L.A. band comes back to its Athens roots for a show at Casa.
Hed: Psychedelic beats will roll into Casa Nueva
WEBHed: Sumeau takes stage at Casa Nueva
Every band gets a thrill out of performing live, but Sumeau’s free performance on Sunday at Casa Nueva will be a homecoming for 2008 Ohio University alumna Kat Primeau.
Sumeau is the musical duo of Primeau and Chris Sousa playing self described “experimental psych-pop." They started-two-and-half years ago after meeting at a Los Angeles recording studio. The music follows “a go with the follow” method and consists of “whimsical” melodies.
“We don’t just write songs, perform them, and record them as they are,” Sousa said. “We like to take them, chop them up and turn them into something inspiring.”
Sunday night’s show will showcase instrumentals from both Primeau and Sousa. The show will focus on songs from their debut album “Sumeau,” new unreleased music, and a few covers.
Primeau, the main lyricist of the duo, said the album received a great response and the tour from L.A. to Athens allows them to see fans throughout the country. .
With six stops on the tour, the band will have the chance to play alongside friends from Los Angeles, as well as to visit their homes and families. Sousa will return to his hometown in Boston, and Primaeu will revisit one of her favorite places — Athens.
Although Sousa has never been to Athens, Primeau is looking forward to her return. After graduating in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Performance, returning to Ohio University for the Sumeau World Tour of America seemed right.
“I love Athens,” Primeau said. “It’s a magical place.”
The opportunity to see past professors, eat authentic Athens’ food, and re-explore the town with Sousa by her side makes coming to Athens all the more exciting.
The band finds inspiration from ’90s indie rock and ’60s rock bands. These genres influence the duo’s approach to music. Rather than just recording the album, Sumeau makes music into an epic journey that is catchy and fun to listen to, Sousa said.
Most recently, the band preformed in Los Angeles at an event hosted by SoFar Sounds, a concert series that takes place around the world. Sumeau was one of three to play a set for a live audience in the midst of a listening party for Karen O, a member of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
For now Sumeau is just living by its motto “ride the waves,” based on the song “Diggin Out” off its self-titled album, and will let the music take them where it will.
