After releasing their highly anticipated debut EP titled Vol. 1, Evaride has been hard at work on its follow-up.

The music scene of Charleston, S.C. is the most active and diverse it has ever been. Orchestras, jazz lounges, pour houses and more entice music lovers with an eclectic mix of live opportunities. Its appeal drew in The Stews, a four-piece who formed in the midst of the pandemic and left university behind to live out their dreams.

While their initial timing wasn’t ideal to play local shows or tour the country, their ample free time allowed them to hone in on their songwriting and musical abilities. It wasn’t long before they were performing to sold out crowds in New York and Washington D.C. They released a self-titled EP in 2021 and their debut full-length, What Was, in 2022.

Their latest release, Chicken Fight, is a divergence from their previous sound. This time around, they really pushed themselves to be the best versions they can be.

“We had lots of great experimental discoveries during the process of recording, which spanned almost two years, but actually completing the record was so satisfying because of the relentless touring we were doing while getting in the studio whenever we could in between,” drummer Wyatt Griffith said.

The final moments of completing the last song for the album was the most rewarding because that meant they were one step closer to sharing the album with their fans. Since its release, they have spent the summer touring and receiving feedback.

“The reaction from our fans, specifically at live shows, has been the most meaningful,” Griffith said. “It’s been amazing hearing enthusiastic cheers and lyrics [sung] back to us when we play these new songs.”

Griffith said that they were most looking forward to playing “Lately” and “How It Ends” since they had worked out a continuous transition between the songs while in the studio. The transition felt like it was made with their live shows in mind, and they have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the reactions of those in the crowd. This was especially enjoyable at their album release show at New York’s Irving Plaza.

“It was one of those shows where there was such great energy all throughout the room and we felt like we were firing on all cylinders,” he said.

Another memorable performance during their summer tour was at Avondale Brewing Company in Birmingham, Ala. It was the final stop on their July run of shows and it was the most tickets they had ever sold.

Despite the pride they feel for this album, they have discussed the fatigue that plagued them during its creation process. Writing and recording Chicken Fight took a lot longer than they had anticipated due to their touring schedule, and would like their next release to be created while they are off the road.

“While we were very busy, and it certainly made finding the record easier, we found ourselves sometimes exhausted in the studio and not able to truly focus when we’d get in for a couple days straight from being on the road the weekend prior,” Griffith said.

Chicken Fight turned out to be quite the learning experience for The Stews. Writing and recording an album for two years involved patience, determination and the willingness to find a common ground. They have spent the summer sharing this album with fans across the country, and anticipate a different approach to music moving forward.

Even from an early age, Bevin has had a fascination with women’s history. Hearing their stories and seeing how they navigated through a life of prejudice and discrimination became an inspiration to her songwriting.

This fascination led her to a five-year journey of creating a documentary titled Pregnant and Starving, which is currently in post-production. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe type of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that can lead to dizziness, dehydration and weight loss. While it is considered a rare condition, it was most notably discussed with Catherine, Princess of Wales, as she experienced hyperemesis gravidarum during all three of her pregnancies. Bevin was also familiar with the condition as she had a friend who suffered from it during three pregnancies.

“[Pregnant and Starving] tells the stories of women who are quite literally maneuvering their way through various medical systems just to receive proper care for this disease,” she said. “We’ve had the pleasure of speaking with women all over the world.”

She also stumbled upon a book titled Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World by Elinor Cleghorn. A trailblazing, conversation-starting history of women’s health - from the earliest medical ideas about women’s illnesses to hormones and autoimmune diseases - brought together in a fascinating sweeping narrative.

All of these elements fueled Bevin to write a song. “Unwell” was co-written with George Krikes and by far the most fun she has had in the studio. Despite it being an imperative topic, its creation was the exact boost she needed to tell this story.

“I needed to write a song about this because this needs to be brought to attention in a fun way,” she said. “My songs are all connected to themes of justice and trying to understand the discriminatory and unethical systems through a female gaze. I wanted to make it a rock song and be a bit cheeky with it, a bit sarcastic, because it’s super important. I don’t think we should separate politics from art at all.”

While “Unwell” is meant to live as a single, a full-length album is next on her to-do list. She has had the album title for as long as she can remember, American Jezebel, and said that it will be a culmination of her life’s work up until this point.

It is important to her that the album creates a musical landscape that reflects her emotions. Songs are her version of storytelling, and through her years of writing she has learned that she is much stronger than she thought.

She has learned to trust herself in ways that she wished she had when she was fresh on the music scene. Getting opinions and receiving feedback can be helpful, but relying on her own intuition and having faith in it is how she knows her music is genuine.

“I’ve always loved that strong women are made out to be villains, and I love that I want to explore that in my record and put my own commentary on that notion,” she said. “ I took my own power back and it feels really good.”

Bevin is not afraid of making music that becomes a conversation piece. She recognizes how important it is to not only tell her story, but the stories of women everywhere. While the stories are endless, they are plentiful.

Photo courtesy of Ashly Nicole

Piper Page typically finds inspiration for her music based on real events, and her latest singles are no exception.

Upon waking up after a night out with friends, an interesting text exchange with a love interest brought forth the single “Serious”.

“I thought, ‘this is too silly not to put this in writing’ and I wrote the opening lines of the song right then and there on a crappy keyboard in my apartment in the East Village,” she said. “The whole song just came flowing right out.”

She believes that “Serious” can be a relatable and recognizable story for a lot of college-aged women. At that time in her life, she decided that enjoying herself in a new city was the most ideal way to experience life.

“There’s no reason a 20-year-old in New York City should be tied down to anything, (a man, a major, a job, nothing!) even if that’s what I thought I wanted for myself at the time,” she said. “I wanted to write a song that captured that idea, while still touching on concepts like fear of commitment and rejection - because I’m sure most 20-somethings experience that at some point or another.”

While “Serious” is about savoring a night out with friends, “Rose Colored Glasses” dives deep into the bittersweet reality of ignoring red flags during the infatuation stage. The emotional depth is felt in both the lyrics and the composition, giving the listener a real look into a certain type of relationship.

“I wanted it to feel like you’re being swept up in a modern day romance,” she said. “Yet, the lyrics are telling a story that’s contrary to this.”

“Serious” and “Rose Colored Glasses” will be part of a bigger project releasing later this year. Page said she has been working on the 12-track LP for the past two years, including some tracks that will be brand-new to listeners.

“All of them will make you feel something, whether you need to sit in your emotions, recover from heartbreak or just have some fun; there’s a song for everyone on there,” she said. “I wanted the entire project to feel like you’re listening to a best friend tell you their latest love-life update, as I did (and still do) to many of my closest friends.”

As a self-proclaimed “bad bitch with commitment issues”, Page uses her musical ability as a form of therapy (in addition to traditional therapy, which she recommends!). It is a way for her to continue to be the most authentic version of herself.

“My advice is just be okay with feeling, or not feeling,” she said. “Acknowledge what is right for you and meant for you in the moment. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing because you’re on your own path. Life is hard, but you’re still a bad bitch.”

The most memorable part of studying abroad for Alex Gomez was meeting his future bandmates. Harry Ruprecht and Max Wanduragala immediately formed a friendship with the American, and before they knew it, they were meeting his childhood friend, Matt Walter. From this, The Backfires were formed.

By the release of their first EP, the band was split between the U.S. and the U.K. Since that wasn’t ideal, Gomez and Walter made the move to London. After spending a few years writing, recording and living there, they felt that it was time to try something new.

“It felt like New York was this more inclusive place,” Gomez said. “I think New York is full of history.”

“New York has this scene that is more appealing,” Ruprecht added. “When we first moved here, we really got into the Manhattan scene and started going to as many shows as possible and mingling with other bands. I feel like we’ve definitely taken a lot of inspiration from that scene and fed off that scene.”

Ruprecht and Wanduragala found the glamor of New York appealing. The decision to move turned out to be quite an easy one, and their bandmates, who grew up in Washington D.C., agreed. It was a bit of a culture shock for everyone but in the best way.

“I feel like the legacy and the history of music is much more linear and easier to track,” Walter said. “It is cool to be part of the legacy of a city. Obviously we aren’t from there, but to observe it from afar and then to try to contribute to it is something outside of yourself which is just a beautiful thing.”

Moving to New York brought them new opportunities, and before they knew it, they had a batch of new songs that felt like a love letter to their new home. “Brighter Lights” became the song that best felt like their introduction as a New York-based band.

Inspired by the city’s infamous nightlife, they wanted a song and accompanying music video to encapsulate that. The video is the first time they were able to have more freedom in the creative aspect of it, and chose disco balls and convertibles as their co-stars.

They consider “Brighter Lights” the most mature song in their catalogue to date. The move to New York was all the motivation they needed to really submerge themselves into the music, taking any chance to commit to a writing session or play a show.

“We kind of existed on paper as a band,” Gomez said. “As a band, now, I feel like it’s only existed for two and a half years. It’s been the concept of New York and all living together and being in the same place. I feel like there’s a lot of learning and figuring ourselves out.”

“I don’t think we developed our live sound until we got here,” Ruprecht added. “Until we really got in the trenches and did six nights a week rehearsing and really proper in the band above everything else.”

The more songs they wrote, the more they realized they were working towards a full-length album. Their latest single, “Dressed For A Funeral”, was another one of the first songs they wrote after their move. It originated during those six-night-a-week practices, getting played a handful of times at live shows and becoming something new each time.

Just hours before it was recorded, they finally decided on its final form. With melancholy lyrics and an upbeat tempo, they believe it is one of those songs best digested during a long drive or walk through the city.

Much like the original song, the music video evolved quite a bit before becoming the final product. Inspired by Raymond Carver’s Why Don’t You Dance, the video brings the bittersweetness of the song to life.

The Backfires have not only found a place to call home but a place that has brought out the best in them. Their story of being 20-somethings living in New York will be told in more music to come.

Photo courtesy of Cody Encinas

As a writer, John Flanagan believes that a good song is a good song no matter when that song is released. When he wrote the song “Freedom” for his folk-pop duo with Ashley Morgan, Faultlines, the United States was already experiencing enough darkness. They placed it on the back burner for a brighter day.

Enduring a global pandemic as a full-time artist meant watching an entire livelihood disappear overnight. As the months dragged on, moments to reflect became moments to address. Creatives in any medium took that opportunity to try to make sense of the madness. Faultlines chose “Freedom” as their contribution to the ongoing conversations.

“I remember it being said that there were more protests in 2020 than the nation had seen since the 60s,” Flanagan said. “People realized - once they had five seconds to think - that things aren’t right in America. We saw the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (along with countless others) and the surge in the Black Lives Matter movement. The disparaging income inequality between our billionaire oligarchy class and people, like me, who needed to go on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was highlighted by the shutdown. The rich got richer off of all the death, while the average person helplessly watched their savings drain.”

Flanagan compares releasing “Freedom” to the television series Black Mirror. Creator Charlie Brooker held off on writing season six of the show as he believed his audience could use a break from the darkness. Flanagan agreed with that thought process, and wanted to make sure that he wasn’t taking away the spotlight from voices that needed to be heard.

Morgan rediscovered the demo of “Freedom” shortly after The Covenant School in Nashville was devastated by a school shooting in 2023. It seemed that no matter how long they held on to this song, it was going to remain relevant. It was important to them to get the song right.

They kept the original lyrics from four years ago and added a bridge that focuses on the band’s harmonies. Originally, the bridge focused on overlapping “ohs” but seemed to fall short on Flanagan’s vision. It was beautiful, but it was still missing something.

“The song didn’t build to the final chorus and ad libs with the power I wanted,” he said. “I remember driving in frustration over Laurel Canyon after what was supposed to be our last session when a lightbulb went off, and I realized that all we needed was a vocal build on the word “freedom”. It was so easy - as most fixes usually are - and I recorded a voice note to send to Ashley and our producer, David Kidd. A week later, the song was ready to go.”

Mixing politics with music was frowned upon for decades. For Faultines, this is their soapbox. They formed a folk band because that is the genre that connects most to forming opinions and engaging in a dialogue that could change those opinions. Flanagan believes in the concept of, “if you want to change someone’s mind, you’ve got to get inside their head”, and that there is no better way to do that than with a song. He asks, “Doesn’t everyone walk around with a melody stuck in their head all day?”

“If ‘Freedom’ can be that melody, if people can be inspired to question and call out their leaders because of something I said, then good! And given the choice between writing another distracting and fluffy song, or one that can create change, I chose the latter.”

“Freedom” is undeniably political, but Flanagan doesn’t believe it is partisan. It is a song born out of a time that is both unlike anything the country has ever seen and a discourse that has been seen time and time again.

“As we narrow the political field this fall, I don’t think it is a coincidence that Kamala Harris’ campaign song and platform is ‘freedom’,” he said. “There is a lingering question in the American subconscious which asks: who is this country for? Do some deserve more freedom than others? Do we bow to wealth and christofascism or do we choose policies of equity and love? So what do I hope listeners will take away from the song? Vote! Vote with compassion, with empathy and with a thoughtful conscience that sees beyond party lines to the values of the individual who deserves your check mark!”