Fronted by fiery-haired Aussie- Leah Martin-Brown, Evol Walks is a 5 piece band who call Los Angeles, CA their home. While in Stockholm, Sweden working on their forthcoming album, vocalist and songwriter for the band Leah, decided she wanted to put together a version of one of her favorite tracks of all time; “Man in the Box,” by Alice in Chains.
Enlisting the talents of Swedish producer, engineer, and guitarist Chris Wetterstrom, lead guitarist Johan Lund as well as the incredible Los Angeles-based bassist and guitarist Alex Windsor, the group of musicians assisted her in bringing this vision to life.
Delving into a full-on frenzy of driving guitar riffs, luminescent percussion hit, a deep bassline, and of course, the striking timbres of Leah Martin-Brown dipping into foreboding tones, Evol Walks rendition of “Man in the Box,” sends chills through our sound waves. There’s a burning passion that effortlessly drips from each member as the sounds amalgamate for a colossal sound that performs as larger than life.
Each amplified note that is hit does the original justice in a way that mimics that charisma Alice in Chains is known for while solidifying the quintessence of Evol Walks with their added flair. Down to the heated guitar solo that sips on the warmth of intricacy, you bask in the energy portrayed through an extensive realm of dynamism.
We can’t help to clasp onto the boisterous persona of Leah Martin-Brown as we hear her authentic nature lash out from a place of determination. The original meaning laced into the lyrics of “Man in the Box,” uses animal cruelty as a metaphor for humanity being trapped in confinement by censorship. Allowing that to sink into the topical events of the world today, we would say that Evol Walks has done an extraordinary job at having the vision sink into the status of the world and what their listeners are feeling worldwide.
Together Evol Walks pays homage to the gritty, dark, and powerful tones of Alice in Chains while staying true to the original track and emphasizing their own creative environment.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Evol Walks, we absolutely love your cover of “Man in the Box.” Was there a specific moment that inspired you to release this single while working on your forthcoming album?
Thank you! Alice in Chains is one of my favorite bands and, since being in Sweden, I've been really revisiting their album 'Facelift'- especially 'Man in the Box'. I love the track's darkness and the way the vocals explore both the lows and the highs of Layne Staley's range. I was in Chris Wetterstrom's studio in Enskede, Sweden (Music Solutions) to work on some re-writes for the album and was just struck by the idea to record our own version. I asked Chris if he would be willing to Produce, Engineer, and play the main guitars and he was super down! It honestly just started as a bit of fun and went from there. Then I reached out to my friend Alex Windsor in LA to play Bass (and she said YES!) and Chris knew a Swedish guitarist (Johan Lund) who also was keen to collaborate. So it came together really well.
Do you find that your artistry takes any notes from Alice in Chains, or was this creation more of a one-off release?
Lately, I've been finding that my writing is very inspired by the 90's grunge era in general. But this is more of a one-off release than a reflection of the upcoming album.
How do you find the creative process differs from tackling a cover with your own flair, versus creating an original piece?
When creating an original piece, you have a blank canvas. You can do anything your heart desires because obviously- it's brand new. When I approach a cover- I believe there are certain parameters that you need to work within, especially if you're attempting an iconic song such as 'Man in the Box'. If you change it too much, true fans of the original will most likely hate it. So I always try to pay tribute to the original whilst adding a small touch of myself rather than reinventing a song that (in my eyes) is already perfect.
What has the creative and recording process been like for you in Stockholm, Sweden? Can you tell us anything about your forthcoming album?
Being able to write this album here in Sweden has been absolutely incredible. Each and every co-writing session I have had has produced fantastic material for the upcoming album. Currently, we have around 23 tracks ready that need to be whittled down to 10-12 songs for release. As the writing process has occurred during the Winter, it has been easy to knuckle down and really work. Swedish Winters are so dark and so cold that it just makes sense to spend days at a time sitting in the studio writing music and drinking too much coffee! This country and the musicians and co-writers I have had the pleasure of working with here are incredibly creative. It's been an amazing process.
What's your favorite release of 2021 so far, from an independent artist you admire?
Alexa Villa just released her incredible song 'Invisible' the other day and I have had that track on REPEAT! It is an absolutely beautiful song.
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