Sullivan King is the under-the-radar rebel with a mighty cause: The Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist/producer and solidified guitar god is setting out to shatter the mold and to disrupt the electronic world—one lick at a time.
Check out our chat where Sullivan King talks about collaborating with Bear Grillz on ‘Wicked’, merging Dubstep and metal, and more.
T.H.E – Hey Sullivan! Loving ‘Wicked’. How was it working with Bear Grillz for the second time?
Sullivan King – Awesome glad you’re into it! Love working with him, I’ve really found that he and I just click well and have an amazing flow in working and writing. Never had a moment of struggle or writer’s block which makes it all the more enjoyable.
T.H.E – The synergies between Dubstep, and rock/ metal form the perfect platform for you to showcase your sounds. What was your first interaction with Dubstep, that made you want to merge the best of both worlds?
Sullivan King – Listening to Bonfire while playing Modern Warfare 2 like the nerd I was growing up haha I just found it to have such a great vibe and energy that I always gravitated toward in Metal.
T.H.E – A guitar seems to be your favourite instrument. When was the first time you owned a guitar, and what made you pursue it?
Sullivan King – Definitely a favorite for sure! My dad got me one when I was 11 and honestly I just wanted to do something that wasn’t just sports or whatever. I never found myself hugely into music, but just thought it was something I didn’t really think about exploring but after my first lesson it was just this insane click that this was what I wanted to do from sunrise to sunset.
T.H.E – What are your musical influences, which continuously inspired you to pursue the metal-EDM sound so passionately?
Sullivan King – Honestly, there’s not a lot that inspires me to write what I do, just that I love listening and hearing everything from metal bands to producers making dance music. this is just my way of pretty much killing 2 birds with one stone haha I always wanted to just be a metal guitarist, but just thought DJing and the reaction you get from DJing is soooo amazing, I just wanted to find a way to fit both into one show, one song, one record, whatever. I will always consider myself a guitar player over a producer, but I think it’s just cuz longevity wise, I know one day I will end up doing guitar more than producing.
T.H.E – What can you tell us about your plans, both on the touring and production front?
Sullivan King – Just expect insanely big collabs, massive originals that push what people think I’m able to do and make, and on the touring end, I don’t see a weekend free after June.. We’ll be hitting everywhere across the US and international dates very soon :)
T.H.E – Time for some fun ones, what game or movie universe would you most like to live in?
Sullivan King – Harry Potter Universe hands down, assuming I’m the most metal wizard lol
T.H.E – What would be your first question after waking up from being cryogenically frozen for 100 years?
Sullivan King – HOW DID GAME OF THRONES END
T.H.E – What shows are you into?
Sullivan King – oh man…. everything. I love sooo many shows I can’t even of much right now, but I’m currently watching The Office for like the 4th time, just finished Lost again, and obviously Game Of Thrones and everything in between.
T.H.E – How do you relax after a hard day of work?
Sullivan King – I don’t like to relax, work is the most fulfilling and rewarding thing for me. Just effort and productivity is the prize. so other than sleep and golf, or cooking, there’s not much!
