What makes some of these local or global creatives tick? In this weekly column, artist and songwriter Scott Quinn shares his favourite things.
1. Travelling: One of the things I have missed throughout lockdown is travel. I feel so alive when I’m in a new place, meeting new people and absorbing different cultures. I’ve always taken a lot of inspiration from the nuanced details of everyday life and this only becomes more potent when I’m travelling.
Before lockdown I was lucky enough to spend a year bouncing between LA, S.Korea and Europe writing music and connecting with some super talented people. I can’t wait to get back out there!
2. Interior Design: I’m obsessed with interior design. I’m super sensitive to the energy of a place or space, and so it seems only natural that I’m passioniate about the make up of the spaces that make me feel at peace or inspired. I’m so fortunate to live in a very beautiful and characterful flat/studio space in Hackney, East London.
I was one of 140 people who applied to live in the space and was lucky enough to be able to call this place home for the last four years. I’d say my aesthetic is inspired by minimal Scandinavian meets Japanese design.
3. Coffee: Over the past few years I’ve really gotten into coffee and became a bit of a snob in the process! [Laughs] I love making coffee with my Aeropress at home or trying out new coffee spots around London (and the world!). I was actually blown away by how good the coffee scene is in Seoul. All the coffee shops are beautiful designed, often with incredible sound systems and serving tasty brews. Copenhagen was another favourite place for coffee too.
One of my best friends recently set up his own coffee bean company which makes a beautiful cup of coffee on the mornings when you need it most!
4. His friends and family: I like to think of myself as a fairly independent person and I really enjoy my own company, but I also cherish connection and having deep and meaningful relationships with people. I’ve gained and grown apart from many friends in my life but in the last five years I feel like I’ve really found my tribe. The majority of my close friends are all creatives and/or makers.
It’s important for me to be amongst people who want to leave a positive mark on this world and being surrounded by so many incredible minds is always so inspiring.
My family have always been my most robust support network throughout my life and career, never second guessing my decision to become a musician and always reminding me to be patient and just keep going. The older I get the more grateful I become for having these influences and connections in my life.
5. Performing Live: Playing live shows is one of the most life affirming and exhilarating experiences for me. Having played hundreds of shows around the world to thousands of people, I’ve been able to witness first hand how music is a universal language and how people don’t even have to understand the language that the song is written in order to still have a profound emotional connection with it. This photo in particular is a special one for me because I was playing a song called “Young” that I wrote about a childhood friend of mine who sadly took his own life at the age of 21 years old.
I had explained the premise of this song to the crowd before performing, and during the performance I looked up to see a beam of sunlight coming through the stain glass windows directly onto a grown man in the crowd, sobbing into his hands while a group of strangers sat around him placed their hands on his back consoling him. He later came up to me after the show and explained that his friend had taken his life just the week before.
It’s moments like those that would stop me from ever giving up music and my career. I think music is one of the strongest healing forces in the world, and to pass up on that gift would be selfish.
6. Mental Health & Psychology: I’ve always had a fascination with the mind and how people interact with each other and the world around them. Having experienced depression in my first year of university and subsequently the stigma that surrounds it, I decided to dedicate time to learning about how the mind works (or doesn’t). I’ve been in therapy myself and also opted onto studies into new areas on mental health research. I’m also fortunate enough to live with a mental health worker whose knowledge and passion for the practice has been incredible to learn from.
Music and brain have a fascinating relationship and it’s a specialist area that I’d love to delve into much more in the future. I set up an initiative here in the UK that researches and supports mental health in the music industry, a service that was greatly needed seeing as this career path is littered with so many mental health exacerbating traits. I’ve read a lot of books around mental health, well-being, psychology and spirituality. I recently finished this book which was an incredibly thought provoking and enlightening read.
I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to better understand how our experiences growing effect our lives moving forward.
7. The Countryside & Nature: I grew up in small villages in North Yorkshire surrounded by nature, farms, wide open spaces and fresh air. Living in London is incredible and the buzz is addictive, but nothing compares to visiting my parents in their cottage in Patelely Bridge, North Yorkshire. The water is so fresh, the people so friendly and the pace of life is grounding.
It’s so easy to get stuck in the rat race when you’re in the city and time seems to speed up. So any time I get the opportunity, I bolt back up north for a bit of R&R before returning to the big smoke reenergised and inspired.
Once you’re done with this story about Scott Quinn and his obsessions, click here to catch up with our August 2021 issue!
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