{"id":12030,"date":"2022-03-08T18:57:18","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T23:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/?p=12030"},"modified":"2022-03-08T19:18:51","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T00:18:51","slug":"quick-q-a-with-annie-sumi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/2022\/03\/08\/quick-q-a-with-annie-sumi\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Q & A with Annie Sumi"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kathy Sands-Boehmer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Annie Sumi is an ethereal folk artist from Canada, whose intimate and expansive music invites listeners into a familiar otherworld. Inspired by the mirrored relationship between physical and emotional landscapes, the young, Ontario-based singer-songwriter\u2019s music speaks of human experience through the language of the senses. She has toured across Canada, parts of the U.S. and Europe, and released three albums since 2015. Kathy Sands-Boehmer<\/strong>, chief innovator and merry-maker at Harbortown Music, recently asked Annie Sumi some questions about her music — including her latest recording, Solastagia, which was released last fall.<\/p>\n

\"Annie
Annie Sumi showcases her talents during the 2018 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference (Photo: Jake Jacobson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>Annie Sumi has been on my list of potential interviewees for some time, and I was glad to have the opportunity to pose some questions to her\u2014especially about the newest addition to her discography, Solastalgia. As you\u2019ll see from my questions below, I was rather taken with the entire concept of this album. I highly recommend that you listen closely and listen to every track to fully absorb all the textures, nuances, and powerful lyrics at once.<\/p>\n

Annie\u2019s musical imagination soars in all her recordings but this latest offering is far and away her best yet. Annie articulates her love of nature and humankind, and it comes through in each and every note. A native of Whitby, Ontario, Annie has been playing her contemporary folk songs to audiences for the past several years and has won over artists from coast to coast. Her style definitely evokes an ethereal sense of wisdom beyond her years. Annie has collected numerous nominations for new and emerging artists in Canada and as music writer Sarah Greene of Exclaim says: \u201cSumi\u2019s music has a mystical bent. With her pure voice, finger-picked guitar, and smiling banter, she communicated joy and wonder.\u201d My humble advice: check out her music and find yourself a nice, comfortable place to just be in the present and listen to her. You\u2019ll feel refreshed and happy that you did so after taking the time to listen. For more information about Annie, visit her website. Look for upcoming shows with Annie and Travis Knapp.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a video<\/a> of \u201cOver the Hills\u201d which will give you an excellent glimpse into Annie Sumi\u2019s music. <\/p>\n

Can you please to explain the Rainer Maria Rilke quote \u201cI live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world\u201d that sits atop your website home page. Is it the making of your music that makes this quote resonate with you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This quote reminds me of the ways that sound reverberates out into the world. It also brings up images of when you drop a stone into a quiet lake, and the water ripples out \u2013 on and on \u2013 touching the distant shores. I suppose ruminating on this quote helps me to remember that every little thing that we do reaches out across the world energetically, and it inspires me to \u2018drop stones in the water\u2019 with good intention. <\/p>\n

Tell us about your upbringing in Canada. Did you gravitate towards music at an early age? If so, did you pick up any musical instruments at that time and did you start to experiment with them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I started learning piano when I was around six years old, and it was really fun until I got bored of playing classical music and found myself gravitating to more popular songs. I usually credit the singing to my Scottish heritage because everyone who came in and out of my Grannie\u2019s house had to sing a \u201cwee\u201d song \u2013 that definitely encouraged the silly, playful, and performative parts of me! It wasn\u2019t until I was in high school that I started experimenting on guitar. I took some lessons at the local school, The Music Scene, and then began writing my own tunes.<\/p>\n

Did the fact that you are of mixed race affect your musical outlook on life? Did you have any particular influences that inspired you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like to think that the Scottish part of my family inspired the performative, sing-songy side of my writing; and, perhaps, the Japanese part of my family inspired the introspective, poetic parts of my writing! I think I am still understanding how being of mixed-race has informed my creative life, and the ways that I am interested in deepening my relationship to my ancestors.<\/p>\n

Listening to your newest album, Solastalgia<\/em> was a perfect opportunity for me to concentrate deeply on your music and appreciate the beautiful sounds and timely lyrics. I chose not to read anything about your album before listening and it brought me great comfort to realize that I had, in fact, tuned into your world and sonically experienced what you must have felt as you were creating the songs in Banff. Tell us a bit about your experience writing the songs amidst the beauty and wonders of Alberta.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spending time in the mountains was profoundly beautiful. The landscape inspires so much awe \u2013 a perfect space to inhabit while writing. At the time I was writing this album, I was walking with grief and trying to soften the hard edges of my heart toward a deeper wisdom. I was in the throes of \u201cglobal dread\u201d and \u201cenvironmental anxiety\u201d, but, after reading Glenn Albrecht\u2019s Earth Emotions, I felt more equipped to \u201cname\u201d my grief and walk beside it without allowing it to overtake me. Writing these songs were part of my process in rediscovering hope, awe, and wonder for this beautiful earth, and inspiration to continue trying to find meaningful ways of meeting the urgent call towards action.<\/p>\n

\"Annie
Annie Sumi performs during the 2018 NERFA Conference (Photo: Ethan Baird)<\/figcaption><\/figure>You chose to entitle the album Solastalgia<\/em> which means \u201ca homesickness you have when are still at home\u201d explaining that there is a disconnect between being on earth and remembering to take care of it. Do you have any practical advice to suggest how we can be better inhabitants and caretakers of this planet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joanna Macy has been an abundant well of inspiration and resource on my own journey of remembering. She often talks about how we cannot grieve or stand up for something that we do not love, or see ourselves connected to\u2026 For that reason alone, I feel like the most essential thing we can do as a species is to reconnect with the natural world and open our hearts to its beauty. Perhaps, then, as a collective, we would feel inspired to stand up against the capital-driven injustices that threaten these wild spaces and recognize that the people that have been protecting these lands deserve physical and financial support, media visibility, and national acknowledgment.<\/p>\n

I was particularly taken with the meditative beginning track, \u201cCircles\u201d and how it works as a welcome to the rest of the album and slides smoothly into \u201cOver the Hills.\u201d The songs are very calming and speak to the listener as a way of imaging the people who inhabited the earth years and even centuries in the past. Did your imagination run wild as you created these songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a fun question! Ha-ha! My imagination tends to run wild, and this collection of songs definitely cultivated a space for the imagination to thrive! But I wasn\u2019t thinking a lot about people that have inhabited this earth in the past\u2026 in fact, a lot of these songs were written with an intention to be as present as possible. I was hoping that it would inspire listeners to feel the power, magic, whimsy, desperation and joy accessible in this moment, and feel awake to their lives.<\/p>\n

\"Annie
Annie Sumi (Photo: Michael Kornfeld)<\/figcaption><\/figure>strong>\u201cPsychoterra\u201d is another song that struck me as being cosmic on many levels. It feels like you were channeling indigenous people who inhabited the land, and the subtle percussion brings the listener right into the next song called \u201cMother.\u201d Am I correct in assuming you are speaking of Mother Earth and that lyrics of that song address climate change and all that that means to us now and in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Definitely. \u2018Mother\u2019 speaks to the body of the earth, and inquires if there is still time to rise and meet the challenges we face related to the declining climate. It was written in a moment when I was physically unable to stand up in protest, so I felt compelled to write this song.<\/p>\n

Can you give us some insight into your song \u201cFleur?\u201d I love the strong female characterization! I love the power in your voice\u2013you set the tone perfectly but I want to know what prompted you to write this intriguing song.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFleur\u201d was inspired by Louise Erdich\u2019s character in her novel Tracks. The character depicts a strong, Indigenous woman that is connected to some primordial powers that allow her to retaliate against her oppressors. \u201cFleur\u201d was so intriguing that I felt compelled to write about her journey and the ferocity of her character.<\/p>\n

How would you compare the music on Solastalgia<\/em> to the songs on your other albums?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think Solastalgia<\/em> is the most conceptual body of work that I have written up to this point. I had a very clear idea of how to weave textures throughout the album that linked the beginning, middle, and end. I wonder if writing 80% of this album in the same place contributed to the thematic nature of the album! <\/p>\n

Is there any kind of musical project that you would love to do that you haven\u2019t done yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are hundreds of musical projects that I would love to do and haven\u2019t done yet! So, I will report back when those snippets of experimental sounds come into fruition in some way!<\/p>\n

\"Kathy
Kathy Sands-Boehmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>Kathy Sands-Boehmer<\/strong> is an enthusiastic and tireless presenter, promoter and supporter of independent musicians. For years, she booked and promoted artists, new and old, at a well-respected 225-seat venue north of Boston, Massachusetts; was an active leader of the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association (BACHA), and a past board member and vice president of Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA). She has mentored, coached, and managed a variety of artists and formerly co-hosted a podcast, Through the Musical Cosmos. Kathy recently launched Harbortown Music<\/a> as a resource for musicians and venues \u2013 building community, while promoting and presenting high-quality music and also hosts livestreams under its banner \u2013 occasionally partnering with AcousticMusicScene.com\u2019s Michael Kornfeld. This and many previous Q & A interviews are archived on her blog, Everything Sundry<\/a>, as well as in the Featured section of AcousticMusicScene.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Annie Sumi is an ethereal folk artist from Canada, whose intimate and expansive music invites listeners into a familiar otherworld. Inspired by the mirrored relationship between physical and emotional landscapes, the young, Ontario-based singer-songwriter\u2019s music speaks of human experience through the language of the senses. She has toured across Canada, parts of the U.S. and Europe, and released three albums since 2015. Kathy Sands-Boehmer, chief innovator and merry-maker at Harbortown Music, recently asked Annie Sumi some questions about her music — including her latest recording, Solastagia, which was released last fall.<\/p>\n

[Click on the headline to read the Q & A.] Annie Sumi (Photo: Jake Jacobson)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12037,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[6845,503,3495,8236,1570,2016,2495],"class_list":["post-12030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","tag-annie-sumi","tag-canadian-folk-music","tag-everything-sundry","tag-harbortown-music","tag-kathy-sands-boehmer","tag-nerfa","tag-singer-songwriter","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12030"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12049,"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12030\/revisions\/12049"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":tru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