BAKER CITY — Forest Ray is not headlined by Forest, as many people greet band founder Peter Sumic.

“They’ll say ‘Hey, are you Forest?’” he said, recounting many a greeting at music venues.

Sumic started Forest Ray as a recording project in 2015 in San Luis Obispo, California.

“I was mostly recording songs that I wrote,” he said.

His songs continued to develop, and he started playing live after moving back to Seattle. He also focused on self-production and self-recording.

“I still record most of Forest Ray’s music myself,” he said.

His band fluctuates between a solo act and as many as seven members.

Sumic plays many instruments, but his main onstage are harmonica and lead guitar.

A musical beginning

Sumic’s parents moved to Seattle in the late 1980s from a part of Yugoslavia now known as Croatia. His dad and uncle were both musical, and his mom studied classical guitar.

“My family loved music, and my dad always had a guitar,” he said. “When family gets together, there’s always someone singing songs.”

He started playing guitar at age 6 and was recording music by 13.

At 31, he said his music style has changed over the years. From 2015-2018, he describes his focus as 1960s garage rock. From 2019 on, he plays more folk rock and Americana.

However, many describe his music as psychedelic rock, which he said is “any kind of rock ‘n’ roll influenced by music of the 1960s.”

His influences include early Neil Young, The Byrds and The 13th Floor Elevators (1965 in Austin, Texas).

As for his band name, the spark came from a story about a bank robber of the same name. But the symbolism, he said, is “a ray of light shining through the trees.”

“To me, it evoked a lot of imagery,” he said.

Croatian is his first language, and he spends three months a year in that country.

“My heritage is still a big part of my life,” he said.

In fact, Forest Ray’s newest record, released in January 2024, is titled “Jebivjetar”— for the English translation, visit www.forestray.bandcamp.com.

The word, he said, is always paired with the name Peter, and means “carefree, free spirit, drifter.”

“There’s a huge backstory,” he said.

Shows

Sumic played a show at Churchill School in March 2024, and he’s returning to play on Jan. 10, 2025. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 6:45 p.m.

“Playing in Baker City is one of the most memorable shows,” he said. “(Churchill) has really put Baker City on the map.”

Tickets are $12 in advance at churchillbaker.com or $18 at the door.

The next day, Jan. 11, Forest Ray will play at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort from 3-6 p.m.