Evoka Interview
As a special bonus, here is the uncut original interview for the Evoka feature in our Nov/Dec issue.
Explain to me the first reactions/emotions felt when:
a) the first time you saw the most current poster
Wow, the guys at airtype are good. They’re really good at photoshop.
b) the first time you heard your music on either the radio or coming from someone else's car or home stereo
It’s so funny looking back, but at the time it was so surreal. I was in my car when I firist heard it, and I was so excited that I ran inside the house and taped what was left of the song. I even let the tape continue recording until the dj gave out the station id so that I would have proof. I’m sure that tape is still somewhere in my house.
c) the last note fell at the end of your first gig as Evoka
I remember wishing that we would have practiced more. It was much like that feeling you have in school when the teacher said, “Clear your desk!”, and you instantly regretted the choice you made the night before to watch tv instead of studying. I still get that feeling quite a bit after shows. I guess that’s the perfectionistic side of me.
How do you feel about artists being involved in political causes (like RockTheVote, for instance)? Why do you feel this way? Please explain.
This is a really tough question. I think there is a fine line between supporting a political cause and promoting a political agenda. For instance, I don’t have a problem if an artist feels the need to raise awareness for a cause or shed light on an injustice that may be occurring in order to promote change. I am a bit weary however, when an artist uses their status to promote their own political agenda.
Discuss/explain the pros and cons of iTunes.
Honestly, I haven’t given much thought into the pros and cons of iTunes. I think the availability of music that iTunes provides far outweighs the negatives. I do understand the argument that the music that iTunes provides is of lesser quality than what is found on cd’s, and personally, I would rather own music on cd for that reason. But, I think it’s safe to say that most listeners can’t tell a difference. Then again, none of us in evoka would ever say anything bad about Apple. We’re all big fans.
What was the impetus for the last fight or fights you engaged in?
(this would include an argument amongst band members; as well as a fist fight in school or something...)
There were quite a few catalysts that lead to the last “disagreement” within the band. I think the biggest was frustration. When you put your heart and soul into something and you have a grand vision of a glorious outcome, it’s so easy to get frustrated when things don’t work as you had imagined and then get caught up in your own “pitty.”
Which artists inspire you to greatness? Which ones almost inspire you to quit (because of their greatness)? Which ones invoke anger? Why?
There’s a band from Jersey called “Ours” of which we are all quite fond of. I actually stumbled upon their music a few years ago and was instantly hooked by the passion that is captured in their music. It’s almost contagious.
U2 is another great source of inspiration. Their ability to write timeless music is incredible, and the way that they are able to keep it simple but interesting is ingenius.
As far as invoking anger, there are plenty of bands that do that simply from the fact that I dislike their music and for some reason or another I can’t escape from hearing their songs, whether it be on the radio, tv, cell phone ringers, etc. But as far as naming names, I won’t do that here because it’s simply my opinion.
Tell us about To Write Love On Her Arms and why you've decided to work with them?
To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit organization that reaches out to people who are hurting by bringing love and hope into their lives. We as a band, all realize that there’s more to life that just ourselves, and TWLOHA is one small way that we can contribute to helping others. There are so many people in need so we want to do our part to help spread the message of love.
What songs excite you the most from "Cries from the Castlegate Empire?" Why?
Ahh but you see, I’m biased on this one. They all excite me simply for the fact that each one has a special meaning to me. If this weren’t the case, the song wouldn’t have made the record.
How would you describe your style? Which artists (if any) do you think your music most resembles?
That’s a tough question, and one that labels seem to struggle with as well. We keep hearing from most major labels that we are too indie and the indie labels say that we are too mainstream. That’s quite a catch 22, don’t you think? As far as our sound, the description most commonly used would be “British”, which I think is fair assessment considering most of the music we listen to does come from overseas.
What do you think about the fusion of art and faith? Comment on the "Christian music" or "Christian art" you see around you, as well as your philosophies concerning faith and art...
My “Faith” is the most significant part of my life, and although we aren’t a “Christian Band”, it is bound to be evident in our art. I recently read an interview in which Bono quoted author C.S. Lewis, who wrote something to the effect of “The world does not need more Christian writers. What the world needs is more writers who are Christians.” That’s the approach that we choose to take. By dong so, we hope to be real with everyone so that people will see that the stigma’s associated with Christianity aren’t what Christ was all about.
What are your goals for this next year? What are your immediate plans (touring, videos, singles, etc)??
A tour would be great. We do have a few things in the works as far as that goes, but nothing concrete yet. Otherwise, I don’t think that our goals as a band vary much from any other aspiring band simply for the fact that we want to get in front of as many new people as we can and to get this record into as many hands as possible. All four of us are extremely passionate about the music that we create together and want nothing more than to share it with others and to make a career out of doing that. As far as the financial side is concerned, it has been quite a sacrifice to fund this recording on our own, so obviously, we would like to recoup so that we can sleep better at night, and of course, so we can begin work on the next chapter.
©2007 HM Magazine - All Rights Reserved
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Comments
i hope to see big things from evoka in 2008- these guys are great!
You know what else Christ wasn't all about? Being a (bleep, bleep). These guys are ignorant (bleep) -- spend five minutes with them and you'll see it.
[post edited by DVP]
Name calling and accusations without evidence are easy to make. If you have a point, explain your generalities with details and then let us hear from the accused as well.
