Moses Sumney | |
|---|---|
 Sumney performing at Pitchfork Music Festival in 2016. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | c. 1980 (Age 27) San Bernardino, California, United States |
| Origin | Los Angeles |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Piano, Singing |
| Years active | 2013-present |
| Website | http://mosessumney.com |
Moses Sumney is an American singer-songwriter. His debut EP, "Mid-City Island", was released in 2014 to positive reception. Sumney has performed as an opening act for Solange Knowles, Sufjan Stevens, and Erykah Badu. [1] His debut album, Aromanticism, was released to widespread critical acclaim. Sumney's work draws heavily on both social and personal themes, including alienation, spirituality, and oppression.
Biography
editChildhood
editSumney was born to Ghanaian parents in San Bernardino, California; both of his parents were pastors. At the age of ten, his family moved to Accra, Ghana's capital, to assist in the construction of churches. He began writing acapella songs at the age of 12, but kept them to himself.[2]
Adolescence and College years
editWhen Sumney's family returned to California, he joined his high school's choir. Sumney claims that this taught him the meaning of harmony.
Sumney's debut, "Mid-City Island" was a 5-song EP that was self recorded onto a 4-track recorded given to him by TV on the Radio's Dave Stiek. The EP was described by Pitchfork as "primarily composed of first-takes and improvisation; the music is stirring but purposefully incomplete".[3] Sumney has since joined Terrible Records since the release [4] Sumney considers his songs to be performance based, and that many of his recorded compositions derive from fleshing the songs out through live performance.[5] The singer has gone on to perform at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and alongside artists such as Dirty Projectors, Junip, and St. Vincent, Local Natives among others.[1] Sumney sang on the opening track for Beck's album "Song Reader".[6] On September 30th 2016, Sumney released "Lamentations" which featured a guest appearance from Thundercat.[7] Sumney is touring off his latest releases, at venues such as Essence Music Festival, FYF Fest, and End of the Road Festival, along with playing intimate venues in the U.S.
References
edit- ^ a b "Out Of The Woods: Moses Sumney - V Man". vman.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/arts/music/moses-sumney-aromanticism.html
- ^ "Moses Sumney: Lost and Found in L.A. - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Moses Sumney Pipes Up". The FADER. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Moses Sumney". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "MOSES SUMNEY". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Moses Sumney: Lamentations Album Review - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
Category:American musicians Category:Living people Category:American people of Ghanaian descent Category:African-American singer-songwriters