All on Seven

"I enjoy getting CDs where it seems like there's a lot of thought put into the packaging. This is a good example. An old, ragged composition book is a great package for a CD. I was excited about this album even before I started listening to it.

The first song, YET ANOTHER TRAVELING SONG is great. I really like this song. Most of these songs are really well done and I could listen to the entire album over and over again. Think about Alternative Country meeting Garage Band Rock with a hint of Showmanship White Boy Blues and you're gonna come close to this sound. There are definitely some Country Ballad songs here, but it's not like this is a Country album. The music really makes you listen to the words coming across. You feel like you know the subjects of these songs. I really like that.

All on Seven is not a band that I've ever heard of. Because of this CD, though, I know that I could get into their music. I'm intrigued to find out more. They've got something with this music and makes me believe that they're going places. If you're a fan of Ryan Adams or Bright Eyes, then you need to check out ALL ON SEVEN. Seriously, here is their website!"
- biggestletdown.com

"Out of all the musicians I’ve gotten to know in Sacramento, All On Seven’s front man and songwriter, Evan Palmer, has grown the most musically in the shortest amount of time. A dedicated study of Ryan Adams, as well as many late-greats in classic western and rock, Evan is as much a musician’s musician as he is a songwriter. This makes for some really great listening. His songs are both musical and poetic, his voice sounding like a mix between Jeff Buckley and Bob Dylan. His music is decidedly western, but not too dramatically so. It lets you drive down its roads calmly, instead of hitting you over the head with twang. And for this, I am inspired (and eternally grateful!) Evan released an album last year, under his band’s name, All On Seven. Check out “Another Traveling Song,” on their Myspace page."

-Autumn Sky
- Midtown Monthly (Apr. '09)

"...I’d gone down to Luna’s to meet Evan Palmer, who’d promised to bring an advance of his band All on Seven’s debut, Just a Rose, also on Are You Alive, which turned out to be a real surprise. After the opening track, “Yet Another Traveling Song,” it seemed like we were in for the straight coffeehouse ticket. But the following song, “We’d Never Met,” with its evocation of death, both defied and exceeded expectations, and the album got better from there.

All on Seven is Palmer on guitars, keys and vocals, with Kayla Schureman on drums and Chris Vogel on bass. Shaner is listed as guitarist, and there are tons of sweet textures all over the record, which was produced by Shaner’s Ghosts of California bandmate Scott McChane (www.myspace.com/allonseven)."

-Jackson Griffith - Sacramento News and Review (June '08)

In an age of digital production and auto-tune voice enhancements, the raw and unpretentious nature of grassroots, singer-songwriter music -- all being played between short stays at the nearest Super 8 motel -- can be a breath of fresh air. Wielding only two acoustic guitars, a harmonica and harmony-laden folk tunes, All on Seven does just that.

Based in Sacramento -- and consisting of duo Evan Palmer and Kayla Schureman, who each uphold their duty on guitar and vocals -- the group delivers a sound that's like the simple, honest kind of music you'd expect to hear at a local bar or coffee shop in Anytown, USA. That's not to say the group is lacking in capability or complexity. The down-to-Earth texture just adds to the sincerity and everyman quality of the pair's songs, evoking imagery of open roads, hopes, struggles, hard work and nostalgia.

"If I'm writing a song, I'm writing it to sound like whatever I feel like at the time," Palmer said. "We attempt to be as dynamic as we can get but still be able to put everything in the back of the car. We can do a lot with it, though. It's always evolving."

Formed in 2006, the alt-country folk rock band will perform at Muse Music Café in its Utah debut on Saturday, creating and bringing to life "timeless American songs" in the tradition of musicians -- past and present -- like Bob Dylan, Josh Ritter and Ryan Adams.

Palmer and Schureman are the type of artists who bring to life the idea of "singing about everyone while singing about themselves." Their intertwining harmonies coupled with sparse instrumentation create a balance between the male and female vocals. Palmer's stylings channel the fervor of the American storytellers he's obviously been influenced by and are met with Schureman's pure and delicate high notes.

"I've loved music before I was ever playing it," Palmer said. "When I was 16, I began writing songs. As a senior in high school I started a band and it felt like the right thing to do with the rest of my life -- I've been trying to figure out how to do it ever since."

Growing up, Palmer listened to the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Lucinda Williams, among others. However, despite developing an affinity for rock groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam later on, Palmer rediscovered his Americana roots in 2006, saying "now I get it."

"This is our first big tour," he said. "Leading up to it we had a lot of expectations; driving down the highway in the middle of nowhere with only the big, open sky. We kind of could envision it because of the music we listen to. As we continue to do it, it'll become more real for us -- not just this is how we think life is supposed to be like, but this is how it is."

Palmer said life on the road can be tough. While touring this time around, the band will play 40 shows without a day off while having to keep track of expenses, book shows, update its website and do laundry. He said they are committed, however, and will continue to make music for whatever amount of time it takes to do it the right way.

"As far as the sound or style goes, there isn't that much that's totally different than things that have been done before," Palmer said. "It's still just good music, though. It's honest. It's real. The artists who have influenced us will eventually get old and stop making music. Someone has to keep doing it."

Schureman, the female half of the acoustic duo, joined the group in 2007, playing drums in what was then a "power trio." They ended up playing a show the same day Palmer offered her a place in the band and the rest, as they say, is history.

Schureman said the songs the band plays are stripped down in their feel and contain melodies that will strike people as familiar.

"The best thing about us is our vocal harmonies," she said. "It enhances the tone of a song and makes it more effective. We're going to come sing you a song and it's going to get your attention. It is quieter, but it still has a powerful, honest sound. We've had good responses so far."

Remaining on the road until the Fourth of July, All on Seven will perform a combination of covers and songs from "The Cars, The Bars and The Lights: Part One," the band's latest effort released in 2010 and available exclusively at the shows.

"My favorite kind of music reminds me of things I've done, memories I've made or trips I've taken," Palmer said. "We want to make you feel that way and remember that imagery. We're excited to be in Provo." - Daily Herald (Provo, UT)