Fire Track: Sam Evian – “Stay”

In-demand producer Sam Evian, known for his work with Big Thief, Palehound, Blonde Redhead and Cass McCombs, releases “Stay,” the third single from his forthcoming fourth studio album Plunge (March 22, Flying Cloud Recordings/ Thirty Tigers).

“Stay” is a swinging ballad that showcases Evian’s crooning atop a feather bed of rhythmic strumming, barroom guitar licks and lonesome pedal steel. It’s a modern twist on the countrified power pop ballads of late 60s and 70s. Sonically upbeat, lyrically profound, Sam sings, “It’s a rude world we’re meant to wander / Do you feel you’re slipping under every night ? / Getting through, running us so ragged / just when you think you had it they twist the knife.”

Sam Evian says of the track, “’Stay’ is just one of those tunes that came out all at once. I pulled it out of a 12 string acoustic I bought at a yard sale in Woodstock. It’s like it had been sitting there for years waiting to play those chords. At the time I was really obsessed with the acoustic guitar and drum sounds on the kinks record Lola vs power man, so I was likely subconsciously aiming for that kind of thing.”

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. 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.”

Pre-order Plunge: https://orcd.co/plunge

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