The ambitious author of the 50 States Project leaves us in a state of arousal

Sufjan Stevens
Singer, songwriter, musician
By Sujan Hong-Raphael
Photo by Denny Renshaw

For this record, I had a distinct vision, a terribly big and gregarious one.

Sufjan Stevens is expounding on Illinois, the second installent of his ambitious and perhaps slightly insane 50 States Project. The first was a spare and more temperate, “sentimental journey” to his home state, Michigan. Although self-released on is own tiny Asthmatic Kitty label, Greetings From Michigan found retail success and became a top-20 record on the CMJ charts. Stevens rewarded himself by purchasing a car - a friend’s used 1991 Mazda. “Illinois became an emotional inquiry,” he says. As of press date, the just-released Illinois already shipped more copies than Michigan’s current total sales, so maybe he’ll upgrade to a car made in this century.

As a child, he learned first to play the piano and oboe. On Illinois, Stevens plays no less than 24 instruments, including the saxophone, concert flute, accordion, and banjo. The flourishing horns, chirping flutes, and multi-layered string harmonies result in what Stevens refers to as “a failed opera. Or a Broadway musical gone bad.” He says, “I’m not as talented as I am resourceful. Any of my friends will tell you that. I try to make the most out of what little I have.”

Stephens’ humility perhaps stems from his Christian faith. Though he chose not to discuss his religious beliefs further, his devotion is evident through Illinois, like with “The Seer’s Tower,” a word play on the country’s tallest building, on which he sings, “In the tower above the Earth / We built it for Emmanuel.” Stephens’ hushed vocals often give his songs a hymn-like quality.

The 29-year-old now calls Brooklyn home, a place that enthralls him “for its variety and versatility.” He says, “There are endless surprises. Sure, it suffers from personality disorders. It can be rude and bossy, but I like to think of it as a healthy marriage to someone who constantly changes hairstyles and hobbies.” A graduate of the New School’s Masters program in writing, Stephens counts William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and Raymond Carver among his favorite American writers. For Illinois he read Saul Bellow and Carl Sandburg (and police blogs). “I could go on. I read everything. I’ve lost all discretion.”

Stevens remains undaunted by and perhaps even matter-of-fact about the grandness and longevity of the 50 States Project, and that’s probably why you don’t doubt the sincerity of this venture. “This is how we [humans) approach everything we do. We tackle the task at hand, even if it kills us. We’re compelled because we are designed to do these greater things which sometimes supersede common sense and all laws of physics.”

As for which of the remaining 48 states might be next in line to receive a musical benediction, Stevens is coy and uncharacteristically pithy. “I’m not telling,” he says.