Moses Sumney’s artistic journey is a captivating blend of music, film, and a deeply introspective ethos that sets him apart. In an exclusive conversation with EBONY, the multifaceted artist dives into his creative evolution, personal philosophy, and recent projects. Known for his ethereal voice and experimental soundscapes, Sumney has built a reputation as one of music’s most introspective talents. Emerging with standout tracks like “Doomed” and “Virile.” His recent performance at the Prisoner’s Ball in New York showcased his ability to captivate an audience, blending soulful vocals with his signature atmospheric style. Most recently, Sumney has released his new EP, Sophcore. Which offers listeners a different look into his life and artistry.
With his latest EP, Sophcore, Sumney delivers a bold shift from his previous work, leaning into indie R&B and neo-soul influences. This new direction departs from the ambient, genre-defying style he’s been known for, opting instead for a sound that is more soulful and grounded R&B. As Sumney explained, the EP is a moment of artistic clarity—a desire to strip away layers of abstraction and deliver something more immediate and accessible. “Each project is for each moment,” he shares. “In this moment, I wanted to explore directness. Sometimes the best art is simple and captures everyday life.” Sophcore is a turning point, where lyrical straightforwardness meets a rich, textured sonic palette that feels distinctly fresh yet familiar.
Despite his evolving sound, Sumney’s life is anything but typical for an artist of his stature. Dividing his time between Asheville, North Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, he’s intentionally carved out a dual existence that keeps him both connected and detached from the music industry’s relentless pace. In Asheville, Sumney finds inspiration in the natural landscapes and a close-knit community of friends outside the industry—farmers, chefs, and craftsmen—who offer him a grounded perspective. These relationships allow him to step outside the pressures of fame, offering a refreshing break from industry events and Hollywood demands, and instead focus on creating art that is both authentic and free from external expectations.
Sumney’s ventures into TV and film are not merely side projects; they reflect a deliberate critique and examination of Hollywood itself. Discussing his roles in The Idol and Maxxine, he points out the irony of engaging with such “Hollywood” material while being rooted far from its epicenter. “I think I’m only able to do Hollywood because I don’t live in Hollywood,” he reflects.
EBONY caught up with Sumney for coffee during a recent trip to Los Angeles, where he was recording new music ahead of his upcoming COLORSxSTUDIOS live session and his participation in Solange’s Eldorado Ballroom orchestral series.
EBONY: You seem like you’re in a good mood. How have the last couple of weeks been? You dropped Sophcore this summer and now it’s out in the world for people to digest. It’s also different from your other projects –
Moses Sumney: You mean sonically?
Yes but also lyrically from what I gathered. Your lyrics this time, feel more direct – a little bit more on the nose versus metaphors and analogies. More in your face.
Definitely. Yeah, no, you’re right. It definitely, definitely is.
*stops for coffee*
Do you know what you’re getting? What’s your go-to order?
Yes, I usually just get a latte, like an almond milk latte. You?
I usually get an iced matcha.
So you live in Bushwick and drink matcha – got it.
Yes [laughs]. Back to the music. How did you approach this album? There is a sonic direction shift – more R&B, but also more lyrically straightforward.
Each project is for each moment and I think in this moment I wanna explore directness. I also love poetry. And sometimes the best art is simple and captures everyday life.
Creating art is like a heightened state. The stakes are heightened. The senses are heightened. Everything is heightened. Sometimes it makes sense to [be more metaphorical] but there is value in directness.
Would you say this is a “turning point project” – ideally taking listeners to a place on your sonic journey? Is there a destination that you want them to land after listening to this?
I just hope that they get in the car and stay for the ride, and the destination will always be the next project, but each piece of art should stand on its own.
You live in Asheville, North Carolina primarily and then you spend some time in Brooklyn, right?
Yeah, I’m now living between Asheville and Brooklyn.
I’ve been in Asheville for the past six years. I bring people to Asheville like my engineer and producer, who worked on my second album. They came for some weeks when we did a project called Blackalachia – a film project I made in 2021. I’m really passionate about exposing people to the south and southern life, whenever I get the chance.
Do you find yourself naturally being a host? Do you get pleasure from showing where you live,and how you exist?
[Laughs] I’m very homey and my house is very much a warm space. So it is not something I invite everybody into. I’m like ‘here’s a towel, here’s a cup to drink from.’
When you’re in the studio and you’re interacting with collaborators, is it that same level of care and hospitality? Do you want to make sure that they feel comfortable and are kind of understanding your creative process?
If I’m working with someone, it’s because I like what they do already and I think that there’s something interesting about where we can go. Today I’m working with FKA twigs’ DJ. And it’s been, it’s been really nice working with someone who most people know as a more Hip-Hop and R&B producer, but his color is so broad. I really am fascinated and intrigued by the experimental parts of his skill set. And I’m trying to pull that out and seeing where the more accessible parts of my taste meet. That’s how I like to work with people. Like, come as you are, but not like that, but like this. [laughs] I really do try to make a lot of space for my collaborators and then I usually take what they do and tailor it to me.
Despite being very ingrained within the music community, you don’t give “Hollywood” energy.
It’s why I don’t live here.
Smart choice. Simultaneously though, you find yourself working on these very Hollywood projects specifically with the Idol. It’s Hollywood in terms of the content but also in the big HBO (now MAX) machine. Then you obviously have Maxine, the A24 film which is also set in Hollywood. How do you kind of find that inner balance to be able to go to Asheville, be separate from [Hollywood], and then have to dive into it content and business-wise?
That’s a good question. I think I’m only able to, to do Hollywood because I don’t live in Hollywood. I have such a reprieve from it and I have an entire interior world and exterior world that is completely different and separate from this place. I don’t fill my life with people who care about Hollywood. Those projects were interesting because in a way they’re both kind of a critique of Hollywood. It’s kind of funny that I would be into things back-to-back that were kind of about kind of the same thing in a way.
It almost feels like you’re the perfect person for the job though [laughs].
I think because I don’t like Hollywood. Hollywood likes me, you know?
When it comes to the way you interact with friends, how has that kind of evolved over time as you’ve become more of a visible artist?
I’m more recognizable, sure. Most of my friends were more famous than me. [laughs] before my career kicked off. I had so many famous friends and so I was never phased by fame or whatever, or really that enamored by it. Most of my friends are either in the industry themselves or they don’t care. But what’s nice about Asheville is, that I have a lot of friends who don’t work in the industry or live in the city, who are farmers, woodworkers, chefs, restauranteurs, metal workers, and builders. I get along very well with builders. Nice. So I have a lot of people who work the earth and that also is great because complaining about events or my agents is not very interesting to them.
To some degree, you could argue being friends with people who are completely removed from entertainment because of the type of experiences that they have. Do you find that that kind of keeps you grounded to some degree?
Absolutely. I love hearing people’s stories and
accompanying them to their world Also just listening to people talk about their lives is helpful. I don’t think that my life is, on the surface, very relatable actually. But at the core, all of our lives are relatable. We all want the same things and emotionally experience the same things.
