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10 Questions with ... Evie Archer
June 30, 2014
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/eviearchermusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mseviearcher
1) What Got You Interested in music? What inspired you to pursue a career as a recording artist?
I think it's a good sign that I can't remember how I got interested in music? I was too young, but my parents tell me that I asked for piano lessons at the age of two. I did think about all sorts of other career possibilities, from Economist to Theologian to Forensic Psychologist. Ultimately, the inspiration for pursuing a career as a recording artist stemmed from the fact that music is the only thing I've done consistently since I was a little girl. It made sense to go after something I have always loved.
2) What was the inspiration for your new single "Close To You?"
I went out with a man in New York City, and at the end of the night my date walked me to the train station and kissed me in front of the stairway. We were both so wrapped up in the moment that we didn't realize a crowd of people had gotten off the train until they swarmed and surrounded us!
That singular image of being pushed even closer together by a crowd of people was the inspiration for "Close To You," and is reflected in the chorus lyrics: "I don't want to wake up now / I just want to stay here through / all the people passing by / and pushing me close to you, close to you."
3) How are you using social media to connect with your fans? Are there any new social media sites or strategies that you've found to be effective?
I am a bit of a technophobe, so it has taken me a little longer than I'd like to get used to social media. That being said, I am now a big Twitter fan. That's the social media site that allows me to feel the most connected to my fans. Conversations can happen in real time! It's almost like texting!
4) What is your approach to songwriting? How do you capture the inspiration when it comes?
Can I say "beating my head against the wall?" I'm half kidding. I try to write regularly, with or without inspiration. When I'm not inspired though, I wind up throwing away a lot of attempts and material. When I'm inspired I can sometimes feel when a song is just waiting to be written. Recently, I had a strong urge to go to the piano and one of my new songs nearly wrote itself! I think the key is to obey the urge to write a song when I have it!
5) How are you using new music technologies to record music and in your personal life?
At the moment, I don't use many new technologies, musical or otherwise! I'm always about a decade behind. Using an AudioMemos app on my iPhone to record new songs is as technologically advanced as I get. But since it's not practical for me to take up residence with the Amish at this point in my life, I'd definitely like to learn more about new music technologies. I just haven't had the time to devote to the effort yet.
6) If you had the opportunity to work with any act/artist from the past, present or future, who would it be?
I would love to work with Carole King. She's an incredible songwriter and artist and I would be honored to learn from her. I have a little fantasy about co-writing with her and having her as a mentor. Plus, she has great hair!!
7) What is your favorite song to perform live?
"Close To You" is my favorite song to perform live. It's a really upbeat pop rocker, and it gets the crowd going at the end of a show. It's also a song that demands 100% both vocally and emotionally, and I welcome the challenge that it presents!
8) Why is this lifestyle (recording, singing, traveling) one that you're willing to follow?
I kept an office job for over two years, and while there was a certain comfort in the routine, I also felt creatively stifled much of the time. Following this musical lifestyle means not only saying yes to art and creativity, but also saying yes to uncertainty and infinite possibility. It's like standing on the edge of a cliff with one foot in the air.
Soon after I made the decision to pursue music full-time, I walked into a store and heard "Free Falling" playing on the radio. It captured perfectly my feelings about what I was about to do. There was really something life-affirming in the uncertainties of pursuing a career in music.
9) What are your other musical ambitions and dreams?
I would not-so-secretly love to become a Pop star in Europe. I have dreams of writing French songs, and I do actually write some lyrics in French! I want to see the world, and I hope that pursuing music will enable me to do that, either through touring or through raking in the royalties and financing my own early retirement in Paris!
10) Do you have any advice for upcoming musicians?
"It's only life, after all." (I'm pretty sure I stole that from an Indigo Girls' song) but I think it's really helpful to keep that sentence in mind. It can feel quite overwhelming to think about pursuing a career in music, and it's easy to get bogged down in everything that has to be done. It can be too easy to forget about the music itself, in fact! But if you remember that life doesn't have to be taken so seriously, and that you don't have to wring the joy out of activities with your bare hands in your attempts to control everything, then maybe there can be room for surprises and even fun!
Bonus Questions
What do you do in your spare time?
My current obsession is with French culture and language. I do Grammar and Vocabulary drills in my spare time. Seriously!
What are some of the artists we might find on your MP3 player?
You would find a lot of French music on my iPhone at the moment because of my obsession "du jour!" You'd also hear a lot of The Beatles and some Paul Simon.
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