Tom Evanchuck

Tom Evanchuck is 22, but he's an old soul. "I've been told I'm a 50- or 60-year-old man trapped in a 22-year-old's body," he said.
It's easy to see why, judging by the rustic folk and blues on Evanchuck's albums--two of which he just released simultaneously: a solo acoustic (Fadin' Glow) and an electric album with a full band (Tom Evanchuck Is Back as The Evanchucks). Both find the baby-faced troubadour taking his influences and using them to discover his own, authentic voice.
Evanchuck is a Lake County native who now calls Chardon, Ohio, home. He'll make the trip south to Columbus on Friday for a 10 p.m. gig at the Rumba Café, where he'll share stage time with Bloodshot Records' Lydia Loveless and his local friends the Mooncussers (featuring Peloton Records head and Evanchuck manager Steve McGann).
I caught up with Evanchuck recently over email to learn a bit more about his songwriting process and whether or not he killed his wife.
Is it safe to say most of your influences come from people more than twice your age? I hear Dylan from time to time, some soul. But I also hear a lot of folk blues, like Leadbelly. And some straight-up blues: Lightnin' Hopkins, Blind Lemon Jefferson.
Yeah, I draw mainly from Neil Young, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, the Beatles, etc., but I really got into the people that influenced them. I like to look at it as I'm the third generation. The blues aspect, you pretty much nailed right on the head. Also, to add names: Howlin' Wolf, Earl Hooker. For the electric records, it was a lot of Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Percy Sledge-just that good Motown, soul feel.
You've released quite a bit of music in the past couple years. How do you tend to write songs? Does it all pour out at once and often, or do you tweak one song for months?
Yes, I have released quite a bit of music. When it hits me (which it does often), it all comes pouring out. These last three records were all written in a month or so.
I never tweak songs. I have been criticized by other musicians (who say I should) hang onto what I don't finish, or what I write and don't use, but I feel that if I didn't like it then, I'm not going to like it in the future.
I try to write a song a day. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, and sometimes I write more than one. It all depends on what happens when I sit down.
You seem to value simplicity in your songs. They're not gussied up with anything fancy. Do you purposely restrict your songwriting to allow the songs to ring clearly, or is that just how they happen to come about?
Yeah, I love simple songs that still hit home. And yes, that's how the songs came together. Usually I write them, structure them one way, and that's how I go in and record them. The whole songwriting/recording process is very quick for me. That's how I like it.
Some of the stories in your songs seem like just that--stories. Like "Bury My Wife." I'm guessing you didn't bury a misbehaving wife underneath a pine tree. But these two albums feel a bit more autobiographical. Is it fair to say your writing has become more personal?
Ha ha, no, I've committed no murder. I feel like the writing has definitely matured for me. I used to only be about writing story songs, but since my Tom record, I feel I have finally grasped the way to write a song I relate to, but so will everyone else.
When you come to Columbus, will it be acoustic or electric? Or both?
It's looking to be electric, but I may also play some acoustic songs.
What's next for you? A summer tour?
I hope to push these records as far as I can, and that will include a late summer/early fall tour. Right now we are trying to build up the Ohio market, let everyone know what's in their backyard, while we get ready for the tour.
- The Other Paper

At only 22 years old, one knows Tom Evanchuck could not have lived all the tales he sings, but he tells them better than most ever could. He’s drawn from the greatest storytellers of eras gone by, the music of our mothers’ and fathers’ time, and the tunes their parents tapped to before that. The air of an ageless soul flows in his music and strikes a listener still.
Better known as an acoustic folk artist around the Greater Cleveland area, Evanchuck is reshaping the mold with his first electric record, Tom Evanchuck is back as The Evanchucks, and still holding true to the sound that has captured fans — not only from the local scene, but beyond Ohio’s state line — with the simultaneous release of his third acoustic album, Fadin’ Glow.
Fadin’ Glow

In Evanchuck’s traditional fashion, Fadin’ Glow is a patchwork of stories sung over an undulating acoustic guitar. But breaking away from the mirthful melodies heard on Tom, Fadin’ Glow is a collection of somber chanties. While the record starts with “Sunshine,” an upbeat rockabilly jive with an optimistic message about taking life as it rolls, the record’s title song is a brief, lonesome ballad encapsulating the silent moments of a heart aching in hope. Leah McCoy’s innocently sweet vocals complement the depth of Evanchuck’s own on the song “Fadin’ Glow,” as well as several other tracks featured on the album including “Glory,” a matrimonial love duet with the potential to steal the hearts of brides across the country picking out their perfect wedding songs.
Evanchuck said his writing for this album was more personal than his previous work. “All My Friends” is true down to the very last verse, he said. In the song, he candidly expresses his sentiment regarding his brother’s departure to the Navy, warbling, “They call it a tin can, for a grown man, the office of the sea. I say, those thievens stole my brother, and it’s a while ‘til he’s free.”
“The development of my writing has gone from strictly wanting to write story songs to more personal writing. It’s matured in many ways,” Evanchuck said.
However, his broad stock of songs is evidence that Evanchuck is a storyteller at the core. Fadin’ Glow’s third track “Everett” is a brazen western-style fable that tells the tale of an unscrupulous character who steals the life of another man and makes it his own only to be caught.
“My mind is somewhat of a scary place,” Evanchuck laughed.
The record ends with the low-tumbling strain “Somebody’s Got To,” a prelude to the electric release.
Tom Evanchuck is back as The Evanchucks

Tom Evanchuck is back as The Evanchucks picks up where Fadin’ Glow left off, with a charged reprise of “Somebody’s Got To.” The electric-infused record signals Evanchuck’s crossover from humble folk singer to bonafide rock musician. The album is an ode to Americana. Hints of blues and gospel permeate through distorted guitar riffs, going back to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll.
“Take Me Back” is a carefree anthem one-way bound to make you want to forget responsibility and hit the open road. Drummer Anthony Evanchuck kickstarts the song with a Texas shuffle rat-a-tat that drives the energy of the roving guitar over Patrick Jenkin’s gravel bass line and straight on through Will Nolan’s wild organ interludes.
The band switches up the tempo on “Long, Long Ohio,” a steady-building tribute to the unchanging comfort of home peppered with simple, percussive tambourine taps beneath melodic guitar murmurs.
“I love Otis Redding, Ray Charles, and Lightning Hopkins — that old bluesy sound mixed with Motown. Basically, if I could sing like an old black man, I would,” Evanchuck said of his inspiration for both the electric and acoustic releases.
Dwelling on the fight to surrender to lover’s adoration, Evanchuck feigns the fervor of Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind” as he cries out for “Peace of Mind” on the aptly titled blues, doo-wop tune. The song, he said, is “basically telling the girl, she knows and you know — so just give in. Find that peace of mind.”
The good-time spirit of Tom Evanchuck is back as The Evanchucks makes it a fitting summer soundtrack. With the collaboration of talented musicians backing Evanchuck on this album, his newfound sound ascends to a class of music lost in your parents’ record collections.
Fadin’ Glow and Tom Evanchuck is back as The Evanchucks were both recorded by Division Sound and are available on iTunes and Amazon. The three-song EP, Nebby Thomas and Zrenner Lewis, which Evanchuck recorded with Bad Racket Recording Studios and launched in advance of the dual release, is available on CDBaby and Amazon.
Editor’s note: For an optimal listening experience, begin with Nebby Thomas and Zrenner Lewis, follow with Fadin’ Glow and end with Tom Evanchuck is back as The Evanchucks. - www.therhythmreport.blogspot.com

Tom Evanchuck headlined a night of four different acts at the Merry Arts Pub & Grille in friendly Lakewood, Ohio. Put together by one of the performers and Amherst native, Pat Malloy, the eve of Christmas Eve celebration lived up to the hype. The friendly and at some times raucous crowd enjoyed sets by both Malloy and Jay Martynowski but when Tom Evanchuck took to the stage the atmosphere changed and the attention went to him when his guitar began to speak.

With his cousin Anthony Evanchuck on percussion the duo played a vintage set that would have made Lightning Hopkins proud. The 21 year old has the face of a 15 year old but his blues/soul sound is that of a 30 year Memphis veteran. Song after song could have been a showstopper but with a rare showmanship seen at this level he used each one to fuel a masterful fire of a set. The Chardon native was channeling spirits from an age of music almost forgotten. With his original tracks highlighted by “Take me Back”, northeast Ohio has a new son of soul and his name is Tom Evanchuck.


www.tomevanchuck.com - www.altohio.com

I wouldn’t call the sound reverberating from Bad Racket Recording Studio’s door “racket.” Take approximately two minutes and check out this snippet of Tom Evanchuck, Cleveland’s on-the-rise folk artist. Chardon native Tom Evanchuck is releasing an EP on Sun 5/1 — it’s music you’ve been waiting for, but may not have realized. The EP, entitled Nebby Thomas and Zrenner Lewis, is just three songs. With an untampered sound and folk appeal, Evanchuck is raw talent. Soak in these three songs and sit in anticipation for his dual album release Sat 5/21 @ Beachland Tavern.

Having sat through his recording session at Bad Racket Studios on the West side, I’m going to brief you on what to expect. There, only for a few hours, I was given the chance to get behind the creative process and witness the true haphazard insanity behind it. As the EP is just three tracks, it was recorded in essentially three days. Clearly open-minded toward music suggestions, Evanchuck uses more than the standard guitar and drum.

Each song has a completely different feel, ranging from a foot-stomping (literally) piece to a slow, somber tune. Each has its own personality and character, with instruments ranging from the core banjo and harmonica to abstract objects like a broom. There was bottle breaking as well (no injuries) and some whistling. Would it be worth staying up till midnight on Sat 4/30 to catch the Sun 5/1 download? Probably. It’s a digital release – so head towards your neighborhood Amazon, iTunes, or click over to http://TomEvanchuck.com. - www.coolcleveland.com

There are three things you should know about local singer-songwriter Tom Evanchuck.

First, you don't find too many young artists caring much about where their music comes from. There are obvious elements of alt-country and traditional twang in Evanchuck's music, but at the core of it he's a folksinger.

The Strongsville native, who now lives in Concord, grew up on the usual Important Influences: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles. But he's also interested in the artists who influenced them. "I got into the old music from the '20s, '30s, and '40s," he says. "Just the way that they wrote songs and the things that they said, I just eat that up. And that's what has been pouring out lately."

Evanchuck is sort of suspended between eras, an old soul spinning catchy folk tales to modern-day audiences. But he's arrived at a good time, just as young and enthusiastic indie-rock fans are gravitating toward a more rustic style of music (see Iron and Wine, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and other bearded, cabin-dwelling bards for proof).

The second thing you should know about Tom Evanchuck is that he's always working on music. Like, constantly. He's 22 now, and he's been strumming at coffee shops since high school. He used to work a full-time job, writing and playing his music whenever he had a spare minute. These days, being a musician is his full-time job.

He's paid his dues, playing bar gigs late into the night, getting up mere hours later, and going to the job that paid his bills. He was writing a lot back then — a dozen new songs in a week, eventually whittling the best down for release. Evanchuck still works like that: His recent EP, Nebby Thomas and Zrenner Lewis, features only three songs.

He's built a fan base over the years by traveling across the state to play shows in faraway college towns and maybe sell a few CDs. That nonstop work ethic has made Evanchuck somewhat of a veteran of the local music scene over the past couple of years. He has loyal fans here. He has loyal fans in other parts of Ohio. And he knowss"it's definitely going to take a while to get where I really, really want to be," he says. "I don't want to just pop up with a song and disappear. I want a slow-burn lengthy career."

Evanchuck has picked up tips from other musicians in town, many of whom have been doing the same thing before Evanchuck even reached puberty. They're quick to offer advice. "I'm getting pointers from people who are 10 years into it," he says. "I'm grateful for that."

The third thing you should know about Tom Evanchuck is that he's not afraid to try something new. He'll go out and buy a banjo just to see what kind of music he comes up with on it. He'll spend entire days writing songs that may never see the light of day, just to keep his songwriting sharp.

Evanchuck has two new albums coming out, each with 10 songs. Fadin' Glow, like his past work, features just Evanchuck and his acoustic guitar, riffing on small-town blues and broken hearts. But Tom Evanchuck Is Back as the Evanchucks is a plugged-in electric album with a drummer, bassist, and piano player. "It's still Americana, so it all works," he says. "It all goes together."

At Saturday's CD-release show at the Beachland Tavern, Evanchuck will give fans a taste of both records, playing a solo acoustic set and an electric one as a quartet. And don't worry about musical whiplash; Evanchuck says there'll be a pretty steady flow to the tunes. "Lyrically and structurally, it's all similar," he says. "They show off the same characteristics."

There's actually one more thing you should know about Tom Evanchuck. After spending even a little time with him, you know he's heading in the right direction. When he talks about his music and his future, he never mentions being rich and famous. He talks about music. And where it comes from. And how he wants people to talk about his music the way they talk about his influences. "To be that household name like Neil Young and Bob Dylan, to be that defining ...," he says. "A lot of people want fame and fortune. I want respect." - Scene Magazine

"He's got a nice young tenor voice and elegantly simple songs that ignore the au courant as he sings about ''burying his wife in that old pine shade'' instead of filing for divorce via Twitter. He's quite the impressively facile fingerpicker and slide player on the acoustic guitar." - Akron Beacon Journal - Malcolm X Abram - 1/07/2010

"Tom Evanchuck masters the art of impossible calmness and palpable sincerity– only making his twenty years of age more baffling. This voice no-doubedtly picked up its leathery anatomy from decades in the coalmine or lifetimes in a whiskey bottle. Or maybe this is just the best of Cleveland." - Laura McMullen

These are words from "Angelia Maria Deluca," words from someone that has seen and felt evil, betrayal and despair; someone that has been around the block of life for awhile. These are also the words from the first song on the full-length and self-titled CD of soon-to-be twenty-year old Tom Evanchuck. In comparison to the millions of other singer-songwriters and contemporary Dylan-wannabes, Evanchuck boasts a collection of songs that is equally violent, joyous, depressing and romantic, continuing the gone-but-not-forgotten craft of story-telling.
Evanchuck does something that many young songwriters can not – he puts alternating tempos, graphic, narrative lyrics and several different playing styles on an assembly line and interchanges the parts at will without sacrificing the quality one piece for the other. Songs like "Shade," "Beaumont Fletcher" and "Patronize" offer a variety of flowing rhythms and a fusion of blues, easy folk-picking and driving strums that would leave Woody Guthrie tickled and Bob Dylan envious.
Other stellar tracks include "Questions," a poignant and bouncy track that blushes with insecurity and confusion; the sing-a-long story of a drunk and his fate, "Johnman," and a love song on piano "Morning Sunrise."
We live in a time where the majority of us cannot justifiably write about honky-tonks, rambling across the country by train, getting drunk and dying by the river side or visiting a town called Shade. These are all old, weathered and beaten stories that if imitated poorly, will become redundant, phony and out of date; if polished and shined – timeless classics. I can't simply imagine any woman screaming to Tom Evanchuck out the back of a horse and buggy "I hope you rot in hell." But Evanchuck will make you believe that it happened and further more, he'll make you believe you were there next to him.
- Black Squirrel Radio

MUSIC REVIEW: Tom Evanchuck
It's fitting that Cleveland-area singer/songwriter Tom Evanchuck began his set last Friday night at the Mez with a song about a train station. The Mez's gorgeous architecture, with its brick archways and vaguely antiquated ambiance, made the perfect setting for Evanchuck's evocations of the past. Not only that, but with six people in attendance - including venue owner, sound guy, opening act, opening act's significant other, and Evanchuck's manager - the gig felt a lot like being at a small-town station with a long time to wait before the train arrives, where you just have to suspend time to make the best of it.
Which is exactly what Evanchuck did. A trooper who played to the very best of his talents until the very last minute he was allowed to play, Evanchuck treated the small audience to an intimate and inspiring performance. (A large crowd showed for his Saturday appearance.) Barely 20 years old, Evanchuck clearly feels most at home playing old folk music - "really old," as he explained between songs. While Evanchuck's up-tempo finger-picking style immediately brings to mind the Appalachian roots music that has become engrained in our cultural DNA, his youthful appearance (and US Marine Corps t-shirt) felt strangely incongruous with the tales of dirt roads and having Bob Dylan's "worried blues."
Evanchuck proved how old-fashioned he really is when he introduced a song about a woman coming on too strong. Perhaps reading the crowd's mind, he mentioned that an audience member once yelled, "What's wrong with that?" And his songs concluded quickly and gracefully, almost as if it would be impolite to go on for too long at a time. Nonetheless, if his style recalls the past, his voice - a cross between electro-crooner David Gray and local roots sensation Alan Whitney - sounds startlingly contemporary. With it, he maintained a crystalline, almost unbelievable level of clarity the entire night. He concluded with a cover of Neil Young's "Vampire Blues" that managed to be austere and lively and filled with the blues all at once.
Much like Tom Evanchuck, bluesman John Hammond got hooked on an ancient musical tradition as a youngster. He was 7 years old, in fact, as he explained at Sunday night's Hot Blues for the Homeless benefit and tribute to Son House at Water Street Music Hall. "I got to play with Son House," Hammond said, "which doesn't give me any credentials whatsoever." Maybe not, but Hammond did demonstrate the undiminishable power of a guitar, a harmonica, and your voice. With his knack for unadorned, naked melody, Hammond's love for the music charged his performance, a quality he shares with Evanchuck. In their way, both performers proved that blues and folk ultimately belong to everyone, regardless of age.
- Rochester City News - Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

Canandaigua, N.Y. —

Tom Evanchuck is 20 years old. Almost everything that’s been written about him makes note of that — in part, because few can believe such knowing songs, and such old-time sounds, can come from such a young man.


But this Americana artist from Ohio is the real deal, playing folk- and blues-based songs he’s penned that evoke, say, that other Midwestern kid, the very early Bob Dylan — or the rambling folk singers and hard-core bluesmen who preceded and inspired him. Dangerous women stalk Evanchuck’s songs — with “fortune handed down by the blood in your veins/fame given by courage and the power to deceive” (“Melinda’s Blood”) — as do trials and troubles at every turn. The world Evanchuck evokes with his voice and guitar seems one where freight trains are hopped and old gambling men lay in the cold, cold mud. And a young man with a six-string can create a world.


Evanchuck has some D.C. busking in his past, though he plays mostly in Ohio venues. He’s turned his gaze eastward in recent months, though, playing The Mez in Rochester a little while back. He’ll return to that Gregory Street coffeehouse at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 — then, on Saturday, Aug. 22, he’ll be part of a full day of folk, blues, bluegrass, Americana and more at All Things Art, the “Acoustic Music Showcase.”


The Messenger tracked Evanchuck down last week to talk about writing, singing and playing his music.



Q. Your sound is reminiscent of the early, “freewheelin’”-era Bob Dylan — or more to the point, some of his antecedents, like Blind Willie McTell. How did you arrive at your sound?
A. I got there by listening to people like Blind Willie McTell or Mississippi John Hurt. I grew up a lot on Neil Young; with Neil Young comes Bob Dylan, and with Bob Dylan comes a lot of older folk music and a lot of older blues music. The ’20s and ’30s are where I’d like to be.


Q. What makes a compelling song to you?
A. If it has something good to say, or something interesting, I’m automatically interested. I don’t want to write a song that’s boring to people.


Q. Are there songs you’re particularly proud of, where you feel you really put together what you wanted to say?
A. “Angelia Marie DeLuca” — out of all the songs I’ve done recently, that one to me is like a flash of light; that I could write a story like that and put it to music. (He also noted “Patronize.”)


Q. Most of what’s been written about you makes much of your age — an old soul in a 20-year-old body, and the like. Your own MySpace page, in fact, says your full-length debut album “raises the question of how a young man can create a story that sounds so calloused and so old.” Well, that does raise the question.
A. I guess it’s just because I’ve always been elderly in the way I think and act. I take to older people more than I do to younger people — musically, or just conversation; I took what I do outside music. I grew up on older music, for one. (He notes that older songwriters tended to be more subtle or circumspect than modern songwriters.) I’m not into writing a song about love, so to speak — but I’ll tell you a story about heartbreak in a different way. A lot of people my age come right out and say: “She broke my heart.” Yeah, okay.



Q. How long have you been performing, and writing?
A. My parents will tell you I started playing when I was five. My mother actually told me I was writing songs when I was three years old ... I guess I really got into it when I was nine or 10; it was somewhere in there I started going to the writing and thinking about songs. (Those songs) were very much Neil Young.



Q. Where do you generally play?
A. All around Ohio — and up around Rochester and Canandaigua. We actually just booked something in Beaver Falls, Pa. ... I’m a person who likes to play out, likes the atmosphere — I’ll write a new song, and I’ll play it before I know it, because I like to see people’s reactions.



Some acoustic evening

Originally from Philadelphia, Rich Ord recently moved to the Canandaigua area, and has been really impressed by the local and regional acoustic-music scene. But a lot of it goes unnoticed, under the radar, Ord lamented — and he wanted to do something about that.


“There are so many talented singers, songwriters and musicians in and around Canandaigua,” Ord said. “I thought it would be a nice thing to put together a showcase to show people their talents.”


So Ord — who plays bass fiddle in Beaver Creek Bluegrass — put together The Chosen Spot Acoustic Music Showcase, set for Saturday evening, Aug. 22, at All Things Art, 65 S. Main St. The evening features music of a number of styles, plus an open jam. Tickets: $10. Details: (585) 396-0087.


The lineup:


6 p.m.: Open jam session, hosted by Pot Luck, open to all skill levels.


7 p.m.: Never Say Never, a folk trio from Clifton Springs.


7:30 p.m.: Red Branch Sighting, with plays the bluegrass- and jazz-tinged “dawg” music associated with artists like David Grisman.


8 p.m.: Blue Mountain, a folk and classic country band. (Ord is particularly taken with their song about the train bearing Lincoln’s body.)


9 p.m.: Beaver Creek Bluegrass, Ord’s family band, in which he’s joined by his brother, sister-in-law and two family friends.


9:40 p.m.: Tom Evanchuck, Americana/roots musician from Ohio.


10:20 p.m.: Ruckus Juice Jug Stompers, an old-time jug band.


11 p.m.: Finale



If you go:
WHAT The Chosen Spot Acoustic Music Showcase
WHEN Saturday, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m.
WHERE All Things Art, 65 S. Main St., Canandaigua
ADMISSION $10
DETAILS (585) 396-0087 - The Daily Messenger - L. David Wheeler

From the first notes of the acoustic guitar, you can hear the Neil Young influences in the song "Angelia Maria Deluca."

The man playing the guitar so much like his idol, who is more than 40 years his senior, is 20-year-old Tom Evanchuck. In spite of his youthful age, Evanchuck sings with the maturity of someone much closer to Young's age, and, if his self-titled debut album is any indication of what is to come, Evanchuck can rest easy knowing his career as a folk singer isn't ending anytime soon.

It's hard to dislike something about this album. Even though the folk roots are apparent on every song, Evanchuck finds a way to fuse those sounds with rock, and pop as well, so even those who aren't fans of folk music will find something they like in at least a few of the songs, especially in songs like "Melinda."

While Evanchuck's singing is very reminiscent of folk singers such as Bob Dylan, the guitar gives the song a more classic rock sound, and together the two sounds create something that both fans of folk and rock would enjoy. So even if you are not a fan of folk music, you should still check out Tom Evanchuck's debut album. You never know: You might find something there you weren't expecting. - The Marcolian - Julia Kazar

"Tom is young, but you wouldn't know otherwise from his performance. He has this Dylan, Dan Bern, quality about him. Unassuming and barefoot, he laid out songs of a maturity and style that's rare for his age. He's definitely one of the best local musicians I've seen perform."
- Roger Zender, OnlyMusicLeft.blogspot.com - OnlyMusicLeft.blogspot.com - Roger Zender