Out Music: EVVAN “I’m Not Done Yet”

Alt-folk singer-songwriter EVVAN drops the new single and music video, “I’m Not Done Yet,” an anthem born from a yearning to come out. Directed by ​Chris Basford​, the video depicts EVVAN journeying through a black and white world, void of uniqueness and individuality. Fighting through adversaries both internal and external, she holds tight to the mantra, “I’m Not Done Yet,” until her world bursts open with color. The guitar-driven track ebbs and flows amid top-shelf production as EVVAN’s poignant vocals turn from melancholy yearning to primal defiance “I’m really hoping it’ll reach the people who need to hear it most. I know I wish I had something like this when I was younger,” says EVVAN, who identifies as pansexual and non-binary. “I put links to some websites in the description of the video for anyone who is struggling with their sexuality/gender identity.”

I recently had a chance to chat with EVVAN about the new song, the empowering message of the music video, creativity, and more. The Randy Report: Congratulations on the new single! What inspired you to write “I’m Not Done Yet?” (Put another way – was there a specific incident or episode that sparked the idea or was it a gradual evolution?) EVVAN: Thank you! I’m so excited for it to finally be out in the world. In some ways this song was a gradual evolution. The phrases I used for what “they say” were phrases I’d been hearing for years. I started writing them down and one day when I sat playing around on the guitar, I came across these phrases I wrote down and that gradual evolution quickly became a full song I wrote in minutes. TRR: When it comes to songwriting, which comes first – lyrics or music? (Or – can you share a bit about your creative process?) EVVAN: This question is always so difficult for me to answer. I find that each song comes to me differently. I can write something from one word or feel an emotion and start there, but sometimes I will hear a melody in my head and that will set the stage for what I’m about to write. I like to go with the flow and not overthink when I write, just let it all come out however it wants to.

TRR: How did you come up with the concept for the music video? Besides bringing the music to visual form, is there a message you’d like the viewer to get? I love that the struggle in the video results in bringing color to your world. EVVAN: That’s exactly the idea we were going for! I kept imagining a world of black and white representing the lack of uniqueness and the inability to show your individuality, so I brought this idea to my director, Chris Basford, and he loved it. We wanted this to come alive through the video and show the protagonist fighting through both internal and external demons to the point where that motto of “I’m Not Done Yet” finally sticks and at the end they’re able to burst wide open with all the colors they’re made up of. My hope is if there is a viewer struggling with coming out and accepting who they are, they’ll see this and know they’re not alone. It’s possible to overcome your demons. No matter who tries to tear you down, you’ll always carry your true self with you and they can’t take that away. TRR: Who has had the biggest influence on your music and why? EVVAN: My music is influenced by so many different artists and bands, but I think Fleetwood Mac and Foy Vance would be the biggest ones. I’m such a sucker for harmonies and when I first heard Fleetwood Mac, I was immediately seduced by the sounds they created and wanted to bring that aspect into my own sound. With Foy Vance, he is a pure storyteller and a brilliant one at that. I remember when his album, Joy of Nothing, came out, I had it on repeat and dissected every single line he sang. Hearing the way he told his stories and allowed the music to color his words inspired me to aspire to do the same.

TRR: If you could collaborate with any artist right now, who would that be? EVVAN: I think I’d like to collaborate with Brandi Carlile. This answer changes a lot, but in this moment I would love to experience her process in writing and see up close the power and emotion she brings to whichever project she’s working on. Having her talent and passion on a song would be a dream. TRR: What was the biggest thing you learned about yourself in coming out? EVVAN: I would say the biggest thing I learned is how to be carefree. For so many years I felt like a fraud and hid away who I truly was and wanted to be. I got so good at it, too. Friends never knew my struggle, my family didn’t know what was going on, everyone was ignorant to the pain I was unconsciously putting myself through. On the outside, I looked like this happy and healthy girl living her best life. On the inside, I’d cringe at the word girl and ask myself why. I’d second-guess everything about myself and continuously wonder why I felt like a stranger in my own skin. I worked on finding who I am and when I finally figured that out, I worked on finding the confidence to be that person. I’m still learning about what being my most authentic self means and I think I’ll continue to discover bits about myself, but after coming out, I’ve found I care less about what society says or thinks and more about what pair of goofy socks match the pair of “men’s” corduroys I just bought.

TRR: What is the best advice you’ve ever received? EVVAN: “Live in the moment.” When I first heard this advice, I thought to myself, “Well, easier said than done.” It took me a while, but eventually this became my mantra. I think we’re so quick to look into the future and worry about everything that needs to get done, but we don’t always have control of the future. It’s easy to fall into the past and dredge up our mistakes, but we can’t fix the “what ifs” and the “could have beens”. Living in the moment allows you to be present and appreciate what you have in front of you, especially the little things. I relate it to taking a photo. You have a perfect shot set up of a sunset, but if you wait too long dwelling on the details of what’ll make it perfect, focusing on what caption you’ll use when you post it, thinking about how you’ll edit it to make the colors pop, the sun will go down and you’ll miss your chance. Life is precious and unpredictable, and you shouldn’t let it pass you by. Make peace with your past, give yourself a little time to plan for your future, but for the rest of it, live in the moment and experience what’s in front of you.

“I’m Not Done Yet” is available now – click here to stream/download. Click here to pre-save EVVAN’s upcoming EP, Home, scheduled for release on April 30. You can follow EVVAN on Instagram here.

 

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