Craig Stickland is an LA-based Canadian born singer-songwriter who will be touring across Canada with Matthew Good starting on February 11 in Victoria, BC.
Stickland possesses an impressive touring pedigree going back to his days as a member of the alt-rock band We Are The Take, and most recently playing guitar for Alessia Cara on Coldplay’s “Head Full of Dreams” tour.
As a solo artist, Stickland has been consumed with perfecting his ability to create songs which have an emotional authenticity that borders on the sublime. For years he has worked tirelessly at the piano or his guitar searching for just the right sound, and the right voice to set him apart from the cacophony of singer songwriters currently on the scene. The result is that when audiences hear him sing, there is an unmistakable sense that Stickland’s songs are designed to connect all who are listening.
“I truly pride myself on making sure that my songwriting is world class. I have been devoted to writing and my craft and really honing every aspect of my career including my live performance. My goal is to as-pire to be one of the biggest and best artists in the world, and to have a career that has depth and longevity. I love what I do, and I am in this for the long haul,” said Stickland, a native of Richmond, British Columbia who moved to the suburbs of Toronto when he was a toddler.
Woodshedding new material for a couple of years after relocating to the music industry Mecca of Los Angeles, Stickland relaunched himself into the centre of the music universe with the release of his EP Leave Me to the Wild in early 2016.
“I have spent a lot of time learning about engineering and producing so that I can get the sound that I am looking for. I want to be in a position where my demos are about 90 per cent ready, and then bring in an outside producer who can elevate the songs and add that extra 10 per cent to make them as good as they can possibly be,” Stickland said.
“I believe it’s important for me to be a songwriter first, a singer second and a musician third, because the songs are what people remember.”
Stickland is starting 2017 off with a bang, heading out on a cross-Can-ada tour with Canadian alt-rock pioneer Matthew Good, and the re-lease of a new single called Warning.
“I have always worked to support my music. When I was 22 I was working as a bartender and decided I wanted to get proficient on piano. So I enrolled in the Royal Conservatory of Music to learn how to play classical piano. I played four hours or more a day before going into work and got pretty good in a short period of time. I play piano and guitar pretty well and can sing. I bartered with other artists who needed band members, working a deal where I could open for them with my original act and then play alongside them on guitar or keys. It was a great way for me to be exposed more to the music industry and to get lots of great experience I might not otherwise get just working the local club scene,” he asserted.
Stickland’s rugged good looks and rock n roll image landed him a rockstar role in Diesel’s new brand campaign, in addition to a lead role in the Verizon Go90’s dark new music series “Lost Generation” alongside co-star Kate Findlay (How To Get Away With Murder, The Killing). But for Stickland, acting and modeling are a means to an end.
“Music is my life and my passion and always has been. It’s so in-grained in my life that I can’t picture myself ever not playing music. It’s therapy for me, it’s meditation. It’s like nothing else”, he said.
Connect with Craig Stickland online: Website Facebook Twitter
https://youtu.be/CCfN-oVqKc4
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