QuinnSullivan
More information can also be found at: quinnsullivanmusic.com
