Sufjan Stevens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sufjan Stevens
Stevens performing at Pitchfork Music Festival in July 2016
Background information
Born	(1975-07-01) July 1, 1975 (age 50) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Indie folk chamber pop folktronica indie rock electronica
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar banjo guitalin keyboards oboe recorder drums percussion
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Asthmatic Kitty Sounds Familyre Orchard
Signature

Sufjan Stevens (ⁱ/ˈsuːfjɑːn/ SOOF-yahn; born July 1, 1975) is an American musician. He is a singer, songwriter, and plays many instruments. Sufjan has released ten solo albums and worked with other artists on many projects. He has also been nominated for important awards like the Grammy and Academy Award.

His first album, A Sun Came, came out in 2000. It was released on Asthmatic Kitty, a record label he started with his stepfather. Sufjan became very well known for his 2005 album Illinois. This album reached number one on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. The song "Chicago" from that album was also very popular. Later, Sufjan contributed music to the 2017 movie Call Me by Your Name. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Mystery of Love" from the movie's soundtrack. He also got a Grammy nomination for the same song.

Sufjan Stevens creates music in many different styles. He has made electronic music like The Age of Adz and quiet folk music like Seven Swans. He also created grand, orchestral music for Illinois and Christmas songs for Songs for Christmas. He often plays many instruments himself on his recordings. His music often explores big ideas like faith and spirituality. Sufjan's tenth album, Javelin, was released in October 2023.

Early Life and Education

Sufjan Stevens was born in Detroit, Michigan. He lived there until he was nine years old. Then, his family moved to Alanson, Michigan, in the northern part of the state. He was raised by his father and stepmother. He sometimes visited his mother in Oregon. Sufjan's name, "Sufjan," comes from Arabic or Persian. It was given to him by the founder of a spiritual community his parents belonged to.

Sufjan went to several schools, including the Detroit Waldorf School and Interlochen Arts Academy. He graduated from Harbor Light Christian School. He then attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan. After that, he earned a master's degree in Creative Writing from The New School in New York City. While in school, he learned to play the oboe and English horn. He later learned to play the guitar when he was in college.

Musical Journey and Projects

Starting Out and the Fifty States Project (1995–2006)

Stevens performing at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Sufjan Stevens began his music career in bands like Marzuki. He also played instruments for the band Danielson Famile. During his last semester at Hope College, he wrote and recorded his first solo album, A Sun Came. He released it on Asthmatic Kitty Records. He then moved to New York City and studied writing. This led him back to songwriting.

In New York, Sufjan created his second album, Enjoy Your Rabbit. This album was a collection of electronic songs based on the animals of the Chinese zodiac. After this, he released Michigan, an album of folk songs. It included songs about cities like Detroit and Flint, and beautiful places like the Upper Peninsula. With this album, Sufjan announced a big idea: he wanted to write an album for each of the 50 U.S. states. This was called the Fifty States Project.

After Michigan, Sufjan released Seven Swans in 2004. This album was a collection of songs he had recorded earlier. He did not quit his job in children's books until he started touring for Seven Swans.

Next, he released the second album in his Fifty States Project, called Illinois. This album explored different stories and people from the state of Illinois. Sufjan spent time researching and writing for the album in 2004. The album was very popular and received high praise from music critics. It won several awards, including Album of the Year at the 2006 PLUG Independent Music Awards.

In April 2006, Sufjan announced another album, The Avalanche. This album included 21 songs that were recorded during the Illinois sessions. It was released in July 2006. In November 2006, a five-CD box set called Songs for Christmas was released. It contained original songs and Christmas classics that Sufjan had recorded each year since 2001. He started this project to help himself enjoy Christmas more.

Later, Sufjan admitted that the Fifty States Project was more of a "promotional gimmick" than a serious plan. He said he never truly intended to finish all 50 albums.

Collaborations and Special Projects (2007–2009)

Sufjan Stevens worked with other musicians on various projects. He recorded an album with Rosie Thomas and Denison Witmer in 2005. This album, These Friends of Mine, was released in 2007.

In 2007, Sufjan premiered a new project called The BQE. This was a live show that explored New York City's Brooklyn–Queens Expressway. It included a film made by Sufjan and live music played by him and an orchestra. The performance had 36 musicians and even hula hoopers. The BQE was very popular and won an award in 2008.

Sufjan also wrote essays for Asthmatic Kitty Records and Topic Magazine. He wrote an introduction for a book called The Best American Nonrequired Reading. He also held a Christmas song contest. The winner, Alec Duffy, received exclusive rights to Sufjan's song "Lonely Man of Winter." This song could only be heard at private listening parties until 2018.

Sufjan has contributed to the music of many other artists. He played piano on The National's album Boxer in 2007. He also produced and played instruments on Rosie Thomas's album. He has covered songs by famous artists like Tim Buckley, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan. His songs have also been featured in movies, like the 2006 film Driving Lessons. In 2008, he produced the debut album for the duo The Welcome Wagon.

In 2009, Sufjan contributed a song called "You Are the Blood" to a benefit album for AIDS research. In April 2009, he shared a song online about director Sofia Coppola. He wrote this song in college as part of a series of songs about names.

Solo Albums and Tours (2009–2011)

Stevens in 2011, following his return to recording and touring in 2010 after a hiatus

In September 2009, Sufjan began performing new songs on tour. These included "All Delighted People" and "Impossible Soul." That year, he also worked with his stepfather, Lowell Brams, on an album called Music for Insomnia. In October 2009, Sufjan's label released Run Rabbit Run. This album featured new versions of his 2001 album Enjoy Your Rabbit, played by a string quartet.

In 2010, Sufjan sang backing vocals for The National on their album High Violet. He also performed with them on TV. In August 2010, Sufjan surprisingly released a new collection of songs, the All Delighted People EP. This EP became very popular through digital sales. Soon after, Asthmatic Kitty announced his new full album, The Age of Adz, which was released in October.

These two albums featured many different musical styles, from orchestral to electronic. The songs were also much longer than his previous work. Sufjan shared in interviews that he had a serious illness in 2009 and 2010. This illness affected his nervous system and caused him pain. He said that The Age of Adz was partly about working through these health issues.

In October 2010, Sufjan began a North American tour. He played mostly new music from The Age of Adz. He also toured Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United Kingdom in 2011. He ended the tour with two shows in New York.

More Collaborations and Ballets (2012–2014)

Stevens performing in Providence, Rhode Island, as part of his "The Sirfjam Stephanapolous Christmas Sing-a-Long Seasonal Affective Disorder Spectacular Music Pageant Variety Show Disaster" tour in 2012

In February 2012, Sufjan announced a collaborative EP called Beak & Claw. He released it with artists Son Lux and Serengeti under the name S / S / S. He also released a special record with Rosie Thomas for Record Store Day 2012. Sufjan worked with choreographer Justin Peck on two ballets for the New York City Ballet: Year of the Rabbit (2012) and Everywhere We Go (2014). Both ballets received great reviews.

Sufjan, along with musicians Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner, performed their classical project Planetarium. This was a song-cycle about the planets in our Solar System. They performed it in several countries from March to July 2012.

In October 2012, Sufjan announced a second set of Christmas albums, Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6–10. This collection had 58 songs, bringing his total Christmas songs to 100. To support this release, Sufjan toured 24 cities in the United States. In December 2012, he released Chopped and Scrooged, a Christmas-themed hip-hop mixtape.

In 2013, Sufjan and Cat Martino recorded the single "Take the Time." Martino had worked with Sufjan on many past projects. In March 2014, Sufjan released a self-titled album, Sisyphus, with Son Lux and rapper Serengeti. In 2014, his work Run Rabbit Run was performed in Central Park, New York.

Exploring Family and Grief (2015–2017)

On January 12, 2015, Asthmatic Kitty Records announced Sufjan's new album, Carrie & Lowell. He shared the first song from the album, "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross", in February 2015. Carrie & Lowell was released on March 31, 2015. The album received high praise from critics.

The album explores Sufjan's life with his mother, Carrie, and his stepfather, Lowell Brams. His mother faced many challenges and left him when he was young. Sufjan said that writing the album helped him deal with his feelings after his mother passed away in 2012. He toured North America in April 2015 to support the album. He also performed at the End of the Road Festival in the United Kingdom.

In March 2017, it was announced that Sufjan, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, and James McAlister would release an album together. This "80-minute concept album," titled Planetarium, was released in July 2017. In April 2017, a live album and concert film, Carrie & Lowell Live, was released. It featured new versions of songs from Carrie & Lowell. Sufjan also announced another companion piece, The Greatest Gift, released in November. It included unreleased songs, remixes, and a demo from the album sessions.

Film Music and New Songs (2017–2019)

In January 2017, Sufjan Stevens contributed original songs to the movie Call Me by Your Name. The film's soundtrack included two new songs, "Visions of Gideon" and "Mystery of Love", and a remix of "Futile Devices." Critics praised Sufjan's music for the film. In January 2018, "Mystery of Love" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Later, it received a Grammy Award nomination. The song was also featured in the Netflix series Sex Education.

In December 2017, Sufjan released two versions of "Tonya Harding," a song about the figure skater. He had wanted to write a song about her since 1991. He said she was a "complicated subject" because her life was so unique.

In October 2018, Sufjan performed and recorded with folk musician Angelo De Augustine. In May 2019, Sufjan released two new songs, "Love Yourself" and "With My Whole Heart," to celebrate Pride Month. He said a portion of the money from the songs and related merchandise would go to organizations that help young people. In October 2019, Sufjan released an album called The Decalogue with pianist Timo Andres. It was based on a ballet of the same name.

Recent Albums (2020–Present)

On March 24, 2020, Sufjan Stevens released a collaborative album with his stepfather, Lowell Brams, titled Aporia. In June, Sufjan announced his eighth solo album, The Ascension. The first song from the album, "America", was released in July. The Ascension was fully released on September 25.

On May 6, 2021, Sufjan released a five-volume album of meditation music called Convocations. In July 2021, he announced a collaborative album, A Beginner's Mind, with fellow singer-songwriter Angelo De Augustine. Each song on A Beginner's Mind was inspired by a different movie.

On April 18, 2023, Sufjan announced the album Reflections. This album contains piano pieces he wrote for the Houston Ballet. Reflections was released on May 19, 2023.

On August 14, 2023, Sufjan released the song "So You Are Tired." He also announced a new album, Javelin, which came out in October 2023. This album was described as his first "singer-songwriter" album since Carrie & Lowell in 2015. The album included contributions from other musicians. Sufjan dedicated Javelin to a loved one who passed away in April 2023.

In January 2024, a musical called Illinoise debuted in Chicago. It is based on Sufjan's album Illinois. Sufjan contributed additional music and lyrics to the show. The musical later moved to Broadway in New York City. It received four nominations at the 77th Tony Awards, winning one for Best Choreography.

Musical Style and Themes

Musical Style

Stevens touring in 2012, performing Christmas music in the Sufjan Stevens Christmas Sing-a-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant on Ice

Sufjan Stevens' music is often described as indie folk, alternative rock, indie rock, and electronica. He is a multi-instrumentalist, meaning he plays many instruments. He is known for using the banjo often. He also plays guitar, piano, drums, woodwind instruments, and more on his recordings. He uses a technique called multitrack recording to layer these instruments.

Themes in Music

Sufjan's songs often explore themes like love, outer space, and feelings of sadness. His record label mentioned that his 2010 album The Age of Adz explored themes of "love, death, illness, and anxiety."

Even though many of his songs have spiritual ideas, Sufjan does not often talk about religion with the media. He believes that music discussions are not the best place for deep theological talks. He once said, "It's not so much that faith influences us as it lives in us. In every circumstance (giving a speech or tying my shoes), I am living and moving and being."

Personal Life

Since 2019, Sufjan Stevens has lived in Upstate New York near the Catskill Mountains. Before that, he lived in New York City for 20 years. He is a Christian. In September 2023, Sufjan shared on Instagram that he had been hospitalized. He was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome, a rare illness. He said he was undergoing physical therapy to learn how to walk again.

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Studio Albums

• A Sun Came (2000)
• Enjoy Your Rabbit (2001)
• Michigan (2003)
• Seven Swans (2004)
• Illinois (2005)
• The Age of Adz (2010)
• Carrie & Lowell (2015)
• The Ascension (2020)
• Convocations (2021)
• Javelin (2023)

Collaborative Albums

• Sisyphus (2014), with Serengeti and Son Lux as Sisyphus
• Planetarium (2017), with Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, and James McAlister
• The Decalogue (2019), with Timo Andres
• Aporia (2020), with Lowell Brams
• A Beginner's Mind (2021), with Angelo De Augustine
• Reflections (2023), with Timo Andres and Conor Hanick

Compilations and Other Releases

• The Avalanche (2006)
• Songs for Christmas (2006)
• The BQE (2009) (soundtrack)
• All Delighted People (2010)
• Silver & Gold (2012)

See also

In Spanish: Sufjan Stevens para niños