Introducing… Craig Stickland

Craig Stickland: “I make sure I show up every day to write even if I’m not inspired by anything specific.”

A Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based country-rock artist who is showing great early promise with the release of his stellar debut LP

Name: Craig Stickland

Location: Los Angeles, USA

Style: A country-rock troubadour

Look out for: Debut album Starlit Afternoon

Website: craigstickland.com

Country music has always been a genre that welcomes a fusion of styles and crossover sounds. Taking advantage of this trend is LA-based artist Craig Stickland, delivering punchy rock-infused country which can be heard throughout his debut album Starlit Afternoon.

Speaking about the different styles and inspirations that have helped to shape his own songwriting, Craig says, “I’m influenced by alternative, soul, and blues. I aim to be as authentic as possible, drawing inspiration from experiences, relationships and circumstances that I find myself in.”

“I draw inspiration from personal experiences and relationships. I’m a very emotional person and express myself through music. Love is a universal language that has been written about since the beginning of creation, and I find myself drawn to write about it as well”.

Writing and playing guitar since a young age, Stickland is an artist who isn’t afraid of a little hard work and is willing to put in the hours needed to hone his craft. “I picked up the guitar and wrote my first song when I was 16 years old,” says Craig. “I make sure I show up every day to write even if I’m not inspired by anything specific. Sometimes I have a concept that I’m trying to write about, and other times I’m sitting down with my instruments, singing melodies on top of chords to see if anything sticks.”

This solid dedication can be heard in the quality of the tracks on Starlit Afternoon and, as Stickland continues to grow as an artist, we fully expect him to go from strength to strength. “I aim to write at least 100 songs per year. My goal is to constantly be creating. I try to keep it moving, knowing that the more I create, the more likely it is that I’ll write a song that relates to a lot of people.”

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