America, the 12 and a half minute closer to his new record ‘The Ascension’, is described as the record’s “thematic template”. It was written six years ago, during sessions for Stevens’ previous LP ‘Carrie & Lowell’, but eventually set aside.
“I was dumbfounded by the song when I first wrote it,” Sufjan said in a statement. “Because it felt vaguely mean-spirited and miles away from everything else on 'Carrie & Lowell'. So I shelved it.
“But when I dug up the demo a few years later I was shocked by its prescience. I could no longer dismiss it as angry and glib. The song was clearly articulating something prophetic and true, even if I hadn’t been able to identify it at the time. That’s when I saw a clear path toward what I had to do next.”
‘The Ascension’ will arrive on September 25 via the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s label, Asthmatic Kitty.
“My objective for this album was simple: Interrogate the world around you,” Sufjan added. “Question anything that doesn’t hold water. Exterminate all bullshit. Be part of the solution or get out of the way. Keep it real. Keep it true. Keep it simple. Keep it moving.”
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