Music
Press
WHEN MIKAL EVANS moved to D.C., she did not intend to sweep into the music scene, start a band and make a record of romantic but slanted electric folk with a couple of indie-rock session pros.
What she really wanted to do was act.
"I moved to D.C. to do theater," Evans said.
But after meeting local alt-country musician and Revival frontman Josh Reed, she got a little sidetracked.
"I went to an open mike at Iota and that's where I met Josh. Josh asked me to sing with Revival at a 9:30 Club show — the Gypsy Eyes [record label] launch party. So I opened their set with one of my songs."
Now, Evans concentrates exclusively on her songs — a few of which she recently recorded with drummer Jerry Busher (French Toast) and bassist Ashish Vyass (Gogogo Airheart, Dust Galaxy). They'll be released as an EP, "A Jailhouse ... A Kingdom" (Gypsy Eyes), in February 2008.
Evans' intense tunes evoke the darker rock of PJ Harvey with a folk-country tinge, but her influences are all over the place.
"I've been interested in a range of music," Evans said. "For a while I would get obsessed with one CD: 'Spirit of Eden' by Talk Talk, Calexico, a lot of old jazz stuff. Lately I've been obsessed with the song 'Rock With You' by Michael Jackson."
Even though she's put acting on the back burner, Evans is still adjusting to the role of frontwoman.
"It's so different," said Evans. "In theater you have the mask of another character — it's not you up there. You have lines, a lot of rehearsal time, a costume, there's a fourth wall. So I don't have that thick skin between me and the audience [when I perform music]. Some shows I'm regrettably nervous."
Learning to play with a band has also taken some practice.
"I played solo in coffee shops through high school. I guess I dabbled with drummers but I've never really had a set band," Evans said. "Learning to play with a band has been a different game. Playing solo I can zone out and go inward. Playing with a full band you're all in it together — I can't go into the other ether world."
Having recently relocated (albeit temporarily) to South Carolina, Evans has a whole new set of musicians to get used to. Since Busher and Vyass are currently out on tour with one of their other projects, Evans has recruited a new band to play her most recent shows.
"I met the drummer at the local music shop; he teaches drum lessons," she said. "He's got a bass player he works with. We started practicing and it worked out. We had a gig in Athens. We play about once a week in South Carolina."
But the line-up isn't all that's changed. Evans' songwriting goals have moved forward as well.
"Lately, I've been thinking a lot about ... well, when I started songwriting was really therapeutic for me," she said. "I want to start writing songs that are a little more fun." - Washington Express
"Evans’ style is best summed up by an observation from one audience member: “This reminds me of a really good P.J. Harvey song.” Well, Evans may drop her “g”s more than Harvey does, but the point is that it’s tough to do the indie-singer/songwriter shtick without blending in with the likes of Joss Stone, Liz Phair, and oodles of other talented women. To her credit, Ms. Evans has sincerity by the bucket. Like her raspy voice, her melodies seem to prize honesty over prettiness. A prime example of this is the gloomy, emotive, “The Old Broken Tune that Saved Me,” a standout song that will be featured on her forthcoming album, slated for release this fall." -The Dcist - The Dcist
Discography
"a jailhouse...a kingdom"
(Gypsy Eyes Records: to be released May 13 2008)
Photos
Bio
Mikal Evans has a folk rock sound of a woman in charge. After a stint with acoustic players, Revival, laying down the keys and violin, she decided to go solo and perform music a little more her own style. Her morose and sultry voice drive her acoustic rock sound, reminiscent of a Tom Waits structure but with sweetly melodious vocals, simultaneously taking influences from the indie rock movement as much as singer/songwriter genres. For Evans, influences are dated back to when she was growing up in Moore, South Carolina. That is where she first heard her father record bands in a converted schoolhouse gymnasium, and that's where she found music to be her calling. She bought a guitar at 16 and began writing songs immediately, picking up gigs around her hometown and just generally honing in on her craft.
After college, she moved to Washington, D.C., signed to Gypsy Eyes Records, and began playing all over the district with Timothy Bracken for months. Before heading into the studio, the duo added the drum work of Jerry Busher (French Toast) and bass stylings of Ashish Vyas (Thievery Corporation). However, this band was unable to tour due to side projects. As for her solo efforts, Evans' fourthcoming EP, "A Jailhouse...A Kingdom," is slated for release in February 2008 by D.C. based Gypsy Eyes Records. The tracks are expected to be etched with an Appalachian influence often accompanied by mysterious lyrical content that demands a second listen.
The DCist wrote: "Evans' style is best summed up by an observation from one audience member: "This reminds me of a really good P.J Harvey song". To her credit, Evans has sincerity by the bucket. Like her raspy voice, her melodies seem to prize honesty over prettiness."
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