Sufjan (pronounced “soof-yon”) Stevens has set out on the most ambitious musical project in history: writing a soundtrack for each of the 50 states. His home of Michigan came first in 2003, and now Stevens’ latest CD travels through Illinois.

His geographical fetish caught the ear of independent radio producers Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister. The two were doing a piece about the ivory-billed woodpecker, once thought extinct, that was rediscovered in the small town of Brinkley, Ark. They commissioned Stevens to write a song called “Lord God Bird,” after the woodpecker, known as the “lord god” or “great god” bird because of its beauty. National Public Radio picked up the piece and ran it this summer.

Musings on history, culture and local color flow through Stevens’ unique perspective, transporting us not only to a different place and time, but also into his serene state of consciousness. “I think lyrically, my motivation is always about a strong narrative and to evoke something that is true, that resonates as truth-that’s really important to me,” he says. “I’m kind of more of a fiction writer, and that’s where that sensibility comes in.”

Stevens’ lyrical ’sensibilities center on the beauty of God’s creation - wherever it can be found. There is hardly any distinction between what’s on earth and what’s in the clouds. “I have an incredible awe for the natural world and the divinely inspired environment,” he says. “I’m always trying to evoke that or portray that lyrically. But I think I also have a similar kind of awe for the day-to-day. For me, a ceiling fan or air conditioner or dictionary can hold incredible, supernatural meaning. It’s very exciting to think about the workmanship of man, created in the image of God… in some ways, I think it’s our way of mimicking the natural world, which is an imprint of this great creative force.”

Stevens doesn’t describe faith as an influence in his life - faith is life, “I don’t think it’s fair to describe faith as having a role [in my life],” he says. “It kind of limits the character of faith and the relevance of faith. It’s all encompassing; it’s submitting yourself to a divine being. You can’t see the function of that belief. It’s kind of logically very awkward. So when you’re doing that, it kind of disrupts everything about your life.”

Although his lyrics contain spiritual themes and imagery, Stevens would never want to be called a Christian artist, “I want to be responsible for what I’m singing about, but I can’t be responsible for an entire culture, or an entire church,” he once said. “I can’t be responsible for Christendom, and all of its messes and all of its destruction and all of its mistakes. That’s not my burden to bear.”

In his mind, all music is an expression of worship. “Whether it’s a rock ‘n’ roll song, or a love song or an erotic song, these are all compelling indications of our desire to worship things. I think we are designed to express it through art forms, So I don’t really think I’m different than anyone else.”

“Musically, my motivation is to convey a sense of awe and wonder,” he continues. “I think music itself is kind of a language that can generate awe without having a context or a subject.”

A lack of subject matter shouldn’t be a problem for Stevens for many years to come. Forty-eight states await.

Hello Kitty

Alongside his own musical pursuits, Stevens has taken an interest in helping other emerging artists. With step dad Lowell Brams and friend Michael Kaufmann, he created Asthmatic Kitty Records. Stevens serves as the “creative director” (he produces or plays on several of the label’s releases), but leaves most of the day-to-day operation to Brams and Kaufmann. “We all have different visions, different motives, Lowell, Michael and I … the three of us come together to create an interesting kind of triumvirate,” he says. “Everything we do is very sensible and modest, and in line with serving each other.”