Evelyn Cools

Evelyn Cools is a Belgian-born musician whose music is a unique blend of folk, country, and rock. Her style also incorporates elements of dream pop and Americana, but the focus of her songs is always on powerful lyrics and storytelling. Evelyn is inspired by musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Simon & Garfunkel, Lana Del Rey, and Angus & Julia Stone.

While Evelyn performs as a solo act, she has worked with many amazing artists in the creation of her upcoming release, the Wilder Mind EP. After releasing her previous record Misfit Paradise, Evelyn collaborated with producer Enrique Lara, who has worked with artists such as Ghost Lion, Casey Abrams, and Adam Lasher Band. The EP was recorded remotely with musicians across the United States, and Lara performed drums, bass, electric guitar, synths, and background vocals. Session musicians on the EP include bassist Ron Kaplan, guitarist Adam Tressler, and pianist Jeff Howell. Evelyn’s lead vocals were recorded by engineer Eddie Jackson, who has worked with artists such as James Taylor and Gavin DeGraw, and the EP was mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Hans DeKline.

Evelyn’s multicultural background is reflected in her music. She has spent her entire life moving between different corners of the world, including Hong Kong, Budapest, London, and now the United States. This sense of wandering is a driving force behind her songs, as well as the connectivity between people and the natural world. Evelyn began studying music as a child, but it wasn’t until college that she began to focus on creating original music. While attending a university in London, she found her own voice and was inspired by the local music scene and her musical group of friends.

Since 2018, Evelyn has lived in different parts of the US, moving between California, New York, New Jersey, and Arizona. During her travels, she found inspiration in America’s vast nature and met incredibly talented people who eventually became her creative team. She has released the critically acclaimed EP Misfit Paradise and her first song in her mother-tongue, Flemish. The culmination of these transformative years is her upcoming EP Wilder Mind, which is set to be released in the summer of 2023.

Evelyn’s music is characterized by a heavy focus on vocals and strong melodies, exploring the complex relationships we have with ourselves, others, and our environment. She delves into life’s greatest joys – love, acceptance, nature, adventure – as well as its greatest sorrows, aiming to capture little specs of magic against a world of unknowns.

Evelyn takes a DIY approach when creating music. Starting with stripped-down songs and demos recorded in her bedroom, she then collaborates with engineers and artists who record in various settings, mainly living rooms and home studios, to create the finished product. The Wilder Mind EP was composed during the isolated times of the pandemic, written in moments of vulnerability, loneliness, and the search for meaning. The songs were brought to life by Evelyn’s longtime producer Enrique Lara and several incredible session musicians.

Despite the physical distance between the members of the project, they harnessed the power of technology to produce a record that is impactful and incredibly cohesive. Demos and backing vocals were recorded in Cools’ closet in New Jersey, while instruments were tracked in Lara’s Los Angeles living room, and lead vocals were finally recorded at engineer Eddie Jackson’s home studio in Scottsdale, AZ.

Evelyn’s music has been recognized by the public and critics alike on a global scale. Since her beginnings performing at small local venues in London, she has toured Europe and the US, released several critically-acclaimed EPs, and shared her musical journey in a year-long vlogging project on the largest TV network in her home country of Belgium.