Even before his tremendous successes on the big screen, on stage and various television programs, Kiefer Sutherland has had a passion for singing and songwriting since a very young age, and he is set to share his story-based musical talents with his band at the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach Wednesday, May 23.

Sutherland first discovered his love for music when his mother purchased a violin for him at the age of 5, while he was being exposed to music that his older brother, whom he idolized, listened to at the time. “I was probably the only Aerosmith fan in my preschool class,” he said.

“Although I loved learning the violin, I begged my mother to get me a guitar. She promised that if I continued with violin until I was 10 she would purchase me one. She kept true to her word and I received my first guitar, and began lessons in classical music. My guitar went with me everywhere. I was obsessed with being able to play with other people, and learn more and more about music,” Sutherland added.

In his early 30s, around the time when he started filming the television hit “24,” Sutherland started a record label through which he learned from other artists about structure, songwriting, and truly putting his heart and soul into his music by speaking from the heart regarding many things that he has experienced in his life.

“There are many preconceived notions through playing songs and creating dialogue, but at the end of the day we are all trying to get through this thing called life. We all have much more in common than we think, regardless of what we do, where we came from or the amount of success we have had in our lives. Being that we are all human, we experience many of the same ups and downs,” said Sutherland when speaking about how music speaks to all people on different levels.

Around this time, Sutherland began working on his own album; he drew influence from the Americana Country Music style and artists such as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Petty, Merle Haggard and many others.

“I wanted to find a common denominator between acting and singing; I found that this was embedded in storytelling. These artists all told stories that had a beginning, middle and end. The great thing about country music is that stories are less disguised, and I found that it was very natural for me to share personal experiences while writing about things you know best,” he said regarding drawing connections for his music from life events.

“My music is the closest thing I have to a diary; these are the torn pages from my life,” he said passionately about his desire to truly expose himself in the purest fashion to fans and the crowd at his live shows.

Although Sutherland has spent his fair share of time in front of a camera, he said, “It took a while to get used to performing in front of a live audience.

“As an actor, we are hiding behind a character, but as a performer you are creating a connection with the crowd by giving them a look at your life through lyrics.”

Sutherland has played over 300 shows in over 25 countries since 2016, and performed at the Grand Ole Opry three times. “When I was able to step within the circle from the previous Ryman Auditorium, I was in complete reverence. To be able to perform where so many legends in this craft have was an amazing experience. Every time I was there, artists wanted to see others succeed and were always there to lend a hand; it is such a great community to be a part of,” said Sutherland.

Sutherland is excited to be able to play at the Bottle & Cork on May 23 at 8 p.m., and offer an intimate experience to the fans.

“I love that people are open to trying something new, and I look forward to interacting on a personal level with everyone in attendance. We will have a fun night of music and community,” Sutherland said.

Tickets are available for purchase at: www.ticketoffices.com/The-Kiefer-Sutherland-Band-(21+-Event)/14197/2665519.