'The Cross' by Ollie Gullick is a Well Thought-Out, Layered Indie-Rock Track (Interview)

‘The Cross’ by Ollie Gullick is an indie-rock track that describes a couple at a crossroads in their relationship. Its a song that asks for stillness in the middle of a turbulent time, with a soundscape that builds and falls in intensity as though the lines command it.

The instrumentation builds on a vulnerable acoustic guitar. A loud, strong percussion and ripping electric guitars pack the song with an emotional charge that is interjected by a short-sweet sax melody in the middle. This is before all these instruments fall away, coming back to the acoustic guitar with words slower with intent.

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‘The Cross’: Well thought-out Lyrics and Melodies

Chaos

The lyrics of ‘The Cross’ begin almost as though they are a stream of consciousness. The intention of one line is flows into the next, melding with shifts in intention as the verse goes on.

These lines also communicate a clear sense of space:

“…Your fingers trace my spine,

I pretend I’m asleep.

The fan rumbles up above,

Its blades cut me deep…

…But we’re a thousand miles apart…”.

Gullick also brings back specific imagery in ‘The Cross’. He uses the same object to communicate tug at a slightly different emotional heart-string. This is clearest in his use of the image a fan.

In the first verse, “…the fan rumbles overhead,…its blades cut me deep…”. While in the second, “…the fan creates a circle…” that “…creates a track..”. A track “…that I’m running round and round…” on.

“…I can’t figure you out…”.

Hence, Stillness

Hence, the refrain asks for stillness, bringing back just the acoustic guitar to return to evoke this.

“…Lay with me and watch the clouds,

Rolling back without a sound….

…Make me understand,

What life would be like if we weren’t lost.

Our lines aren’t straight but our paths are crossed…”. ‘The Cross’ by Ollie Gullick uses its elements to tell a story in a well thought out and layered way. Its lines and soundscape work in-tandem to create an emotion that is moving, heavy and “…loud in the silence..”.

You’ll find my correspondence with Ollie Gullick below. He tells us a bit more about ‘The Cross’, his journey as an artist and more!

About ‘The Cross’

1. Congratulations on the release of ‘The Cross’! How does it feel now that the song’s out?

It is always an incredible feeling when a song finally gets released for people to hear, but this one is particularly special for me. I auditioned for my dream school, Berklee College of Music, with ‘The Cross’ (alongside the final solo from ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’, quite the contrasting vibe I know), and as I write this I am on the plane taking me to my sophomore year at Berklee.

2. Could you tell us a bit about what inspired it?

This song is the only song in my discography that isn’t about something I have experienced. It paints the picture of a relationship that is going nowhere, but for some unknown reason, both parties decide to stay. It is set with the two lovers lying in bed and considering whether to stay or to go. This has never happened to me, and quite honestly, I hope it doesn’t!

3. The lyrics sound so clear, sure and well-thought out. Could you walk us through the process of making it?

Thank you so much for your kind words! ‘The Cross’ started its story back in Year 12 (Grade 11) when I wrote the first draft. I started with the chorus, which remained the same throughout the entire writing process, but with a completely different bridge and verses about a completely different topic. At this stage, the writing process was the same as I’d always followed, just me and my guitar putting feelings on the page (the page being my notes app). That summer, I enrolled in Berklee College of Music’s Five-Week Aspire programme, where I took a songwriting class as one of my electives. During that class we were asked to complete an object writing exercise, something I had never done before, and I came up with the line ‘I see the sun is sinking, or it’s rising I can’t tell’, which ended up being the catalyst for an entire re-write, eventually becoming the version you can hear today. This song is different from most of the others in the discography as it is story-based, whereas a lot of my others are based on feelings or relationships, rather than stories.

Ollie’s Journey, Creative Process and More

4. Could you tell us about your start and your artistic journey up until this point in your own words?

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Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was very blessed that my parents are both music lovers and play music themselves, so growing up I was constantly surrounded by it. There are many recordings of me from the ages of 4 onwards creating my own songs or reworking those I had heard on the radio, ‘On The Floor’ by JLO being a particular favourite, so I fell in love with not just music, but creating it from a young age. When I was 7, I picked up Guitar lessons so I could get girls (ironic, I know), and at 10 I started learning piano. I can’t lie, there were many times I wanted to quit, but my parents would not let me and I am forever grateful that they didn’t. Then in 2019 my family up and moved 5000 miles from our home in England to Abu Dhabi, just before the pandemic hit. It was during this extra time we suddenly all had that I realised that music was the only thing I saw myself doing for the rest of my life, and from then on committed 100% to it. I started taking songwriting seriously, quickly learning that it was just as much of a skill you had to practice as any instrument. I started finding my artistic voice and writing style, which all manifested itself in my debut EP, ‘Forget About Me’, which was released 4 years later. It was also during covid I started branching out and listening to new music, which started my obsession with artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, The 1975 and Tyler, The Creator, all of whom have had a profound impact on my artistry. Although I lost a lot, I also gained a lot from the pandemic. I continue to try and expand my writing and performance styles, and I look forward to where my artistic journey takes me next!

5. How has growing up in different parts of the world informed your creative process?

The cultural influences from the different places I have lived, not just music-wise but everything to do with life, have greatly influenced my creative process. Growing up in the South of England exposed me to classic English hymns and communal singing, which is a huge part of the culture there. Tunes like ‘Give Me Oil In My Lamp’ and ‘He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands’ have stuck with me to this day, and even though I am not religious, I appreciate the beauty of their lyrics and the power of singing together. As I got older, I started exploring classic British Rock, with artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and of course, The Beatles, becoming the forefront of my interests for a good few years. Then when I moved to Abu Dhabi my world exploded, and I was exposed to all these different cultures and genres that were not previously on my radar. Of course, Arab music was a big culture shock with it’s heavily syncopated rhythms and ornamented singing, but I was also exposed to Indian, Asian, and European styles through my friends and other people in the scene. When I moved to Boston, my radar expanded even further, as suddenly I was surrounded by masters of every culture and every genre of music. All of this heavily changed my creative process as I realised music was a lot less black and white than it was presented to me where I grew up, and I now consider everything I have picked up on my journey when writing and performing, as well as breaking every rule I can think of.

6. Lastly, is there anything you would like to share? A message, especially for artists like yourself.

KEEP GOING! Whatever you believe, overnight success does not exist and you have to put in the work to get where you want to be. There is no easy way around it, and hard times are almost guaranteed to come, but never forget why you’re doing this and it will be worth it, I promise. If you would like to follow me on my journey, you can follow my Instagram @olliegullick, and please reach out to me so I can follow yours. Thank you!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and good luck!

Follow Ollie Gullick on Instagram (linked above)!

Listen to ‘The Cross’ here: