Quinn Sullivan - Solo Performance
Twenty four-year-old Quinn Sullivan came to prominence as a young guitar virtuoso who, after a chance encounter with Buddy Guy at the age of 8, would go on to become a buzzed-about blues phenom.
When it came time to write and record his fifth album, Salvation, the singer-songwriter-guitarist was processing the sudden passing of his mother. The resulting 11-track album is his most personal. Salvation honors Quinn’s musical roots while forging his path forward as an emotive and engaging singer-songwriter.
“My mom was my guiding light on this record,” the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based artist says. “I’m not a religious person, but salvation, to me, means saving yourself from a traumatic experience. That’s what this album did for me.”
Quinn has performed at prestigious venues like MSG and the Hollywood Bowl, and appeared on national TV programs like CBS Sunday Morning, Late Night, Ellen, Oprah, and more. He has gone toe to toe with guitar greats such as Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, and BB King, who entrusted him with playing his beloved “Lucille” guitar.
What has given Quinn staying power is his evolution as a songwriting artist. Over the years, he’s integrated his exceptional guitar talent into hooky song craft, in the spirit of artists such as Marcus King, Gary Clark Jr., the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and John Mayer. Quinn’s recent association with Trouble No More—the new ensemble sanctioned by the Allman Brothers to carry on their live-performance legacy—has also contributed to the depth and maturity evident in his latest work.
Quinn grew up in a musical household. His father was the drummer for a Grateful Dead cover band for over 30 years. The house was soundtracked by 1960s and 1970s classic rock and singer-songwriter artists such as Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Carly Simon, James Taylor, and Carol King. At the age of three, Quinn’s parents bought him his first guitar and he proved to be a natural on the instrument. Four years later, he made his network television debut playing The Beatles “Twist and Shout” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
From there, he discovered the blues, soaking up the music of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. By the time he was nine, Quinn was trading licks with Buddy Guy, and he would spend the next 10 years on tour with the blues legend.
“Now, it’s about taking that music and making it my own,” Quinn says “You have to follow your passion and your voice. I will never lose sight of where I came from, but I have grown. This album is me taking the reins and doing my own thing—it represents a pivotal time for me.”
Salvation bursts open with a burly Jimi Hendrix-style groove on the title track. Here, Quinn manages to seamlessly alchemize his blues-rock roots while showcasing infectious songwriting chops. The song deftly incorporates the swirling tones of a B3 organ, the expressive cries of a wah-wah pedal, and fleet-fingered blues soloing without overwhelming its modern rock sensibility. The impassioned “Salvation (Make Me Wanna Pray)” delivers a clever twist on the journey of personal awakening against the backdrop of romantic infatuation.
Obsessive love continues to smolder on the revved-up stomper “Dark Love,” a bluesy indie-rock that recalls The Black Keys. Quinn lets his honeyed falsetto vocals drip gloriously over sleek the funk track, “Once Upon A Lie,” effortlessly sneaking in some breezy George Benson jazz chops in the solo.
The groove doesn’t stop on “Nothin’ Gonna Change My Mind.” This irresistible jam boasts punchy Tower of Power horns, taut Cory Wong-vibing rhythm guitar work, wah-wah drenched passages, and Quinn’s agile vocals which span a smooth tenor melting into a creamy falsetto. He directly addresses his mother’s passing with bold vulnerability on “Eyes On Me (On & On),” a blue-eyed soul ballad in the Hall & Oates tradition replete with cooing backup vocals and tasty sitar-guitar melodies that recall the vintage soul of The Chi Lites. The album concludes masterfully with The Beatles-esque ballad, “Half My Heart.”
Salvation was produced by John Fields (Jonas Brothers, Pink, Har Mar Superstar), and co-written with Fields and Kevin Bowe (Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Etta James) in Minneapolis. The album was tracked in a feverishly-inspired two weeks—the fastest Quinn’s made a record.
Salvation is an artistic milestone that has been part of a larger journey in artistic autonomy and reclamation. “This record taught me not to be afraid to be who I am,” Quinn says. “My mother’s strength seeped through me, and gave me the confidence to sit down and make the best record I could make.”
