Sara Evans puts focus on family for new album, St. Charles-bound tour
Sara Evans hit stages across the country with her band in tow this summer, but behind the joy of concerts, she faced a big change with her new guitarist. For them, the last few months commemorated the end of an era.
That's because her new bandmate was her eldest child, Avery. In August, Avery left home, and Evans helped move him to Nashville to pursue his own music career.
Family plays a central role in Evans' music, and she embraced the opportunity to perform with her son before his move. Her siblings and children inspired and helped create her newest album, “Words.”
The album's opener, “Long Way Down,” embraces traditional country music. That style connects listeners to her childhood in Missouri, where she sang with her siblings. “Being authentic,” Evans said, is important to her.
“As we've seen with country music,” she said, “it's become bro country, bad lyrics and silliness that has gotten out of hand, and I could've easily started recording party songs and drinking songs to try to stay on the radio, but I wouldn't have been able to respect myself.”
Her tour brings her to the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on Friday, Sept. 7.
Over the years, Evans has produced five No. 1 singles and sold millions of records throughout her career, and her music matured with her — from love ballads to new focuses, such as her relationship with her children. The album's “Letting You Go” reflects on Evans' struggle as Avery prepared to leave home. Evans wrote the song with other mothers.
“We sobbed the entire writing session,” Evans said. “I didn't want to just write a song about, 'My son is leaving the nest and that I'm sad.' I went a little bit dark, so the song is sad, and there's almost a tinge of anger that I'm angry that time has gone by.”
Evans' daughter Olivia also played a role in “Words” and sang in “Marquee Sign.” Evans' children often travel on tour with her.
“(My family) makes me feel more grounded,” Evans said. “There's nothing like family. … It's always made me feel more secure knowing that every time I get on the bus, my kids are going to be with me, (and) my siblings are going to be out there with me.”
Evans produced “Words” through her own label, Born To Fly Records, which she launched in 2017. She had total control of the music, and she experimented with a range of genres, including pop, folk, bluegrass and a touch of reggae. Throughout the creation process, Evans resisted pressures to conform to the party songs that overwhelm some country radio stations.
“You don't ever want to feel like you're falling behind, but then at the end of the day, I have to be who I am, otherwise it's not going to sell anyways,” Evans said. “People are going to see through that, and what I want to be more than anything is to be proud of the work that I do.”
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Sara Evans
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7
Where: Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles, arcadalive.com
Tickets: $59-$99