Billions Australia and Triple J Presents: Sufjan Stevens

Billions Australia are pleased to announce the very first Australian tour for American songwriter Sufjan Stevens, in January 2008. With a penchant for storytelling, Sufjan Stevens mixes autobiography, religious fantasy, and regional history to create folk songs of epic proportions. Aside from his appearance at the Sydney Festival, Sufjan is set to perform two special theatre shows in Brisbane and Melbourne.

His grand proposal to make a record for each of the 50 US states has thus far transpired two albums, Michigan and Illinois. A preoccupation with epic concepts has motivated other projects, including an electronic record for the animals of the Chinese Zodiac (Enjoy Your Rabbit, 2001), a five-disc Christmas box set, and, more recently, a symphonic tone-poem for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Sufjan has toured extensively around the U.S. and Europe, performing as a variety of thematic incarnations—the Michigan Militia, The Illinoisemakers, and more recently as The Majesty Snowbird /Incredible Kite Brigade —traveling from the desert towns of Arizona to the chilly reaches of Iceland. With his step-father Lowell, Sufjan owns and operates his own music label, Asthmatic Kitty Records, named after Lowell’s beloved cat Sara, who suffers from acute feline asthma.

Sufjan’s Brisbane, Sydney Festival and Melbourne performances will feature a full rock band, a wind and brass ensemble, and video projections.

Joining Sufjan Stevens in support in Brisbane and Melbourne will be special guest Pikelet (Melbourne). Her debut self titled record is a gorgeous, multi-tiered work of swirling and shifting melody, layered harmonies and charming story-telling, almost entirely performed by Evelyn Morris (Pikelet) herself.

Tickets on sale now.

Tour Dates:

“One of the most vital voices in music today”
Slant Magazine

“Ridiculously ambitious - and consistently surprising”
- Alternative Press

www.sufjan.com
www.myspace.com/illinoiseispretty

Sufjan Stevens ‘Illinois’ instore now through Spunk/EMI

Publicity enquiries contact:
Sarah Thomas
sarah@billions.com.au
p: +61 8 6210 2800
f: + 61 8 9227 0922