Even if you don’t know Sam Evian from his impressive discography solo discography balancing alt-country and sophisti-pop or his prior work fronting the cult math-pop project Celestial Shores, you’ve surely heard his genius via the production work he’s contributed to artists including Big Thief, Cass McCombs, or Courtney Marie Andrews. Evian’s fourth solo LP, Plunge, is slated to arrive March 22, and its lead single “Wild Days” sees him returning to his neo-psych roots. Meanwhile, the release’s newest track “Rollin’ In” skews things in the direction of DeMarco-esque surf-pop as it sets the scene for Evian mulling things over on the Atlantic Coast.
“I grew up on the crystal coast of North Carolina, and often went down to the ocean to commune with myself, a habit I picked up from my mother,” Evian explains of the track, which he describes as “a box of memories.” He continues: “It's a reflection of that time of my life, and who I've become in the years since. I started writing about a simple relationship theme, but quickly realized I was examining myself and my own disillusionment with who I thought I would become, versus the person I am today.”
The final minute of the song notably features a saxophone solo, which Evian notes was a last-minute addition to the tune. “Initially I did not plan on a sax solo, but Wayne Shorter passed away the day I was finishing the mix, so I felt inspired to put it in at the last minute. I did my best to pay tribute to his sensitivity, lyricism, and restraint. I wanted it to feel like big rolling waves.”
Check out the vintage-feeling visual for the new track below, featuring plenty of seashores and saxophone.
