Jam Space Confidential with Bob Sumner

Inside the folk-country musician’s creative space where fashion and music collide - with our friends at Brixton.

by Maggie McPhee

Photos by Poppy Steer

Published on September 26, 2024

Where would we be without the jam space, that liminal zone where synapses in the brain and body alchemize into something lived, where freedom and creativity coalesce into something felt?

For Vancouver country-folk musician Bob Sumner, his jam space is his home. Being a musician who loves country because “it feels like home,” as he tells RANGE, the genre he peddles in and the place he peddles connect in perfect harmony. There, Sumner laid the foundation for his sophomore album, Some Place to Rest Easy.

In a multi-story house tucked between East Van’s vibrant Commercial Drive and Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhoods, amid the charm of historic homes, towering maple trees and hip cafes, Sumner toils away with a pen and acoustic guitar. He plants songwriting seeds under one roof, whether writing solo, with his closest collaborators, or jamming with a full band. “A lot of jam spaces can feel pretty constrained — they can be dark, dank places. It’s nice having beers or coffee with friends in the comfort of your own home,” he says. ”Usually my dog Endo will be hanging out. He loves the ballads.”

“A lot of the groundwork happens here. A lot of the writing. A lot of the refining,” he continues. “The studio is where the dream becomes a reality. The jam space is where the dream is born.”

Homeyness infuses Sumner’s output — serious country tunes with a poetic bent and a sly moog synth wink. His second album picks up the tempo while sticking close to his sombre lyrical content. Though the sonic palette roots itself in country’s southern earth, Sumner identifies as a folk songwriter indebted to the lyrical foliage of Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan, modernised, to boot, by his love of engineering. “Day to day I’m listening to music and obsessing over production,” he shares. “I make playlists based on drum patterns and rhythms. I focus on guitar tones, synths, effects, reverbs.”

But like all classic country stars, Sumner lives the lifestyle through and through. East Van, after all, is home to a burgeoning grassroots country music scene. To dress the part, this cowboy crooner dons classic western and workwear digs. “I build on classic pieces with modern elements that work with my specific lanky body type,” he says. “I have a 36” inseam. My legs are long.”

With the Fall season now in full effect as we tap into that down-to-earth spirit, we’ve partnered with Brixton and invited ourselves into Bob Sumner’s jam space to find out where fashion and music collide.