Evans releases first album in six years with all star musical line up.
(AUSTIN, TEXAS – April 2016) – Splice Records is delighted to announce the comeback of beloved Texas roots rocker John Evans with the highly anticipated release of his first album in six years entitled ‘Polyester’. The album is slated for release Friday, May 13 and album pre-orders are available here. The first single of the album titled ‘Polyester’ is available for free streaming here.
“‘Polyester’ embodies the iconic style and genre-bending Evans is notorious for,” said Grammy-winning engineer Steve Christensen, who engineered and mixed the album. “It defines what great American music is all about. It’s home-grown, written on the highways, it’s got roots.”
Official album release parties will take place in Austin on Friday, May 13 at the Continental Club located at 1315 S Congress Ave. Austin TX 78704. The show begins at 10 p.m. Tickets are 17 USD in advance. Ticket information can be found here. The album release party in Houston will take place on Saturday, May 14 at Raven Tower located at 310 North St. Houston, TX 77009. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are 15 USD. More information can be found here.
Evans’ music career has earned many accolades and awards including eight straight years of Houston Press Awards starting with six-time Best Male Vocalist, four-time Best Songwriter, two-time Musician of the Year and Best Roots Rock Band. They span over seven albums, not including his new release on the way. Evans’ songs have been featured in film and TV including “Country Strong” and “Friday Night Lights.” Evans also has several album writes and co-writes with Hayes Carll including mainstays, Take Me Away and KMAG YOYO.
“John has been my favorite underground legend for the better part of twenty years,” said Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Hayes Carll. “He writes, plays, produces, and sings with passion, style, and heart unmatched by anyone else I’ve known. If I had one last night to watch a show I’d be front and center – hollering and dancing to the John Evans Band.”
Recorded in Evans’ own living room in Austin and mixed at SugarHill Studios in Houston, ‘Polyester’ was written and produced by John Evans, engineered and mixed by Steve Christensen and mastered by Chris Longwood. Players include Evans on vocals and guitar, Emily Bell on background vocals, Scott Davis on guitar, bass and banjo, Falcon Valdez on drums and percussion, Ricky Ray Jackson on steel guitar, Sweeny Tidball on piano, Will Sexton on guitar (on tracks Trouble Is and Instant Society), and Josh Owen on additional guitar (on tracks Polyester, Pretty, Dustbowl and Instant Society).
“I’m extremely proud of this new project and everyone involved with it,” said Evans. “The past few years have been a journey. I’m really excited and prepared to see where this album takes me.”
“John’s music grows on me with every listen and his new album is a project that has made Splice Records proud,” said Shaun Brennen, CEO of Splice Records. “Bringing ‘Polyester’ to life and working John has been kismet for Splice Records. The album is one of those albums that burns a hole in your pocket because you really want to hand it to everyone and say listen to this!”
Evans has written over 400 original songs that can touch the soul of music fans from all genres, across all spectrums. When he isn’t songwriting or touring with the John Evans Band, Emily Bell or El Trio Grande, Evans is an award-winning producer who creates albums with an untouchable southern elegance, ranging from bluesy rock-n-roll to rootsy country music. He has produced albums for Jason James, folk pop singer Ashley Monical, Jesse Dayton and Emily Bell in the past year alone. His production with Corb Lund (Cabin Fever) went to #1 in Canada knocking Justin Bieber out of that position.
His newest album is featured in “Butterfly Girl,” a recent SXSW documentary film about his young daughter, Abigail Evans, who tragically passed away from a rare skin disease in 2013. Abbie’s life and sudden passing has granted John the time and focus to gain perspective of that situation, not only the immense loss, but also the inspiration Abbie left behind. All the songs on this new record were written and recorded when she lived with him in Austin. With her passing, John took the time he needed to heal and explore his inspiration behind the album, that being Abbie. He pushed back the release of ‘Polyester’ until he was ready to unveil it to the world.
“Sonically it’s a different record,” Evans explains, “I left more space between the notes on many of the tracks to let the songs breathe. I’m always intrigued by new sounds. I embrace arrangements that aren’t conventional.”
The album title ‘Polyester’ not only embodies the avant-garde fashion he is known for, but also his music style that tends to have no tangible boundaries. Fans know Evans is notorious for his patchwork of genres on his records, some of which include his family influence of old Mississippi delta blues, to growing up with 60’s/70’s rock n’ roll and the 80’s punk era. With ‘Polyester’, Evans has assembled an album that is not trying to fit into a particular genre. Instead, it seeks to be creative with an American appeal. It’s the essence of Americana.
The track listing for ‘Polyester’ is as follows:
Polyester
Pretty
DustBowl
Sweet Dreams
Grandma’s Chair
Instant Society
Trouble is
Until You
Love Note
GoodLife
Upcoming tour dates include:
May 13 – Continental Club – ATX
May 14 – Raven Tower – Houston, TX
May 15 – Reckless Kelly Softball Jam – Dell Diamond
May 19 – Waterloo Records Instore – ATX
May 21 – Cactus Instore – Houston
Also May 21 – Corner Pub – Conroe
May 22 – Lone Star Float House – New Braunfels
About Splice Records:
Splice Records was founded in 2014 by Shaun Brennan a local business man and film producer, along with Houston musician and philosopher Craig Kinsey, who fronted the wildly popular and award- winning band ‘The Sideshow Tramps’ and has since put a lot into his solo career. The pair celebrated the partnership in July 2014 during a sold out soft launch at Fitzgerald’s for the release of Kinsey’s “American Roots & Machines” Album. Brennan and Kinsey expanded the label by signing Pecos Hank Schyma, John Evans and recently Arthur Yoria to the label. For more information, please see: www.splicerecordstx.com.
MEDIA NOTE:
To RSVP for an album release event, or general press inquiries, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:
Heather Wagner Reed
713 208 3891
Amber LaFrance
469 877 1533
Madison Snelling
210 213 8934