C&I gives you an exclusive first listen to Tom Evanchuck’s latest release.
With its soft acoustic guitar and a voice that mimics the likes of David Gray, Tom Evanchuck’s new EP, Just Got Back, is a refreshing portfolio of folk rock. The Cleveland-based musician shines with true talent, gracefully guiding you through his Americana storytelling in a melodic, almost hypnotic, way, transforming your view of traditional folk rock.
“The idea was to create songs that were simply just a base to build off,” Evanchuck says. “There was no real theme for the record, but you can infer certain topics I was thinking about at the time. I was trying to go back to the ‘storyteller’ style of writing, but in a more relatable fashion than jumping an old train back in the day.
“Ray Flanagan [lead guitar] and Russ Flanagan [piano] played on the tracks and added some amazing melodies. Greg Campolieti [drums] and Kevin Johnson [bass] added the rhythm section and absolutely transformed these tracks. We recorded the whole thing at Jim Stewart Recording, with Joel Grant as the engineer. No one had played these songs together before the day in the studio, so we really got to just run with whatever ideas were tossed out that night.”
Evanchuck has been playing music since he was a young child, taking inspiration from his Midwestern roots and folk-rock legends like Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, and Neil Young.
His alchemy of influences and inspirations has produced an EP filled with charismatic tunes such as “Strange,” “Just Got Back,” and the nostalgic EP opener “Fog Hat.”
“[The song ‘Just Got Back’] is essentially the tale I think most people feel but don’t really acknowledge. Not wanting to go out because you’re just too tired from everyday life, but you don’t have a good enough reason to say no. This isn’t meant to be taken in a depressing way, but in the way of you know you can tomorrow,” Evanchuck says.
Another standout tune is “Strange,” a track inspired by weddings and an observation at a bar.
“[‘Strange’] came from seeing an old man sitting at a bar while I was out with my wife. The barmaid served him a PBR before he could sit down. He just sat there all quaintly sipping his beer with both hands [covered in Band-Aids — hence the line in the song]. This past year was a crazy year for weddings in our families, so that’s where the wedding part comes in. I combined the two scenarios into something that I thought someone would say if cornered by a wise old man at a wedding.”
Here’s an exclusive first listen to Evanchuck’s new Just Got Back EP.
For more information on Tom Evanchuck and to order his new EP Just Got Back, visit his website.
