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 fragments—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.
CONNECT WITH THE SPIKES
References
Dead Horse Branding. (2025). “Sapling Tree”: The Thorns of Life Shape the Growth of Our Beauty the spikes: Searching for Answers in a Harsh World That Blooms, Bends, and Breaks. Retrieved from [Email communication].
Hi, I’m Erick Ycaza — a music blogger with a BA in Advertising & Graphic Design. I created this blog to keep you updated with daily music news. Surprisingly, I’ve been writing about music since 2007. If you’re an artist and would like to be featured, feel free to reach out: info@electrowow.net
