Sufjan Stevens Emerges From Two-Year 'Shitshow' With Rare Interview, Calls the Bible 'Very Gay'

After a period of illness and grief, beloved queer artist reflects on his influential career

Sufjan Stevens Photo Credit Emmanuel Afolabi — Sufjan Stevens. Photo: Emmanuel Afolabi

Published: May 16, 2025 | Last Updated: May 16, 2025

In his first interview since revealing both his Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosis and the death of his partner Evans Richardson IV last year, Sufjan Stevens has opened up to Vulture earlier this month about his health, creative process and upcoming reissue of his landmark album "Carrie & Lowell." Speaking via video call from his Catskills studio, Stevens appeared "clean-shaven and cherubic," offering fans a reassuring glimpse of the beloved artist who has been largely absent from public view.

The Michigan-born musician, who has long maintained a complex relationship with his queer identity (as we reported in our article on his coming out), addressed his current health status with characteristic understatement: "I'm OK. Situation normal, all up, kind of a thing. I've had some pretty difficult things happen to me, so I'm in a state of repair and survival."

After revealing his Guillain-Barré diagnosis on Tumblr in 2023 and later sharing news of his partner's passing in the dedication notes for his album "Javelin," Stevens retreated from public life. Now, as he approaches his 50th birthday, he's gradually reemerging with a significant project: a 10th-anniversary edition of "Carrie & Lowell," his critically acclaimed 2015 album exploring grief following his mother's death.

The reissue, set for release on May 30, will feature previously unreleased demos, a 40-page booklet of family photos, and what Stevens described as a "gutting essay" about his mother. Though he admits he was initially reluctant to revisit the material, he eventually embraced the project, discovering unexpected joy in the process.

"What's really remarkable about digging through the archive photos is there is so much life to celebrate in spite of this material being all about death," he told Vulture. "It's nice to look back and see everyone in a state of vibrancy and vitality."

Stevens also reflected on the difficulty of creating "Carrie & Lowell," an album that starkly differs from his other work. "I was flailing, to be honest, with this material. I had no idea what I was doing because I was suffering so much," he said. "There's kind of a resignation to that album that doesn't really exist in anything else I've done."

The intensely personal nature of songs like "Fourth of July" — which has amassed half a billion Spotify streams — has cemented Stevens' reputation as an artist unafraid to confront mortality. "To live is to be preoccupied with death," he noted. "Maybe that's why this material speaks to a lot of people. I've become the poster child of death in a lot of ways in the music world. It wasn't intentional."

Despite this recognition, Stevens says he still can't listen to the album himself, finding it "too intense and real." During the tour for "Carrie & Lowell," he had to "disassociate" from the material to perform it night after night.

When asked about the intersection of religious and sensual themes in his work — evident in songs like "John My Beloved" and "Javelin (to Have and to Hold)" — Stevens was characteristically thoughtful. "The religious is very erotic. It's engaging with God in a physical way," he explained, drawing connections to Catholic art traditions. With a touch of humor, he added, "The Bible's very gay. Just all men. That's what you get when there's a patriarchy that's endured for so long. Jesus was single, never married; Disciples were all dudes…"

As for his current life, Stevens described focusing on "things that feel very silly and Zen: serenity and acceptance and duty and stewardship." His days revolve around gardening, dog-walking, and running Asthmatic Kitty Records, which he now primarily owns following Lowell Brams' retirement.

He's also been producing music for others, including work on John Legend's children's album last year. While Stevens isn't ready to tour yet, he expressed cautious optimism about the future: "I'm starting to see the light. I'm starting to feel a sense of direction toward something meaningful and substantial."

For fans concerned about his wellbeing after his health struggles and personal loss, Stevens offered reassurance: "It's been two years of a shitshow, but I'm OK."

The 10th-anniversary edition of "Carrie & Lowell" arrives May 30, offering both longtime listeners and new fans an opportunity to connect with Stevens' most vulnerable and acclaimed work, now enriched with new context and materials that celebrate both the album's legacy and the continuing journey of one of indie music's most distinctive voices.