Toronto piano pop troubadour Mike Evin has been wearing his heart on his sleeve for over twenty years. His songs are like good friends that let you know you are not alone in the world, and they’ve endeared him to a fanbase across North America and the UK — including renowned Canadian artists like Barenaked Ladies and Ron Sexsmith.
Something Stirs When You Sing, Evin’s seventh album, may be his most immediate work to date. Its stripped-down nature brings the hallmarks of Evin’s timeless ‘old school pop’ music into fine focus — poignant storytelling, propulsive piano playing, conversational singing, rich harmonic movement and adventurous melodies that live inside you.
“When I perform solo concerts, with just my voice and piano, there’s a purity to my connection with the songs,” says Evin. “This is the first time I’ve captured that energy on record.”
He and producer Chris Stringer (Rose Cousins, Abigail Lapell) spent three days at Toronto’s Union Sound laying down live-in-studio piano and vocal performances on the legendary grand piano that has been played by everyone from Oscar Peterson to Jeremy Dutcher.
No click track or headphones were used. Stringer and Evin were going for emotion over perfection. When it came to adding other instruments and voices, they kept their palette minimal with sparse and potent colours that felt essential. The result is a vivid soundscape with Evin’s piano and voice front and centre, augmented by bass, percussion, harmonies and cello.
The album’s title, which comes from a lyric, is also the raison d’être behind Evin’s music. His characters often seek joy and connection through music. Chosen from over 120 songs written during the pandemic, these stories offer a wide emotional range and revolve around intimate moments of yearning to feel alive.
Opener “Outside With A Guitar” was inspired by Evin’s experience on Roxton Road, a joyous Toronto community that made nightly outdoor music during the pandemic. “Grandma’s Vie En Rose” was written from the point of view of Evin’s then 100-year old grandmother, who had a visceral reaction every time he played her the classic Edith Piaf song. “Dancing To Sir Duke” is based on Evin’s childhood memories of discovering music on his Fisher Price record player. Even the sombre “Middle Of The War” reveals the human need for playful joy in dark times.
An unexpected layer was added to the album when Evin experienced a big breakup less than a month before heading into the studio. Two songs (“I Almost Called You Babe” and “The Ham In You”) evolved to become cathartic emotional standouts.
Born and raised in Montreal, Evin first gained exposure in 2005 with the critically acclaimed and exuberant I’ll Bring The Stereo, co-produced by Jim and Andy Creeggan of Barenaked Ladies fame. Since then he’s released a diverse range of albums, from the rough and raw live to 2-track Good Watermelon (2009) to the polished and textured classic pop of Evin On Earth (2019). Evin has toured and shared stages with BNL, Sarah Harmer, Ron Sexsmith, Dan Mangan, and Martha Wainwright, and has appeared at festivals across Canada.
CBC Music has called Evin the ‘next big thing’, and his song “Have I Ever Loved?” was among the Top 20 most played songs of 2015 on Sirius XM’s CBC Sonica. “Al Green” reached #1 on Sirius XM’s The Verge.
Perhaps Evin’s approach can be best described by his friend and close collaborator, Barenaked Ladies’ bassist Jim Creeggan: “Ultimately, Mike’s music reminds us what it is to be human. By offering a glimpse into his own truths and stories, Mike allows us to see ourselves reflected there.”
