New Bedford guitarist Quinn Sullivan: How his mother inspired his latest album
NEW BEDFORD — Quinn Sullivan is a name that has been making waves in the music industry since appearing on "The Ellen Degeneres" show when he was only 8. Now, with two decades of music under his belt, he is gearing up for the release of his anticipated third album, "Salvation," on June 7.
"I never really have an idea of what I'm going to do when I go into the studio," he said. "I just kind of go in and see what happens. It's always been that way for me."
Sullivan, who has been playing guitar since age 3, has always had a spontaneous and "in-the-moment" approach to his music. However, with "Salvation," he said, he had a clear direction and purpose behind the album.
"Unfortunately, I lost my mom a couple of years ago," he said. "Her strengths and who she was as a person truly inspired this whole album and motivated me to get back into the studio to make this record."
Working with Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus music producer
To bring his vision to life, Sullivan flew out to Minneapolis to work with renowned producer and songwriter John Fields, known for producing musical artists such as Pink, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and most recently the Jonas Brother's newest album "The Beautiful Letdown."
"We had never met before, and the first time meeting was going to be in the studio," Sullivan said. "But it ended up being a great experience and we wrote about 14 or 15 tracks together, and narrowed it down to about 10 or 11 for the album."
Sullivan describes the album as "a record of love through hard times." Along with original songs, the album also includes a few surprise covers.
The record release show is set for June 7 at 7:30 pm at City Winery in Boston. Tickets are still on sale.
"The whole album tour is starting in Portland, Maine, on June 6, and from there we'll be traveling to cities all over the country," he said. "It's going to be a very rock and roll show, with some ballads mixed in there as well."
One of the most personal and powerful songs on the album is the title track, "Salvation." Sullivan said that the song was written as a way to cope with the trauma of losing his mother.
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"All of these songs really started just from talking, almost like a therapy session, with John [Fields] and another songwriter friend of ours," he added. "The song is about being saved from traumatic loss and finding salvation through the love of the people around you."
It's all about Sullivan's growth in his new album
"I've grown a lot as a person and as a musician. I've traveled a lot outside of music, which has allowed me to relax and grow."
According to his website, Sullivan's exceptional guitar skills have caught the attention of audiences and led to performances at prestigious venues such as Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl.
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He's appeared on national TV programs such as "Late Night," "Oprah" and more. He has gone toe to toe with guitar greats such as Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, and B.B. King, who entrusted him with playing his beloved “Lucille” guitar.
His previous album, "Wide Awake," showcased his versatility and willingness to push boundaries, earning critical acclaim. He continues to tour and learn from his experiences, constantly evolving and sharing his evolving talents with his devoted fans.
His dream collaboration is with Hozier
While he has already collaborated with some incredible artists, Sullivan said his dream collaboration would be with Irish singer and songwriter Hozier, known for his 2013 breakthrough EP "Take Me to Church."
"I would love to work with him," Sullivan said. "We've become really good friends these past few months ... and have a connection through our Irish heritage. It would be amazing to collaborate with him on anything."
With a constant need to write and perform, Sullivan said he is always pushing himself to grow and do more. Once a song is completed, he is already looking ahead to the next project, fueled by his own personal oath to constantly move forward and never get complacent.
"This drive keeps me inspired and motivated to keep making music," he said.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford musician Quinn Sullivan releasing new album 'Salvation'
