Italian American singer-songwriter Iago Haussman on punk roots, Bowie-style personas and reinventing ’80s classics.

Iago Haussman has been called genre-defying, cinematic and fearless — a multidisciplinary artist who paints, sculpts and writes poetry alongside the songs he releases as The Spikes. Born in Rome, he co-founded the punk band Delicate Prey at 16 and has since built a reputation with his 2025 self-titled debut EP. That collection included the single “Guns for the Children” and his critically praised LP First Light. The “Garden Song” music video has racked up more than 120,000 views on YouTube.

Now based in Boulder — with family roots in Colorado through his father, Rome-based film director Michael Haussman — The Spikes plays Swallow Hill on May 17. We caught up with Haussman ahead of the show to talk about performance, family influence and a covers record in the works.

Q: You co-founded a punk band in Rome at 16. What did those early shows teach you about performance that still shows up in what you do as The Spikes?

Don’t be embarrassed. That’s the big one. I always try to take inspiration from people like Iggy Pop and Jim Morrison — the way they perform. There’s something that happens the moment you hop on stage where you kind of lose who you are for a couple of minutes. You transform into this other being. My goal for every show is not just to give a good performance but to not lose the message I’m trying to convey with the songs. I’ve kept that since the early days.

Q: You’re a singer-songwriter but also a poet, painter and sculptor. Do those disciplines feel like separate practices, or one conversation happening in different rooms?

My creative process varies. Sometimes I know exactly what I want — what the painting should look like, what the song should sound like, what the lyrics should be — and I just finish it. Other times I don’t really know what it’s about, and I just start. “Gentleman’s Ballad” and “The Exit” both started off as poems. I kept thinking, you know what, maybe these should be songs. So I transposed them, added a chorus. It varies.

Q: You’re based in Boulder now. What changed in the music once you moved here?

Honestly, not much about who I am changed. I might get different inspirations from different people, and the way I view the world might shift a tiny bit. The big culture shock when I first moved to the U.S. was guns — you walk into a supermarket and there’s a Lego set, and right next to it there’s an AR. That shook me to my core. That’s where “Guns for the Children” came from. But beyond that, no major culture shock. I’ve been traveling back and forth to the U.S. since I was a kid, and I have family here.

Q: How has the live show evolved from your punk days?

It’s gotten a lot gentler. Kind of a gentle power — that’s the best way to describe it. For some of the heavier songs like “Set Me Free” or “Electrica” or “Cannibal,” sure, I’ll go crazier, I’ll crawl on all fours or climb on a balcony. But a lot of my music is kinder, softer. My performance has evolved to be more interactive with the audience in a way that isn’t fighting them. It’s not about screaming in their faces the punk way. It’s about trying to get them engulfed in this world I’ve created.

Q: Your father is the well-known film director Michael Haussman, originally from Summit County. He’s directing your music videos with his signature style. What’s his influence been on you, particularly on the cinematic side of your work?

He introduced me to a lot of the bands I love now, and to a way of looking at visuals that’s stayed with me. He’s influenced me to an extent, but I’ve evolved a lot on my own since I left Rome. Something I always like to think is that you’re never truly finished growing up. You’re always changing. His influence is in the roots — but my sound, how I think visually, how I think creatively, that’s constantly changing. It changes with every song.

Q: Talk about The Spikes as a persona. Is it an alter ego, or another part of your identity?

Offstage I’m Iago. That’s who I am. The name “The Spikes” has always stuck with me — I knew at some point I wanted to make music under that name, whether solo or with a band. When I started my solo career, it just seemed fitting. The inspiration was people like Iggy Pop, or David Bowie performing as Ziggy. It’s a banner. A persona you transform into.

Q: We’re primarily a theatre publication, so I have to ask — what’s it like going through life with the name Iago, one of Shakespeare’s most infamous characters?

It’s funny. I either get Othello references or the fucking parrot from Aladdin. But my name doesn’t really affect who I am. I’m Iago Haussman because I am Iago Haussman. I’m The Spikes because I am The Spikes.

Q: What should someone coming to see you for the first time expect?

I don’t really like to tell people what to expect. I like the idea of them being surprised — seeing their faces when they come in not knowing what the show will be like. Expect to have a good time. I never like having a barrier between performer and audience. I like to get in with the crowd, move around, shout in their faces. For me, a good show is when the audience feels like they’ve been part of something — part of this grander show.

Q: Swallow Hill on May 17 is your next show. First time playing that venue?

First time. I always like entering a new place and experimenting with how the room sounds, how it feels. That’s a lot of fun for me.

Q: What’s next after that?

I’ve been working on a covers record. It’s a reimagining of classic ’80s songs done in The Spikes way. Honestly, it’s been the most fun I’ve had on a record in a while — figuring out new ways to make these songs interesting. I’m doing INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart,” a-ha’s “Take On Me” — that one’s inspired by their MTV performance, but I’m doing it in a very different way. I don’t want to spoil too much. There’s also a “Hungry Heart” cover I’m excited about.