Mikal Evans has a folk rock sound of a woman in charge.
After a stint with acoustic players, Revival, laying down the keys and violin, she decided to go solo and perform music a little more her own style. Her morose and sultry voice drive her acoustic rock sound, reminiscent of a Tom Waits structure but with sweetly melodious vocals, simultaneously taking influences from the indie rock movement as much as singer/songwriter genres.
For Evans, influences are dated back to when she was growing up in Moore, South Carolina. That is where she first heard her father record bands in a converted schoolhouse gymnasium, and that’s where she found music to be her calling. She bought a guitar at 16 and began writing songs immediately, picking up gigs around her hometown and just generally honing in on her craft.
After college, she moved to Washington, D.C., signed to Gypsy Eyes Records, and began playing all over the district with Timothy Bracken for months. Before heading into the studio, the duo added the drum work of Jerry Busher (French Toast) and bass stylings of Ashish Vyas (Thievery Corporation). However, this band was unable to tour due to side projects.
As for her solo efforts, Evans’ debuted with an EP, “A Jailhouse…A Kingdom,” released June 2008 by D.C. based Gypsy Eyes Records. The tracks are etched with an Appalachian influence and often accompanied by mysterious lyrical content that demands a second listen.
The DCist wrote: “Evans’ style is best summed up by an observation from one audience member: “This reminds me of a really good P.J Harvey song”. To her credit, Evans has sincerity by the bucket. Like her raspy voice, her melodies seem to prize honesty over prettiness.”
Since her debut release, Evans has been living in New York City where she frequents venues such as the Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side and Spike Hill in Williamsburg. Her next album is expected to be released sometime this Fall. Evans begun the recording process in August of 2008, and just finished this September. Look out for the record on Itunes and other online releases.
