The Spikes: Searching for Answers in a Harsh World That Blooms, Bends, and Breaks
Life is messy. Beautiful. Cruel. Tender. It is these extremes that The
Spikes, the ever-evolving project of Iago Haussman, captures with ruthless precision in
“Sapling Tree.” This isn’t just a song—it’s a world. A meditation on heartbreak, desire, and the
paradoxes of human existence, it slams listeners into the raw, unvarnished truth of love, loss,
and longing. With a baritone voice hovering over delicate piano and swelling orchestral
undertones, The Spikes transforms despair into art that lingers long after the last note fades.
With “Sapling Tree” Iago embraces a new conceptual approach. Capturing the idea of a traveler
experiencing the world in fragements—moments of love, tragedy, birth, and memory. “At first it
was a singular journey through a distant place. Then I thought it should be a journey through
life. Many places. Life events. So, the journey becomes diverse and random… but all these
random images are brought together by the chorus, which is saying, no matter how crazy
everything gets, it’s all part of the tree of life. There is order in the Universe. This tree will keep
on growing. Like the wind will keep blowing. The sun will keep shining. The waves will keep
rolling. It’s a metaphor for everything that has certainty and will keep going,” he explains.
To achieve this shattered vision, Iago used the ‘Cut Up’ technique, developed by Brion Gysin
and William Burroughs, famously adapted by David Bowie. “The hardest part is forcing myself
to be random. I started with two poems of visions and experiences, then cut each sentence out,
mixed them, and randomly selected each sentence. Then I readjusted the wording to make
musical sense. The order of sentences is not guided by me, but by random selection—thrown
together like a real journey through life,” he says.
Captured in Tangier, Morocco, the visuals were directed by acclaimed filmmaker Michael
Haussman, whose work with Madonna, Kanye West, and Justin Timberlake is
renowned—bringing the city’s mystique and spirit vividly to life. “Tangier is a very spiritual place,
with a timeless, almost biblical feel. It became a journey representing the vibe of the song—the
experiences a traveler off the beaten path might take. Coincidentally, Tangier is where Brion
Gysin and William Burroughs invented the ‘Cut Up’ technique. So, true to the Sapling Tree, I
filmed myself in some of the fleabag hotel rooms Burroughs stayed in. Coincidence? Or maybe
it’s supposed to be,” Iago shares.
“In ‘Sapling Tree', we hear about experience. We feel something spiritual happening. But the
takeaway, like the chorus, is hope. No matter how chaotic life becomes, there is something solid
you can count on. The Sapling Tree provides that order in the chaos,” Haussman reflects.
“Sapling Tree” follows his latest release, “Dancing (In the Palm of My Hand),” which is
nearing 40,000 views on its music video, and the chilling “Guns for the Children” single and
video, which has amassed more than 20,000 views.
With “Sapling Tree,” The Spikes continues to expand its sonic and visual universe, proving that
art can be both confrontational and redemptive. It is the sound of searching and surrender, of
chaos finding its shape in order. As Iago Haussman embraces risk and reinvention, he invites
listeners into a body of work that is not just heard, but felt and lived.
For more information and to connect with The Spikes, please visit Website, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.
