Evaline: Woven Sounds

By Penny Wong  •  in Interview
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Hailing from Turlock, California, indie band Evaline caught the eye of The Used’s guitarist Quinn Allman, who produced their EP back in 2003. After the departure of their former drummer and a revaluation of their sound, the band emerged in 2010 with a debut filled with layered sounds, intense guitars and swooning vocals.  Evaline’s new sound is so diverse that they were the choice band to open for bands like Deftones, Linkin Park, Neon Trees, even Japanese metal band Dir En Grey! JUICE caught up with guitarist Christian Lewis who talked about the band’s new album Woven Material and one member’s unfortunate solution for dehydration.

Let’s talk about the name of the band. How did you come up with Evaline as the band name? 
We were all hanging out by a lake, when a friend spotted the name written on a huge rock. We wanted to settle on a band name quickly, so that we could continue to progress with the band. We wanted a name that didn’t have too much meaning behind it, because we realized our tastes were constantly changing. Evaline was a nice fit for what we wanted out of a band name.

Which band or artists made you guys want to form a band together and make music?
Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Rage against the Machine, Radiohead, and the movie “That thing you do.”

What was the inspiration for your debut album Woven Material?
We just have always had such a passion for creating music, and have so much fun with the process. This album was written in a darker period of everyone’s lives, so with WM a big inspiration was creating something that we enjoyed playing so much, that we would escape from everything else.

How did the recording process for Woven Material take place?
We recorded the record at 3 different studios in England, with producer Dan Austin.

What’s your favourite song in the record? Why?
That’s something that is always changing for all of us. As of now my favourite is ‘Beneath the Fire’. It’s my favourite song to play live so that’s why it’s on top at the moment.

There are very distinctive elements in your music that are refreshing compared to many other bands out there. How would you describe your sound?
We have described it as eclectic rock, because we have such wide spread influences between the six of us, but we seem to have been able to weave it all into one sound.

You’ve been touring with some of the most successful bands in the world, like Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and Placebo. What’s the best advice that you got from them?
We learn so much from playing with bands that are of that level but it’s important to keep your own way of doing things too. It’s good to watch the confidence on those bands whilst stage and how they work with the crowd.

Any unforgettable tour moments that you’d like to share?
When Dominic pissed in an empty water bottle in our dressing room, because of the restroom being occupied. He had it sitting next to him on the couch, forgot it wasn’t water, and took a sip. He immediately spit it out, but that is something i will never forget.

You guys have a very cool fashion style. Do you foresee yourselves getting involved in creating your own clothing line?
I’m not sure about that one. Possibly one day some of us might get into that. Most likely Greg, or Perry would be interested in that.

There was a fierce online debate on illegal downloading versus going out and buying records. What’s your stand on this? Do bands make better money on touring and selling merch or buying CDs?
Well at the moment bands are making more money of touring, because of how widespread illegal downloading has become. It can really harm smaller bands, but it can also help spread your name to people who might have never heard of you without downloading it. So if that gets them to come out to a show, and buy a shirt or a CD there, then illegal downloads have actually helped in a weird way. So just make sure to support bands you love, so that they can continue to make music for you.

What’s next for Evaline?
We have just finished up a European tour with Bush, and will be playing other shows in England, and France.

Any words for your fans here in Southeast Asia?
We love you all, and have such a love for being in SE Asia. We can’t wait to come back. You all are amazing!

Woven Material is now out in stores thanks to Universal Music, Malaysia. For more updates on Evaline, visit www.weareevaline.com