Today, we sat down with the band Sunkin to talk music inspiration, heroes, and much more! Be sure to check out their music after the interview below on Spotify.
Here is the interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your
surroundings?
Most of my songs are about past relationships, my experience with mental health conditions, sometimes social or political issues but always with an emotionally provocative stance. I would describe my lyrics as melancholic stories with flickers of hope. But it’s the hope in them that I want the listener to take away. It’s the thought that some people out there (whoever they may be) might connect to our songs and story. That and the therapeutic nature of songwriting is what inspires me. We’re surrounded by so many talented and creative people from all different creative mediums. So inspiration is never hard to come by.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
We listened to a plethora of music that spans right through the genres, from rock to classical. Hector grew up listening to the likes of John Bonham, Elliot Smith, and The Beatles while Declan was heavily into rock and grunge from the early 90s, like Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, and Nirvana. At age thirteen, I was inspired to pick up a guitar after seeing Slash perform a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Hey Jo’ at The Rock Hall of Fame. A couple of years later after listening to Oasis’s ‘Morning Glory’ album, I was inspired to start singing and writing. Over the years I’ve indulged in love affairs with many different artists. From Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles, and Radiohead to Jazz acts like Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, and Miles Davis.
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
So many people! After giving this a lot of thought, I’m going to go with Jeff Buckley. Buckley had a rare ability to take many different genres of music and incorporating them into one piece of music. Yet still making each song sound so distinctively Jeff Buckley. On top of this, his lyrics are thought-provoking and beautiful. Nothing has ever inspired me as much as Buckley’s songs have.
If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?
If I had never gotten into music I would love to say that I would have been a professional footballer, but talent would’ve had something to say about that. Honestly, I have no idea, ever since I started playing the guitar I’ve been fairly blinkered towards a music career. I grew up in a rural community with lots of friends from farming backgrounds. So possibly in agriculture. Over the last few years, I’ve worked as a health care assistant and a porter. Both jobs are very different from music but just as rewarding. Hector works as a bartender at Omeara. Declan works with natural nootropic capsules, powders, and supplements, making and disputing them across the world.
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create music?
Enjoy the whole process, not just playing in a band. Try and form your own unique identity. I think this is as important as ever in the music industry. Try to understand every aspect, from your image, your cause, and your business strategy.
