“I like to tell stories and create moods and melodies to get lost in,” alternative-folk singer-songwriter EVVAN, formerly known as Evan Petruzzi, says. The Long Island, NY, native is known for her distinctive voice and singular sound, replete with textured melodies and layered harmonies inspired by a mix of Fleetwood Mac, Foy Vance, and Brandi Carlile.
“In today’s music, genres cross over all the time,” she says. “They blend and mesh and can turn into something really interesting you’ve never heard before. I’ve never been one to follow the norm, and I think that comes across in my music. I hear the melody, and one day it can be a song entirely folk, while the next day, it can be a really moody soundscape. I think, as a songwriter, that’s the beauty of music. If you let it, it will take you anywhere.”
After a personal awakening, EVVAN revamped her writing, melodies and overall brand while creating a group of songs that felt near and dear. “While music has always been my most intimate friend over the years, I’m finding myself delving even deeper into myself and pouring it out through these songs,” she says.
The EP, titled Home, was recorded in Los Angeles and co-produced by members of the band Milo Greene, and mixed/engineered by Grammy winner Sean O’Brien. The five songs dive deep into self-discovery and acceptance, finding universal threads and exploring them, so the listener feels less alone in their heartbreak, judgment, fear, and shame.
“‘Wolf’ was the first song I wrote for this project,” EVVAN says. The track finds EVVAN delving into individuality, asking, “What will you do when the wolf comes out in you?” She poses the question to the listener, will you conform to the pack and their ways, or will you look them in the eye and dare to be who you really are?
“From there, I wrote so many songs that were a part of me that I felt I truly needed to release them.”
“I’m Not Done Yet” stemmed from a yearning to come out, embodying the lack of acceptance and overall inclusivity that exists around the LGBTQ+ community. “So many times in my life I’ve heard the exact phrases I wrote in the song from friends who’ve experienced the same, from people who I thought were friends and didn’t accept me, from absolute strangers on the street who noticed I was different. It is exhausting, and while there are times I feel beaten down and without hope, I remember this is who I am, and I should be proud of that,” EVVAN says.
“Hurricane” offers a metaphor for a tumultuous relationship: “There’s always that moment of calm in the eye of a storm before you’re sucked back into the chaos, and relationships have a way of emulating that,” she says.
“Falling Over You” was originally part of an unintended trilogy of songs influenced by unreciprocated feelings and brought to life by metaphoric storytelling. The track finds its characters amid a back and forth of “will they won’t they, do they, don’t they,” resulting in a final, dramatic wave of emotion.
Finally, “Home” is a reminder to stop and allow yourself to be in the moment, to take stock of the little things in life that offer safety and comfort. EVVAN creates a safe haven through her use of delicate guitars, ethereal vocal lines, and an evocative lyric reminiscent of home.
“This project showcases what I’ve experienced firsthand, and what I’ve witnessed through the eyes of others,” EVVAN says. “I wanted to be open and honest; I wanted to share the deepest parts of myself and truly overcome the hindrances I’ve had my whole life. For me, Home is only the beginning of fully exploring all that I am and all that is out there in the world.”
