Will Evans with Lucy Clearwater

Will Evans pulls everyone into his embrace. He musically accesses a space without boundaries where all are welcome to commune openly and move freely. Through quotable folk-inspired lyrics, breezy grooves, and roots energy, it’s as if he’s giving you permission to be that pure self you can’t always be at work or even at home…

The Rhode Island-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist also puts his words into action via his “Kind Folk” fan community, activating small acts of kindness, charity, and goodwill in tandem with performances nationwide. After generating over 50 million streams independently, he inspires once again through a series of 2024 releases and much more to come.

“I want to make music that moves you,” he states. “It’s rooted in compassion, kindness, and community. With anything I release, there’s a lot of passion behind it. I’m always giving you the most authentic version of myself.”

Buzzing out of the East Coast, he has consistently engaged and enraptured a fervent audience. By rotating between acoustic guitar, didgeridoo, handpan, percussive beatboxing, and more, he has developed a living and breathing signature sound of his own. Following Wishin’ Well [2013] and Signal Flares [2015], he reached a creative tipping point on Rise [2018]. Beyond collaborations with Trevor Hall, Mihali, and Paul Izak, it yielded the fan favorites “Adam & Eve”, “Rise” and “Hoka Hey” with over 5 million streams and counting. The album notably garnered three nominations at the New England Music Awards. 2023 saw him share After The Burnt Out Sun. Met with critical acclaim, “a sophisticated collection,” Seven Days professed, “the record showcases Evans’ multi-instrumentalist prowess.” Between selling out shows across the United States and Europe, he has graced bills alongside Crosby & Nash, Grace Potter, Bruce Hornsby, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Trevor Hall, and Railroad Earth, to name a few. Meanwhile, “Kind Folk” has supported philanthropic organizations, including Surfrider Foundation, Operation Warm, Do It For The Love Foundation, Always Home, and more. Their campaigns have ranged from beach cleanups, clothing and food drives and benefits for land trust organizations.

All the while, he continually pushes himself sonically.

“I try to find sounds that are grounding ,” notes Will. “Everything starts with the rhythm, but I just love to create this ethereal atmosphere like a blanket around the lyrics. I treat it like a tapestry and add colors. It almost feels spiritual.”

That’s definitely the case with the 2024 single “The Wild Unknown.” This patchwork of dreamy guitar and vibrant bells finds him in a moment of reflection. The lyrics wrestle with life’s highs and lows only to lift off on the anthemic refrain, “We lit the fire in the wild of the great unknown.”

“It talks about how the mistakes you make and the lessons you learn in life are what really shape you,” he goes on. “All of those things are important to help you on your journey, rather than shutting them out and considering them failures. You need to be strong enough to own those experiences and actions. Life is just a wild ride.”

On “Lay Our Weapons Down,” his mesmerizing vocals practically float atop lithe acoustic guitar. Emotion pours straight from the heart as he wonders aloud, “What are you gonna do when you hit the ground?”

Then, there’s “Tides.” It layers hummable melodies between gentle guitar and soft piano. He cuts deep with proclamations a la, “It wasn’t a burden, but it was enough to change the tides.”

In the end, Will has built a place for you, if you need it.

“This is pure music,” he leaves off. “It’s like my sanctuary or my connection to a higher power. I hope it can be the same for you. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to create.”

Lucy Clearwater was born in a bathtub in a cookie factory in Northern California. The “sweet” and slightly granola nature-lover is a folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a background in classical violin. Since moving to Los Angeles at age 18, she’s released an emotional range of singles, as well as her debut EP “Feel Again” (2020), followed by 3 self-produced EP’s “Casual” (2023), “Augenlieder” (2023) and “April” (2024). She has graced the stage at many of LA’s most beloved venues including the Troubadour, and sold out shows at The Hotel Cafe, and School Night at Bardot to name a few. In 2017, while solo traveling around Europe with just a backpack and a guitar, Clearwater developed a random affinity for the German language. After two more DIY international tours, when the world shut down in 2020, she decided to learn German as a quarantine hobby. Fast forward one year, and the songstress had written a dozen songs in German and released her German language EP “Augenlieder”, garnering attention from many influential figures in the German music scene, while splitting her time living between Los Angeles and Berlin.

A natural-born community builder, she’s established a highly respected monthly gathering of songwriters both in LA and Berlin, which has been frequently compared to the parties hosted by Mama Cass (of the Mama’s & the Papa’s), a centerpiece to the legendary Laurel Canyon scene of the late 60s and early 70s.
Her songs are incredibly emotive, vulnerable, and melodically driven with influence from Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Laura Marling, to name a few.

Following the conclusion of 2 months of consecutive touring in Springtime of ‘24 (a modge-podge of headlining shows, as well as a US tour supporting Victoria Canal, and a Germany & UK tour supporting Philine Sonny) the young world-traveler won the Kerrville Folk Festival’s 2024 New Folk Competition in Texas with two of her original compositions. Rumor has it Clearwater is working on a debut album with Tyler Chester during her short stints in LA, in between her vibrant Fall ‘24 touring schedule (US, UK & EU). Tissues are a wise accessory at any Lucy Clearwater concert.

LINKS: