When the creative juices get ignited, possibilities ARE unlimited. Words pogo directly to and from the ole ticker.
So instantly after Steph Wells, of the San Francisco-based electropop project SUMif—a name pinched from an Excel function—states “Why can’t we have a conversation, every time you say her name you’re putting me through hell again” against incremental guitar chord structures, hand-claps, and an I’m over it tone, it feels like these aren’t just lyrics. It’s life.
Our protagonist, known for her emulative dance-pop sound structures, gets her point across, using winsome, contemporary arrangements that seem inspired by Scandinavian pop artists Tove Lo, Sigrid, and MØ. A storm is brewing under the fabrication of a smile, and that snappy-ass beat.
“Move on, move out aren’t you sick of the couch” a weighty, peeved chorus written by Wells evokes a call to action for anybody stuck on the crumb cushion snack boat, trying to catch some Zzz every damn night.
“Move Out,” the new synth bauble from Wells, who by her own account “is just now inching toward equilibrium after a whirlwind romance, and a rousing awakening,” notifies listeners of the oncoming song suite chronicling her agonizing fling with bold emotionality and steamy narratives. It’s the first release from this collection of songs, which will feature a pair of singles, “Collide” and “Want Me,” leading the way to SUMif’s debut album later this year.
Wells, who has played the main stage at SF Pride and at the Folsom Street Fair in the past, asserts that her current single is an honest account of how new love motivated this queer creative to urge her paramour into flipping the page, with the quickness.
“I met someone who changed my world, and made me look at love and connection through a new lens,” Steph acknowledges. “It was crazy and romantic, but it felt real. I didn’t care if I got hurt—she could have had all of me.”
“Move Out” will be officially released on June 26th. Previously, SUMif has released 18 singles and two EPs, including the hit “Lay Down.” She is definitely on the move and one to watch.
