When is the last time rock ‘n’ roll made you feel good? We’re talking heart-racing, headbanging, fist-pumping good? Sing-along, shout-it-out-loud, party-all-night good? If it’s been a minute, know that you’re not alone.
Gavin Evick has your back. The 22-year-old singer, songwriter and leader of the namesake Gavin Evick Band may be a child of the 21st century, but on his latest single, ‘Young, Wild & Free’, out now, he conjures the riffing hook-laden sound of the 1980s, with an arena-ready anthem custom built to blast out of car stereos on a top-down afternoon joyride.
Spiked with sticky-sweet melodies, wailing guitar solos from lead guitarist Gavin Hades, call-to-arms choruses, rousing riffs and pounding rhythms From Steven Hudgins, Max Myer, and Logan Blake , ‘Young, Wild & Free’, implores you to, as Evick sings, “Forget about your problems, leave ’em all behind.”
It’s a sound and style that Evick calls “windows-down” music. “It’s kind of a combination of eighties-style fun, rock ‘n’ roll music, plus a little take on modern country lyrics,” Evick said of the new single. “What’s great about all those eighties anthems is that feel-good summer vibe. And I love what modern country is doing in the sense of having lyrics where you can just sing along and stomp your feet. I try to do that, while still keeping things heavy.”
In essence, this is anthem rock for a new generation – a sound that has been absent from the airwaves for too long. “Usually when people my age want to listen to this type of stuff, it’s all music that’s 40 years old,” Evick noted. “And that’s the music I love, too – those bands and songs are my influences. But I want to make music for people my age. I’m trying to fill that void that I feel is missing from modern rock.”
That fresh spin has been noticed by industry professionals as well with radio stations plugging the singer. Even while Evick is looking to the greats of the past for inspiration, his songs are culled from his own life and experiences. “My ethos is like that old saying – Put some dirt on it,” Evick said. “Like, if you’re hurt, walk it off, you know? That’s what I express in my music, too. Growing up, whenever I was sad, I never wanted to listen to sad music – I wanted to listen to music that would bring up my mood and make me want to have a good time. So, I write songs that remind me of good times in my life. It’s all positive stuff.”
‘Young Wild & Free’ is available for you to stream or download, and you an check out the video here at RAMzine.
