Interview: Evie Moran
Described by Getintothis as having ‘the voice to light up your life’, Evie Moran is a 20 year old singer-songwriter from Liverpool. With delicate vocals and an intimate style, Evie’s stripped back sets often have the effect of quietening a room and captivating an audience. Reflecting influences like Billie Marten and The Staves, her carefully crafted originals tell stories of love, dreams and nature. Evie has previously appeared at events including Sound City, Threshold Festival and FOCUS Wales and has received support from BBC Introducing Merseyside and Radio 6 Music. Evie's third single 'Disconnected' is out now on Bandcamp and streaming platforms.
What led to you becoming an artist?
Music has always played a big role in my life and within my family and I started playing guitar and singing when I was quite young. I started writing when I was about 13 after discovering singer-songwriters like Billie Marten, Rusty Clanton and The Staves, and shortly after started to play open mics and record some of my own material.
What inspires your music?
I listen to a really eclectic mix of music and artists so musically I draw inspiration from all kinds of places. I try to learn how to play songs that I really love and then pick out nice chords or picking patterns and use them in my own writing. Essentially I just unashamedly rip off my favourite songs… but who doesn’t?
Lyrically I’m inspired by things going on around me. I write prose and make little notes on my phone when I’m out and about or on the train and then when I sit down to write I revisit them and try to mould them into lyrics.
Who are some of your influences?
My biggest influence is Billie Marten. I saw a lot of myself in her when I was younger, especially since she’s only a couple of years older than me, and she was my biggest inspiration when it came to songwriting. Around that time I was also listening to a lot of The Staves, Corinne Bailey Rae and dodie.
More recently I’ve got massively into alternative and dark pop artists like BANKS and London Grammar and this has influenced the direction of my new unreleased material.
What are some of your favorite memories from your career?
Releasing my second single ‘Dream’ was definitely a really exciting time for me as an artist. I worked really hard during lockdown on the release campaign which I did completely independently. It was received really well locally and I felt like I made some amazing connections off the back of that single which have led to where I am now.
My first gig back after Covid was another pretty special moment for me. It was an intimate gig at Bloom Building in Birkenhead (one of my favourite venues) and my first gig in well over a year. I’d always suffered with performance anxiety and never really felt completely comfortable on stage but somehow all of that just melted away when I got on stage for this gig. I took myself by surprise with how confident I felt and it was only after I finished my set, got off stage and then literally burst into tears that I realised just how much I’d missed performing and how important it was to me.
What have been some of the greatest challenges of your career?
A constant on-going challenge of mine is writer’s block. I could easily go 9 months without writing anything at all. I often struggle with finding the motivation to sit down and write as I’m a total perfectionist and tend to give up very easily if I’m struggling to write or feel like whatever I’m working on isn’t good enough. Something that’s helped me is having a writing partner and booking in writing sessions. It’s good to have someone there to guide you and push you towards the finish line.
Which of your songs/eps or albums is your favorite? Why is it your favorite?
I think Dream is still my favourite. I’m still really proud of it and even though it’s my least streamed single I feel like it’s the one that’s been the most well received. I think lyrically it’s my strongest song and my dad really managed to create the dreamy, ethereal soundscape that I wanted for it.
Who are some of the collaborators who helped you create your favorite work?
My dad has been my biggest collaborator, helping me record, produce and arrange my first two singles so I’m always grateful to have had that help and have those resources available to me growing up.
Over the last year I’ve been working with Ben Hughes (@yehyehben) and Leo Martin on some new tracks, the first of which is my recent single ‘Disconnected’ which we released earlier this year. We’ve had some amazing studio sessions so far and it’s been great to find collaborators that I really click with.
What are you most excited to bring to your fans in the next year?
I’ve got some really exciting stuff lined up that is completely different to my usual sound. It definitely showcases a new side to my songwriting and voice that I think might take people by surprise.
What are your goals for this upcoming year?
I’m hoping to get some gigs in cities I haven’t played yet (maybe a little mini tour at some point?). I’m also working at the moment on developing my live set and making it a bit more interesting and dynamic. Obviously my roots are in acoustic music but I want to get a bit more ambitious and show off my capabilities as a vocalist and performer.
How can your fans best support you right now?
Follow my socials and look out for my gigs! At the moment I’m mostly just playing around Liverpool and Manchester but hoping to venture further out soon.
My music is on all the usual streaming platforms and I’m also on Bandcamp if that’s your thing.
Evie Moran’s Links: