By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) For a long time this was tricky for me to answer, but I feel like the music has been discussed and reviewed enough now that I’ve been able to frame it within the context of how it’s perceived: Art-pop/rock with a theatrical flair and elements of folk and soul.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) I grew up in a house filled with Golden Era and the Motown sound. I’d say Cole Porter and Sam Cooke were some of my biggest early influences, along with early Beatles stuff (my mom lost interest when they “got into drugs,” so we didn’t have any of their later records in the house). Later I dove into Native Tongues hip-hop (Tribe Called Quest, De Las Soul, etc.) and am also a massive fan of The Beach Boys, Radiohead, Soundgarden, The Mars Volta, Rage Against The Machine and dozens of other bands and songwriters.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Imagine That.”
A) “Imagine That,” like most on the album, sort of poured out of me so I’m not sure how to talk about what inspired it specifically. What I can say is that once it was written I knew I wanted to introduce horns to the arrangement in order to add some superhero fanfare and bombast. The lyric “coward king” inspired that for the most part. My brain cooked up this bold, dramatic way to say, “I’m alone and it’s my own fault,” and I thought it was fun to really build on that drama in a way that, to me, feels kind of humorous. We’re all the heroes of our own story.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) We all have moments of loneliness and reflection on what might have been. That’s a universal feeling. The other side of it is that there’s always hope, and I think that’s incredibly important. I imagine folks connect with both of those concepts.
Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?
A) I really don’t like when music videos are “on the nose,” so I asked the very brilliant Meghann Plunkett (who knows me and my art better than pretty much anyone) to write a treatment featuring Donald Gallagher as an alchemist. Meghann wrote the story based on that simple prompt, and I think she really captured the world of the song in a surreal way.
Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A ) Lyrics usually come first, but it can vary.
Q) Your LP Summoning is out now. What are some themes that you explore?
A) I really try to leave themes and such to the listener, but there’s definitely a lot of hope and personal growth in the album so everything is tethered to those anchors.
Q) “Make a Wish” is one of my favorite songs on Summoning. What track(s) on the LP hold a special significance for you and what makes them such a standout to you?
A) “Winter Hymn” is really personally special to me and I think “Make a Wish” is a lot of fun. I haven’t played that one live yet and I’m really looking forward to that during Fall tours.
Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new LP as a whole – either as an emotion or message?
A) I just hope they don’t feel alone and inspired.
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) It’s really not about the place for me, it’s about the energy in the room. Two recent shows where I really felt that warm electric energy were Portland, OR in April 2025 and Vancouver in May 2025.
Q) What songs of Summoning have you been playing live lately and the fans really have been enjoying?
A) Everyone really seems to enjoy “One Foot in the Grave” and “Lighthouse Keeper.”
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) It’s in the works so I’m keeping that quiet.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) I’m getting fired up to write the next album, so I’m actually not listening to any music at all!
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) THANK YOU. There’s so much more music coming and the fans make it possible for me to produce it at the highest quality and share it widely.