Sumac & Moor Mother

It’s been over a year since an email landed in Walter’s inbox from Camae Ayewa AKA Moor Mother informing him that she had been working on a collaborative album with Sumac. In the months since, we have waited with baited breath, anticipating what such an alliance would sound like and exactly when it would materialise. We’re beyond thrilled to let you know that this remarkable project will be making its way out into the world in just a few short months – and the two entities will unite at Roadburn for a main stage performance of their work together. 

To say that it sounds like what you might expect if you put one of the most intense current heavy bands in a studio with one of the most captivating modern orators, simply doesn’t do it justice. Whilst the two elements both retain their own distinctive hallmarks, there is a new frisson of electricity present where the two paths cross – each part of this newly formed whole bringing something new to the table for their collaborative album, The Film.

As 2025 dawns, with it comes the tantalising promise of this album dropping; The Film will be released on April 25 via Thrill Jockey, and we already know it’s going to have a huge – and deserved – impact in the Roadburn world. The first single, Scene 1,  is out today, which will give you a glimpse into the thaumaturgical capabilities of this hallowed union. 

On the collaboration, Sumac commented: “Moor Mother is an extremely important artist to the collective of SUMAC. Her voice, ideologies, sound and vision have been a massive source of inspiration since we first encountered her work. It is an honor and a pleasure to be making music together – music of presentness, grief, and transformation. We are at the threshold of many possible paths – this music serves as a marker of where we are, and a map for where we can go. Looking forward to sharing this energy live. Love and peace through sound.”

The months spent in anticipation of hearing this music have only added to our excitement at the prospect of witnessing it live, and now we’ll have company as we count down the days until Sumac and Moor Mother take to the Roadburn stage together.

– Becky Laverty