Born in Anchorage to a wedding DJ father and a karaoke-loving mother (his grandfather was an accomplished luthier), Quinn Christofferson has grown into a music scene he describes as “closed, with no escape.” started his career in For about six years, he appeared at local shows and open mics his nights, did construction gigs at Covenant House, and worked with the homeless and runaway teens of his. However, in 2019 he released the melancholy single “Erase Me, details his raw feelings about the sex change. Last month, he released his debut album after completing a summer tour with Sharon Van Etten, Julian Baker and Angel Olsen. “write your name in pink” is a dream record that you want to listen to at night.
“It was nice to focus on music because my songs in the past were really sad,” says the 30-year-old Alaska Native of Ahtna and Inupiat ancestry. “The little time I spent with music was spent trying to heal myself. [my music] as therapy. “
His new offering, he says, is more joyful and a celebration of youth. It’s not that the songs don’t feel that deep. “neighborhoodThe first track he wrote for the album concerns Kristoffersson’s complicated relationship with his mother. “When you retell these stories, you learn along the way,” he says. “My mom and I had some really tough times, but her mom hurt before it hurt me. Empathizing with her younger self is important to telling my story.”
Christofferson says his family has never hidden their struggles. “We as indigenous people have had a lot to overcome, but we are still on our way out,” he says. “You can take a lot from people, but you can’t take our stories.”