Last year, Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, and the rapper Serengeti teamed up to release the Beak & Claw EP under the name s / s / s. They're returning with a new release, but now, they call themselves Sisyphus. Their self-titled album, Sisyphus, is out March 18 via Asthmatic Kitty and Joyful Noise. Check out opening track "Calm It Down" below.

As previously reported, the new work was commissioned by the Walker Art Center and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music series in Minneapolis/St. Paul. It accompanies an exhibition of the work of visual artist Jim Hodges, opening at the Walker on February 14, running through May 11.

It was initially intended to be an EP, but in an interview about the new LP, Sufjan said there was a "wellspring" of "mad ideas", so they expanded to a full-length. Sufjan previously shared a demo version of album track "Take Me" on his Soundcloud.

50 limited edition copies of the album will be sold in the Walker gift shop. A February 14 event at the museum will feature a "cameo" by Sisyphus, plus DJ sets from Dirty Projectors' Olga Bell, Angel Deradoorian, and Tom Vek. Then, on February 15, the trio will take part in a talk alongside Hodges.

Sufjan Stevens gave a predictably entertaining interview about the decision to rename the band, their new record, and how they found inspiration from Hodges' work.

On the new band name:

s/s/s started to sound like the Nazi Schutzstaffel with a lisp so we had to change it. We wanted a word with three S’s and Sisyphus felt like a capable anti-hero—endless struggle, the human plague, the existential condition. We are all working towards nothing. Also, the apparent futility of this collaboration—a black rapper from Chicago, a white singer-songwriter from Detroit, and an arty producer with cool glasses, though I dunno where Ryan's from, Cleveland? We have so little in common but we have deep love for each other and we are pushing that stone together. 

In answer to the question, "Are there any guest artists on the record, outside of the three S's?"

Like celebrity guests? Just make something up to generate press. Kendrick Lamar ghost wrote all the raps. Hudson Mohawke did the beats. Beyonce. Jay-Z. Janet Jackson, etc.  

On making the album:

The first EP was the Bastard Stepchild of Myspace and Pets.com. We did it all remotely. For this one, we decided to make everything together in the same room. And it was a very small room. Things got messy.  There was a lot of Axe body spray and menthol cigarettes and red wine. The whole thing was done in three weeks total. Fast and furious. Geti kept saying what happens when the jams come on Spotify at the frat party? Are they singing at the hook, is the bass thumping, are the girls grinding? Lowest-case scenario. I mean, seriously, this is far from frat party music, it’s still heady as shit, but that was our objective, to trust our impulse and make it fun, for whatever it’s worth. 

On their creative dynamic as a trio:

Ryan’s the DJ/producer, the man in charge, the beat maker, the ghost in the machine, he keeps it all together. I had to respect that. My role is to write the hooks, the sad ballads, and keep the chords interesting, sing in tune, be real with my lyrics. Ryan had to respect that. Geti is the prophet and king, so we had to make sure he got his rap tight and that our beats weren’t up in his kitchen. Me and Ryan had to trust his intuition because God knows white boys don’t got it. I think we each relate to each other by respecting what each of us do well and giving space to encourage that. I know this sounds like a self-help book, but honestly it felt more like professional wrestling. Physical and awkward and half-naked, men in speedos. But I’d do it again in a heart beat. 

On Hodges' influence:

His stuff is mostly abstract and it generally avoids a clear narrative, so there wasn’t a lot of literal conceptualization going on. We just kept his prints nearby and listened closely to its subconscious. Some of it is more obvious: sex, AIDS, drugs, fear of death, loneliness, love and beauty. We took some text directly from titles, but mostly kept the references loose. Jim’s work is meticulous, well-crafted and sentimental on the surface, but there’s some dark shit under all that ornamentation; I think this aesthetic informed our approach: we wanted to make ear candy—catchy raps and pretty love songs. But if you inspect some of the content, you’ll uncover some bleak events. Also those gold and metallic boulders Jim made were an obvious influence on our name change. It’s the Sisyphus stone with bling. 

Read the full interview here.

Sisyphus:

01 Calm It Down
02 Take Me
03 Booty Call
04 Rhythm of Devotion
05 Flying Ace
06 My Oh My
07 I Won't Be Afraid
08 Lion's Share
09 Dishes in the Sink
10 Hardly Hanging On
11 Alcohol