Artist Spotlight: Spike Sullivan
Spike Sullivan
Artist Spotlight
Spike Sullivan is an up-and-coming musician based in Vancouver, Canada. From an early age, Spike has been inspired to write poetic lyrics and catchy melodies. Blending genres from acoustic singer/songwriter to alternative rock, Spike looks to elicit emotion using his powerful lyrics that touch on many subjects, including his long and arduous battle with mental health.
What inspired you to start making music, and who are some of your biggest musical influences?
1. I like to say that my love for music began before I was born. When my mum was pregnant with me, she went to see the UK-based rock band The Waterboys in concert. Apparently I couldn’t stop kicking around in her tummy, and I’m assuming it was because I was having a great time grooving to the music. The Waterboys soon became one of my all-time favourite bands. I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock, and went through a pretty intense Beatles obsession in my early teens. From the age of two, I always said I wanted to be a rock star, and took every opportunity I could to perform in front of family and friends. When I started writing lyrics, I took a lot of inspiration from artists like Van Morrison and David Gray, whose lyrics I found captivatingly poetic.
Can you describe your creative process? How do you typically go from an idea to a finished song?
For me, writing a song can sometimes take months, and other times a matter of minutes. I find myself thinking often about ideas for songs in terms of lyrical content, and humming potential melodies in the back of my mind. I’ll take a few weeks between writing sessions to let these ideas marinate, never really having an exact or clear direction or putting pen to paper until I set aside some time to dig in to my thoughts. When I finally do sit down to write, I’ve always found that I flow through songs quite quickly. I’ll strum at the guitar until I find a progression that I like, then turn some of those half-baked ideas in my brain into lyrics. I like to usually approach the words in an almost stream of consciousness manner, letting whatever is in my head flow onto the paper and then only going back to change it if it doesn’t quite suit the melody, or if it’s really not making much sense (which is more often than I’d like…) I’ll then let that song sit, move on to the next one, then come back to it in a few days to fine-tune the words and spice up the musical arrangement if I can. That’s my writing process anyway…getting a recorded product is another process entirely! One that I’m still working on perfecting.
What has been the most challenging part of starting your music career, and how have you overcome those challenges?
I have always struggled with self-image and confidence. As I outgrew the childlike wonder that propelled my desire to be a rock star, I began to tell myself that I’m not talented enough, and that I could never be a successful musician. This mindset held me back from sharing my music with anyone. It prevented me from writing, playing, practicing, or performing, and it took a large shift in my life to find the confidence to begin truly pursuing what had always been my biggest passion. Around 5 years ago, I went through a severe mental health crisis, and when I came out on the other side of it, I realized I needed to make some big changes in my life, or I’d risk losing it. One of those changes was to view myself in a different light; as someone capable of whatever they set their mind to, rather than someone who was held back by what their mind was telling them. I knew that I needed to pursue my passions with everything I had, or I would regret it forever. So I got out there and started doing it, despite all of the voices telling me I couldn’t. When I realized that the biggest battle was in my head, and that I could overcome those obstacles one day at a time, I stopped telling myself that I was going nowhere, and instead told myself that the sky was the limit to my dreams.
How do you see your music evolving in the next few years, and what goals do you have for your career?
I want to continue to write, record, and perform my music as often as I can. It brings me such immense joy that I really don’t see myself following any other path. I just want to get to a place where I can live a comfortable life sharing my music with the world. Obviously, for the sake of keeping this passion alive, I have to continuously envision myself on the big stages, touring the world and having thousands of people singing my songs, and I have to keep believing that will happen. To be honest, though, just getting up on any stage in front of anyone who will listen is empowering enough for me to keep doing this for the rest of my life, especially as for years I told myself I could never do it.
What advice would you give to other young musicians who are just starting out?
Get out there and do it. Find an open mic, find a local bar that needs a last minute replacement, find a street corner and play your songs for anyone who will listen. Although some people won’t listen, get used to playing to them too. Find the strength inside yourself to get over whatever it is that’s holding you back, and go and pursue your dreams with every fibre of your being. There’s going to be empty rooms, there may be boos, or crowds that don’t want you there, and there’s going to be times when you doubt yourself. And then there will be the really special moments where you realize it’s all worth it. It might be in front of ten people, or maybe ten thousand, but I promise you’ll know in your heart you did the right thing, but only if you get out there and share your gift with the world.