Sufjan Stevens (born July 1, 1975, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He works in indie folk, baroque pop, folk rock and experimental electronic music. He is known for orchestral, richly arranged albums and for stripped-back, intimate folk records.
Early life
Stevens was born in Detroit. His family moved to Petoskey, in northern Michigan. He began making music while attending Hope College in Holland, Michigan, as a member of the folk-rock band Marzuki.
Career
- Early work: His debut album A Sun Came appeared in 2000 on Asthmatic Kitty. The electronic album Enjoy Your Rabbit followed in 2001.
- The "states" project: Michigan (2003) began a stated plan to make a concept album for each of the 50 U.S. states. Illinois (2005, extended title Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come on Feel the Illinoise) was one of the best-reviewed albums of 2005. Pitchfork and Paste named it their best album of the year. Outtakes followed on The Avalanche. He also released Christmas-themed collections, including Songs for Christmas.
- The Age of Adz (2010): This electronic-leaning album includes the song "Futile Devices".
- Carrie & Lowell (2015): Inspired by the death of his mother, this album was released in March 2015, and the song "Fourth of July" comes from it. Stevens toured behind it. He closed the year with The Greatest Gift, a mixtape of outtakes and remixes from the album.
- Recent work: His releases include The Decalogue (2019) and Aporia (2020, with Lowell Brams). The Ascension followed in September 2020. The five-volume ambient set Convocations followed. His tenth studio album, Javelin, was released on October 6, 2023, on Asthmatic Kitty. He dedicated it to his partner Evans Richardson, who died in April 2023.
Call Me by Your Name
For Luca Guadagnino's film Call Me by Your Name (2017), Stevens contributed three songs to the soundtrack. Two were new: "Mystery of Love" and "Visions of Gideon". The third was a remix of "Futile Devices". He had been asked for one song but offered two, and both were used.
"Mystery of Love" earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. He performed it live at the 2018 Oscars ceremony, joined by St. Vincent, Moses Sumney, Chris Thile, Casey Foubert and James McAlister. The three songs were issued on a 10-inch vinyl release in April 2018.
Label and residence
Stevens has released most of his music through Asthmatic Kitty Records, the label he co-founded with his stepfather Lowell Brams. He has lived in Brooklyn, New York.