L.A. Band Even Us on their New EP and Video
You're cruising through the desert at sunset, windows down. The sounds drifting from your stereo are calm and cool, like the breeze sifting in. Immersed in the landscape, you settle into this soundtrack, perfect for a night about to unfold.
This collection of smooth, atmospheric grooves make up the self-titled debut EP of L.A. band, EVEN US. With an air of grace and coolness, the band is led by singer/producer Alina Cherone who is backed by multi-instrumentalists Phillip Smith, Brahm Genzlinger and David McCullough.
With the release of the EP, the band has blessed us with a music video for "Lavender Sky," (directed by Mauricio Cimino) bringing all our road trip dreams to life.
We spoke with Alina about the band's influences and how the video came together.
Introduce us to the band. What are your names, roles in the band, and features of your personalities that stand out?
Even Us is Alina Cherone (Singer, Producer), Phil Smith (Bassist, Mixer, Producer), David McCullough (Drummer/Producer), and Brahm Genzlinger (Guitarist, Producer). We’re just a bunch of music lovers that live by the motto “Love Hard, Rock Soft”. We’re pretty sure we’re the softest rock band to have ever lived.
Where are you all from originally and how did you meet?
I’m originally from New Jersey, Brahm and Phil are from Philadelphia, and David is from the Bay Area. Phil is my partner and we met back in 2015 in Philadelphia. Brahm and Phil also met in Philly where they played in a reggae band together. Brahm met David here in LA and he was the genius that brought us all together!
What were some of your influences with this EP?
When we were jamming out a lot of these songs, we fell into a sound that bridged the rhythm of Fleetwood Mac with the smoothness of Sade. Once we got into production mode, we began experimenting with synths and found a lot of inspiration from Phoenix’s album Wolfgang Amadeus and Dua Lipa.
Is there a message, feeling or theme you hope to evoke with your music?
The subliminal message I want listeners to hear is “Be yourself”. Sounds so cliche but I think that’s the only way you can truly have fun and make real connections. We just want to be the vessel that helps bring people together.
How did the idea behind the "Lavender Sky" video come about?
David bought a 1963 Corvair and that was it.
What was the making of the video like? Did everything go smoothly?
We shot the video in two days! It actually went smoother than we thought it would. A few months before, Brahm ran into these incredible videographers, Mauricio Cimino and Casey Lynch. They brought all their equipment out to Joshua Tree with us and made this epic music video happen. They came with drones, car mounts, cinematic cameras, you name it! We were so lucky to have them.
Do you all write together? What’s that process like?
I usually come up with a top line that feels right over a jam. After I finish writing the song, we finesse the structure and add textures to give it more depth. It’s really quite simple how these songs come about. I think the simpler the process is, the better the song.
Who or what have you been inspired by recently?
I’ve been inspired by Christine and the Queens. I love the way she sings and how intricate her production is. Dijon is another artist I’ve been obsessing over. His album How Do You Feel About Getting Married? Is phenomenal!
What’s next for Even Us?
We’re preparing to release another single. I can’t say too much about it but all I’ll say is that it’s going to be a fun one!
Fellow artists/creatives to recommend?
Khemist is an amazing guitar strumming rapper that I know from Philly. Gracie So Beautiful, singer/songwriter, just moved out here to LA. She’s a whole vibe!
You can follow EVEN US at evenusmusic.com
and on Instagram: @evenusofficial
