Tell us the brief history of your band or musical career.
The current project I am working on started about 6 months ago. We have had some success early on opening for national touring acts. I got an old friend of mine who I had played with in other bands to drum for me. Colin Brown is an amazing drummer and is currently drumming for Mojo Mama. I then was on the hunt for a bassist and I found one. Once I found Jeremy to play bass for me we set out to hit the pavement and started booking private and public gigs.
What album has had the greatest impact on your life as a musician? "One More Car, One More Rider" By Eric Clapton has had the most impact on me as a musician. When I was around 7 years old that album had just hit the market and my father was and still is a huge Clapton fan. We were headed to a monster truck rally in Denver and I remember thinking that I had to learn how to play guitar like that. It has been one of my favorite albums and one of the most important and influential albums in my life. What made you want to play the instrument you play? The album "One More Car, One More Rider" By Eric Clapton was really what started it all. Once I heard the massive intro to the song, "Layla" on that album I knew that's what I wanted to do. It was an amazing feeling, one I still get today when I listen to that song. I got a guitar that same year and the rest is history. What’s your favorite accomplishment as a musician thus far? I'm a massive fan of Kevin Shirley. He has produced albums for Journey, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Deep Purple and many others. In the summer of 2021, I was lucky enough to have a song mixed by Kevin. Considering that Joe Bonamassa is one of my biggest influences as a guitarist, this was a dream come true. I can honestly say that was a bucket list Item that I was able to check off at a young age. I got to work with one of my favorite producers who produced so many artists that I listened to growing up, and he mixed one of my songs! A very exciting and amazing experience I won't soon forget.
If you could play anywhere or with anyone in the world, where or with who would it be? Red Rocks Amphitheater. This has been a goal for years. Ever since I saw Earth, Wind, and Fire at that venue I have wanted to play it. What an amazing place to be as an audience member but to play to thousands of people in that beautiful landscape on that amazing stage would be the experience of a lifetime. I'll see it one day! Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician. I love the inspiration that I give people. I've had so many young folks in their early or late teens tell me, "You inspire me to keep playing," or, "You inspire me to keep going to work," After years of doing this, I figured out this is the best part for me. When I give people hope to do what they do or to keep playing an instrument it makes it all worth it, especially young folks. My least favorite part of it all is where the next paycheck is coming from. But that's part of the journey. I'd rather be struggling and happy as a full-time musician rather than rich and depressed at a day job. Freedom is worth the concern of the pay.
Give us some advice for new musicians just starting out in the industry. Don't quit. Don't give up. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do this or it won't work out. It will work out, what it depends on is you. Do you have the wherewithal to last? There is no "overnight" success in this industry. Sure you may have a few great shows, and some really good releases that pop but you're not going to just be "found". Put your nose to the grindstone and just chase the dream. There will be obstacles, there will be trials and tribulations but just keep going. Make it happen in whatever way you can and lastly, take every gig you can get. If someone needs a country player but you play metal, then learn some country licks and go play for them. Every bit of income counts in this industry so make it happen, that also spreads your image of who you are and what you're capable of. Soon enough this all starts to snowball together and creates an amazing world for yourself but IT TAKES TIME!
Do you have any weaknesses that you're actively working to improve on? Always. If you don't have things you want to get better at as a musician then you won't be a very good musician! I am constantly finding things within my playing or singing that I'm trying to improve. There is always something to learn as a musician. The best part is you will never run out of things to learn and improve on! What strengths do you have that you believe make you the musician you are? Modesty. This is a winning trait and a very toxic one as well for me. I know that I've reached a level of guitar playing that most people won't ever get to. Because of that, I have been able to live as a full-time musician. The toxic part of this is I really think I'm an awful player. I know I'm good enough to do this for a living but compared to the greats I'm a horrible guitarist! I'm sure there are things I could and should be doing but because of my modesty, I hold myself back. We are our own worst critics as they say!
What do you think the best aspects of the music business are? I think the best aspect of the music business is that you can be whoever you want. There is space for everyone in this community. What's better is once you find that space in the community that works for you, the friendships that develop out of that community are so good. Serious musicians are a very weird breed. We don't like to go clubbing and we are not super social. We would rather be practicing our instruments at home so to find friends that understand and nurture us is an amazing thing to have, the music industry provides that! What's next for your band? We are currently working on a regional tour for the summer of 2023. We are also working on adding in some heavier items to our new music. We all have a huge respect and love for the blues but we also love rock and roll. The new music coming out this year will still have a blues-rock flavor to it but we are writing some new material that I think new and old fans of mine will enjoy. What is the best way to stay updated on current news; gigs, releases, etc? The best way to stay up to date with everything going on with my live performances, studio work, behind-the-scenes content, releases, and all the other goodies is to join my mailing list. I offer so much more to fans on my mailing list than I EVER do to the fans on social media. It's worth signing up! You can do that at www.bryceevansmusic.com
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