“Man falls. Hits head on sidewalk. Wakes up with song.” A slight variant on the all-too-familiar rom-com trope, Sam Evian (a not-entirely-pseudo nym of New York-based songwriter Sam Owens) thus describes the writing process for the title track of his latest Saddle Creek release, You, Forever. “If you’re anxious, if you’re worn,” Evian lilts between recitations of “this is you, forever” as his closing guitar solo carries the track into full-blown self-acceptance. While there’s little rom- or com- to educe from Evian’s often-cryptic lyrics, his tender electric guitar strums and tinny falsetto on the track clearly share a sentiment with James Hurley’s love letter to Donna Maddy.
Today, Evian’s sharing “You, Forever” along with a video starring Darlene (a more-pseudo nym for his sibling Zannie) as a brainchild of Larry Clark, shredding both gnar and guitar on the streets of New York. In the style of a late Tony Hawk game (press Z to hop off your board) Darlene’s mischief—smoking up in public, swiping a parking ticket from a parked car, turning heads while reclined on what could very well be Hurley’s Harley—speaks to the individualistic attitude of “You, Forever,” visualizing the soulful track with just enough comedy and self-love to conquer the tacky resolution of boy-gets-girl-back. Or, as Evian claims, it’s all just “the charm of a nice head injury.”
Check out the video below, as well as the audio for another newly premiered cut from You, Forever, “Country.”
You, Forever is out 6/1 on Saddle Creek. If you’re in New York, you can catch Sam, along with Zannie (as Potted Plant), at Rough Trade on June 8.
