Kiefer Sutherland On How The Pandemic Made Him Write Happier Songs

Acting and music for Kiefer Sutherland have always existed beside one another on the spectrum of his life as an artist. While Kiefer is best known for his work on screen, he has for years entertained himself behind-the-scenes by writing songs.

Around the time he began thinking about making a third album, work brought Kiefer back to his hometown of Toronto, Ontario. Living there again reminded him how Toronto shaped who he is as a person.

"I was shooting a television show called Designated Survivor," Kiefer tells Q104.3 New York's Out of the Box. "And I was there for three years. That's the longest time I think I'd been back home since I was maybe 15 years old.

"I was coming up to the intersection of Bloor and Yonge [streets], and it dawned on me that all of my firsts took place on these four corners: first job I ever had was in the food court at the Hudson Bay, northeast corner. First time I ever busked with a guitar was on the northwest corner of Bloor and Yonge; first time I ever meaningfully kissed a girl was in front of the Bloor Street subway station; first time I ever got my butt kicked (laughs) was on the southwest corner of Bloor and Yonge."

Kiefer's third album, Bloor Street, arrived in January. While the theme was determined some years back, he tells Out of the Box that the lion's share of the songs came out during the pandemic. The worry and the shutdowns of the past few years crystalized how fortunate he's been, he says; and it drew out a more optimistic songwriter.

"It's not that I wasn't aware of it before, but I became acutely aware of how lucky I am and how fortunate I've been, and so a lot of the songs that I wrote in that time period were much more positive than songs I had written before," Kiefer said. "In fact, if you had told me that I was going to write a song like 'So Full of Love' four years ago, I'd have stabbed you in the heart with a pencil (laughs)."

Watch the full conversation via the player above!

For Kiefer's tour dates and for more information on Bloor Street, go here.

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Check out the music video for the new single, "Chasing The Rain."