AT AGE 25, Quinn Sullivan is already a music veteran. That’s what happens when you begin your career before you’re out of first grade. The singer/songwriter and guitarist has cemented his transition from child prodigy to mature adult performer with his new, fifth album, Salvation (Provogue/Mascot Label Group). The wide-ranging set touches a lot of musical bases, with riff-driven hard rockers reminiscent of classic radio rock, like “Dark Love,” rubbing shoulders with R&B falsetto groovers, like “Once Upon a Lie.”
“Musically, Salvation is truly where I’m at in my life, and it touches on topics of loss, trauma and love,” Sullivan says. “It’s a very personal album.”
Sullivan became nationally known when he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show at age six. Two years later, he met Buddy Guy backstage at a concert near his New Bedford, Massachusetts, home, and the blues legend invited him out to play the night’s last few songs. “That night truly changed my life, both professionally and personally,” Sullivan says. His mentorship with Guy lasted a decade, as he often appeared with him and even recorded a solo on Guy’s 2008 album, Skin Deep.
“I’m forever grateful for Buddy’s support for my
