Sam Evian Drops New Single “Rollin’ In,” & More
Today, in-demand producer Sam Evian, known for his work with Big Thief, Palehound, Blonde Redhead and Cass McCombs, releases “Rollin’ In” the second single from his forthcoming fourth studio album Plunge (March 22, Flying Cloud Recordings/ Thirty Tigers). “Rollin’ In” is accompanied by a music video, filmed on Super 8.
Premiered today via FLOOD Magazine, “Rollin’ In” is a tender-hearted mid-tempo ballad that shimmers with saxophone and Rhodes, both played by Sam. The track is one of several on Plunge that examine Sam’s parents’ (who are also musicians) relationship and explore themes of family, love, drifting apart, and coming back together, all from different vantage points. Sam sings, “take a ride to the shore, to see the ponies running / is it real, or is it just wasted? / I can tell where life has gone, it’s just getting harder and harder to taste it.”
Says Sam Evian on the new track, ‘The song is a box of memories, and a meditation. 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. 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.’
Sam continues, “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.”
Plunge is already gaining attention from Stereogum, Paste, Under The Radar, Brooklyn Vegan, FLOOD among others for its cathartic lyricism and warm production.
It was New Years Eve 2022, the night before Sam Evian started recording Plunge. He invited his friends to his property in the Catskills, where he’d just painstakingly relocated and revamped his Flying Clouds Studios into a new barn on the property. Adrianne Lenker brought a jug of maple syrup from Vermont, Sufjan Stevens set off fireworks in the meadow, and at midnight, the group of friends cold-plunged into a nearby creek as it started snowing.
Tracked during the early winter months of 2023 over a 10-day period, the Plunge sessions were nothing short of joyous. Joined by a group of his closest friends and collaborators (including Liam Kazar, Sean Mullins, El Kempner of Palehound and Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief), Evian set out with a wide-open approach. “No-one knew the songs or what the plan was. We kept it loose and fun. This was the spirit of the sessions. No headphones, no playback, minimal overdubs, or bleed. Fast and loose.”
Despite that sense of freedom, Evian came to the sessions with lyrical clarity: “I wrote the songs so that I could just play them and sing them on a guitar. I wanted them to be like really focused, classic songs.” Lyrically, Plunge is heavier than previous records, diving into a wide range of themes and subject matter. “Relationships stalling, failing, coming back together,” says Evian.
The result is Evian’s best album to date: a cathartic rock record that melds power pop, iridescent guitar, raucous psychedelia, and Evian’s now sought-after grooves. The music is both fresh and familiar, sonically inspired by his penchant for early 70s production and creatively propelled by the free-spirited process depicted in the Beatles documentary Get Back, as well as his urge to let go of his own fastidious production instincts.
“I spend so much time trying to make perfect recordings for everyone else,” Evian remarks, “So it was a slight act of resistance to make something wild and kind of fucked up for myself.”
Plunge is Evian’s first release on his own imprint, Flying Cloud Recordings, the new imprint of his Catskills-based studio. In 2017 Sam Evian decamped to the Catskills alongside his partner Hannah Cohen and their dog, Jan, creating an immersive recording experience, Flying Cloud Studios, tucked away in the mountains of upstate New York. Evian (née Sam Owens) has hosted/produced/engineered a slew of artists in his home studio including Big Thief (Grammy-nominated for Certainty), Palehound, Kate Bollinger, Blonde Redhead, Helena Deland and more. Plunge is his fourth LP and first partnered with Thirty Tigers.
Plunge – Track List
- Wild Days
- Jacket
- Rollin’ In
- Why Does It Take So Long*
- Freakz
- Wind Blows
- Another Way
- Runaway
- Stay
UK / EU
2/24: Bristol, UK – Simple Things Festival
2/26: Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
2/27: London, UK – Oslo Hackney – SOLD OUT #
2/29: Paris, FR – Badaboum $
# w/ Marsy
$ w/ Mavi Lou
US 2024 Tour
On Sale Now
4/24: Montreal, QC – Le Ritz PDB
4/25: Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
4/26: New York, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
4/27: Washington, D.C. – The Atlantis
4/28: Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
4/30: Toronto, ON – TBD
5/2: Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
5/3: Milwaukee, WI – Vivarium
5/4: Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
5/5: Davenport, IA – Raccoon Motel
5/7: Denver, CO – Globe Hall
5/9: Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
5/10: Boise, ID – Neurolux
5/11: Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
5/13: Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
5/15: San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
5/17: Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
5/18: Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
5/21: Austin, TX – Antone’s
5/22: Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves
5/24: Nashville, TN – The Blue Room
5/25: Asheville, NC – Eulogy
5/26: Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
* All US dates with Hannah Cohen as support
Photo Credit: CJ Harvey –