Forest Ray returns to Eastern Oregon

Published 4:00 am Monday, March 9, 2026

Band has three shows on schedule

PENDLETON, BAKER CITY, ANTHONY LAKES — Forest Ray plays three shows in Eastern Oregon this month.

First, the band plays at Pendleton’s Great Pacific, 403 S. Main St., on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m.

Next is a show in Baker City at Churchill School, 3451 Broadway St., on Friday, March 13. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance at churchillbaker.com, or $20 at the door. There’s a $5 discount for seniors, veterans/active military and students ages 16-21. Also, admission is free for ages 15 and younger who attend with a paid adult.

On Saturday, March 14, Forest Ray heads to Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort to play from 3-6 p.m. in the lodge.

Contrary to the name, the band is not headlined by a man named Forest.

The founder is Peter Sumic, who started Forest Ray as a recording project in 2015 in San Luis Obispo, California.

His band fluctuates between a solo act and as many as seven members. He said he’ll probably have a four-piece for the Eastern Oregon shows.

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.

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

His music style has changed over the years — from 2015-2018, he describes his focus as 1960s garage rock. From 2019 on, he’s played more folk rock, Americana, psychedelic folk rock (“any kind of rock ‘n’ roll influenced by music of the 1960s,” he said) and indie rock.

Forest Ray’s latest record, “Jebivjetar,” was released in January 2024. 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.”

New record in the works

He’s working on a new record, and recently released two singles: “Send My Love” and “Reasons.”

“We’ve been busy in the studio, and playing quite a lot,” he said.

Sumic owns a recording studio in Seattle where he focuses on analog, which he describes as an “old school, more nostalgic sound.”

“It puts a bigger focus on performance, and the honesty of the production,” he said. “It’s more focused on playing the music.”

He plans to release the next Forest Ray album later this year.

“We parce out out, single by single,” he said. “Kind of release the album one by one, until there are only two or three songs left.”