Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Annie Sumi will bring her unique brand of musical folk storytelling to Napanee’s Ellena’s Cafe on Oct. 26, as she returns for her second Starstop Concert.
The Whitby native released her sophomore album In the Unknown earlier this month, which she described as a collection of alternative folk stories inspired by both real life stories and her imagination.
“It has a different sound, but it’s a lot of the same feeling,” Sumi says of her new release. “It definitely captures the whimsical nature of my writing.”
Sumi made her first Starstop appearance in support of her 2015 album Reflections, which earned her critical acclaim including nominations for best contemporary folk recording and female vocalist of the year at the 2016 Hamilton Music Awards. Her songs were also heard coast-to-coast on CBC Radio.
“(The Oct. 26 show) will be a little bit different, I’ll have a cellist with me and I’m really excited about that,” said Sumi. “She’s an amazing player from Toronto. It’ll be all new songs, a lot of songs people haven’t heard before and then hopefully some songs I’ll play that people will be familiar with.”
Along with her voice, which has been described by Now Magazine as having a ‘beautiful, natural lilt’, Sumi is best known for her powerful lyrics.
“For me it’s always been about telling stories through song and writing from the heart,” she says on her website. “So whether a lyric is sombre, or whimsical, or inspirational, you just hope that people feel what you have to say and are able to make a connection with your music.”
She says a smaller setting like that of Ellena’s is the perfect venue for her style of music.
“I love these shows because they’re so personal,” she said. “You get to meet everybody. Sometimes I find when you’re up on a stage you hardly get to see the faces of the people that you’re playing for. That’s what’s important to me, to feel like I’m connecting with these people and we’re all sharing these feelings together.”
Tickets for her Napanee show are $15 and available at Ellena’s Cafe, Marie’s Place and online at www.Starstop.ca.
Her new songs can be heard online at www.AnnieSumi.com.