New York based songwriter and producer Sam Owens is releasing his sophomore album You, Forever under the moniker Sam Evian. The second solo will be released June 1st on Saddle Creek and follows his 2016 debut album, Premium, and last year’s collaboration with Chris Cohen, “Need You.”. Today Owens shared the video for lead single “Health Machine”, created by Sam Evian, Brian Betancourt and Jadon Ulrich, “from footage collected on journeys through the American west that inspired and informed the new album”.
Here’s some more information about the new project from Owens from the press release:
As it has been said: no matter where you go, there you are. With You, Forever, Sam Evian is here to add some eternity to that sentiment. “This is you, forever,” he says. “It’s about accepting that you are responsible for you, that you’re in charge of your actions. Everything you do affects others and yourself, so, no matter what you choose to do, be there and learn from it.” It’s a mantra that powers Owens and is echoed across You, Forever.
You, Forever was written on the heels of touring Premium, including support runs with Whitney, Big Thief, Lucius, Luna, and Nick Hakim, all of which taught Owens much about feel and interaction. Further fueled by a desire to escape from the glow of screens and to embrace a sense of limitation, he wrote and initially recorded instrumental versions of the songs comprising You, Forever on a four-track cassette recorder using his family’s instruments in the garage where he grew up in North Carolina. He then rented a house in upstate New York with his band— Brian Betancourt (bass), Austin Vaughn (drums), Adam Brisbin (guitar), and Hannah Cohen (backup vocals)—to record on an eight-track reel-to-reel tape in July of 2017. Focusing on instrumental grooves and the vibe he had achieved on the original recordings, Owens found the process of limiting himself so enlightening he decided to up the ante again by banning tuning pedals from the house. “Tuning pedals make it so easy to sound good together, so when you eliminate them it takes everything back to the ’60s, which is when all my favorite records were born,” he says. “It makes everything more questionable, weird, and unruly in a really simple way.”
Sam Evian Tour Dates: Fri. Apr. 13 – Toronto, ON @ Monarch Tavern Fri. May 18 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Sat. May 19 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Mon. May 21 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds Tue. May 22 – London, UK @ The Islington Thu. May 24 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint Fri. May 25 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sat. May 26 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall # Thu. June 7 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott *^ Fri. June 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade *^ Sat. June 9 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd ^ Sun. June 10 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook ^ Tue. June 12 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt ^ Wed. June 13 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Thu. June 14 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Fri. June 15 – Millville, PA @ Mr. Small’s ^ Sat. June 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s ^ # = with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Deerhunter and Khruangbin * = with Katie Von Schleicher ^ = with Buck Meek
