Moses Sumney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Moses Sumney
Sumney performing at Pitchfork Music Festival, 2018
Background information
Born	(1992-05-19) May 19, 1992 (age 33)
Genres	Indie rock electro-soul folk art rock baroque pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Labels	Terrible Jagjaguwar Tuntum
Associated acts	James Blake, Solange Knowles, Sufjan Stevens, Thundercat

Moses Sumney (born May 19, 1992) is an American singer and songwriter. He is also a talented musician and actor. Moses Sumney is known for his unique voice and creative music style.

He released his first self-recorded music, an EP called Mid-City Island, in 2014. An EP is like a mini-album with a few songs. In 2016, he released another EP named Lamentations. His first full-length album, Aromanticism, came out in 2017. Later, in 2020, he released his second studio album, Græ. Moses Sumney has also opened shows for famous artists like James Blake, Solange Knowles, and Sufjan Stevens.

Moses Sumney's Early Life and Journey

Moses Sumney was born in California. When he was 10, his family moved back to Ghana, where his parents were pastors. He had grown up in America, so it was a bit hard for him to get used to the new culture in Ghana. He lived on a goat farm in Accra and took a public bus to school.

When he was 16, his family moved back to Southern California, settling in Riverside. Moses didn't learn to play instruments right away. For many years, he wrote music that was sung without instruments, known as a cappella. He didn't start performing his songs for others until he was 20 years old.

After finishing high school, Moses moved to Los Angeles in 2010. He went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There, he studied creative writing and poetry. This helped him become an even better songwriter.

Moses Sumney's Musical Career

In 2014, Moses Sumney started to become well-known in the Los Angeles music scene. Many record labels noticed his talent. However, he felt that these labels wanted him to change his style to fit a certain image. Moses wanted to discover his own artistic path. So, he decided to turn down their offers and moved to Asheville, North Carolina. This idea of staying true to himself is even reflected in his later album, Græ.

His first project, Mid-City Island, was released in 2014. It was a five-song EP that Moses recorded himself. He used a special four-track recorder given to him by Dave Sitek from the band TV on the Radio. The music on this EP was described as "stirring but purposefully incomplete." After this release, Moses joined Terrible Records. He believes that his songs come alive when he performs them live.

Moses has performed at famous places like the Hollywood Bowl. He has also shared the stage with artists such as Dirty Projectors, St. Vincent, and Local Natives. He even sang on a song for Beck's album Song Reader. In 2016, he released his Lamentations EP, which included a song with Thundercat.

His first full-length album, Aromanticism, came out in September 2017. It was highly praised by major music magazines like Rolling Stone and The New York Times. Moses found the word "aromantic" while writing the album, and it really connected with him. Some songs from this album have been used in popular TV shows. For example, his song "Doomed" was in Netflix's Orange is the New Black and HBO's Westworld. His song "Quarrel" appeared in Netflix’s Dear White People. Also, "Plastic" and "Keeps Me Alive" were featured in HBO's Insecure.

Moses Sumney has also appeared in TV shows and movies. He played himself in an episode of HBO's Random Acts of Flyness. He was also in the movie Creed and helped with its soundtrack.

In 2020, Moses released his second studio album, Græ, in two parts. He also directed the music video for his song "Cut Me." Later that year, his song "Me in 20 Years" was featured in a special episode of the HBO show Euphoria. In 2021, he covered the Metallica song "The Unforgiven" for a special tribute album. He also released a concert film called Blackalachia and a live album, Live from Blackalachia, in December 2021.

Awards and Honors

Moses Sumney has received several awards and nominations for his work. In 2018, his music video for "Quarrel," which he directed himself, won a special award at the SXSW Film Festival. It was also nominated for other awards. In 2020, his self-directed video for "Cut Me" was nominated for Best Alternative Video - International at the UKMVA awards. Both of his main albums, Aromanticism and Græ, have been listed among the best albums of the year by many important music critics and publications like Pitchfork and NPR.

Moses Sumney's Music Releases

Moses Sumney has released two studio albums, one live album, five extended plays (EPs), and many singles. His studio albums are Aromanticism (2017) and Græ (2020). His live album is Live from Blackalachia (2021). Some of his EPs include Mid-City Island (2014) and Lamentations (2016).

Moses Sumney in Film and TV

Moses Sumney has also taken on acting roles.