Multi-faceted musician, actor, and lowkey fashion icon Moses Sumney arrived on the scene roughly a decade ago as an artist fully formed. Since then, his experimental R&B, jazz, folk, and sophisti-pop sensibilities have deepened and expanded as he’s delivered critically acclaimed album upon critically acclaimed album — including 2017’s Aromanticism and 2020’s Grae. He’s collaborated with James Blake, Little Dragon, and indie rockers Son Lux to name just a few. He’s also moved further into the world of film and television, making his screen debut with the buzzy HBO series The Idol — in addition to contributing several songs to the soundtrack. This follows a song in collaboration with Son Lux for the 2022 Oscar Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All At Once. Plus, there’s a good chance you caught him on the big screen this year in a key role in the A24 thriller MaXXXine.

His freshly released EP Sophcore is perhaps his loosest and most playful work to date, but his trademark structural complexity remains intact. Ahead of a sold out show at Highland Park’s Lodge Room on Wednesday Sept. 18 (Presented by KCRW), the North Carolina-based artist hits HQ to talk creativity, exchanging musical feedback with Clairo, and songs that make him feel sexy.

The full set and conversation are infinitely worthy of your ears, and you can scroll on to visit his individual selects below.

P.S. Expect plenty more screen time from Sumney ahead. He tells us that writing is the artform he’s most passionate about. This translates to music first and foremost, but he also hints that he might have a script or two in the works. We are very much staying tuned for those developments and promise to keep you posted.

Alhaji K Frimpong – “Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu”

India.Arie – “Brown Skin”

Moses Sumney – “Hey Girl”

Adult Jazz – “Suffer One”