Sian Evans Thorns Interview

"Thorns is a folk song. It's also a love song."

2016 & 2018 Queensland Music Award finalist Sian Evans (The Long Johns, The Rusty Datsuns) is back with brand new single Thorns and a string of launch shows across NSW, QLD & VIC to boot.

In her own words: "Thorns is a folk song. It's also a love song. It's no secret songwriting is a powerful tool for expression and healing pain, but metaphorically 'Thorns' definitely depicts how anything worthwhile has elements of both beauty and pain, and that's just how life is. Take the good with the bad. It's not going to be comfortable all of the time. Or even half the time."

Mastered in the Northen Rivers by Govinda Doyle and recorded with a roster of 4 musicians (Daniel Biederman & Scott Greenaway (Adam Eckersley Band) + Luke Moeller and Sian), across Nashville, Central Coast and Sydney, Sian says "Sometimes Thorns felt like an experiment to see if it could be completed at all. It is imperfect but that's the point, so am I."

Her first release since 2016, the Cairns come Brisbane singer/songwriter has been filling in her time by playing everywhere from Woodford Folk Festival to support slots for everyone from CW Stoneking, Tim Rogers and Claire Bowditch to Katie Noonan.

In 2015 Sian Evans broke out on her own after touring relentlessly for three years as one third of the Rusty Datsuns. Nominated as a finalist in the Toyota Star Maker competition at Tamworth Country Music Festival that year, she released her debut EP How Time Has Treated Thee to national acclaim including ABC 612 Album of the Week, national local ABC rotation for key track Take Me Home and a Queensland Music Design Award for the respective clip. Off the back of her debut EP in 2016 Sian released stand alone single 'Cold Feet', which also racked up airplay across the country via community radio, ABC and Triple J alongside the aforementioned finalist nomination for the 2016 Queensland Music Awards.

Thorns has already seen success as a finalist track in the folk category at this years Queensland Music Awards. Keep your eyes on her facebook for more details TBA and catch Sian on her Thorns tour this Sept!

Sian Evans - Thorns Single Tour

Sat Sept 1 - Maleny Music Festival, Sunshine Coast
(10am - Maleny Lane, 12.30pm- Platypus Lounge)
Tickets Here

Sun Sept 2 - The Junk Bar, Brisbane
W/ Graheme Moes
Tickets Here

Sat Sept 8 - Open Bar, Melbourne
W/ The Long Johns

Tickets Here

Interview with Sian Evans

Question: How did you come up with the idea of Thorns?

Sian Evans: The beautiful rose with its sharp bits that will break your skin: it's cliché I suppose. Metaphorical of beautiful packages coming with their discomforts. I was listening to Ruby Boots at the time and had just got home to Cairns after an epic run of events at my first Tamworth music festival. Beauty doesn't usually come without pain to balance. All things combined where I was at emotionally, aided as therapy.


Question: How much of your inspiration comes from real life and real people?

Sian Evans: My personal songs are all about real life and real people.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Sian Evans: My heart, my pain, my joy and my love. Songwriting can be tremendously healing and a vehicle to release harboured pain, angst, equally to express joy and tell stories. It's mostly quite selfish if I'm honest with my personal music.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Sian Evans: Too many to begin to list. Longhorne Slim springs to mind. As does Brittany Haas, Shakey Graves, Monique Clare and Rambling Ash.

Question: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Sian Evans: Have a separate job so some of your art stays sacred. Nothing kills inspiration like poverty. Do a little bit towards the administration of your craft every day. It may not amount to your whole living but if it can be a supplementary income that provides a vehicle for self-therapy or friendship with band mates- this is what it truly means to be rich.


Question: What can we expect from the upcoming tour?

Sian Evans: I will be there!


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Sian Evans: I can't narrow it to one. Each of them has their perks depending on my mood at the time. Usually the most recent song I've written is my favourite to play.


Question: How does it feel to have a finalist track in the folk category at this year's Queensland Music Awards?

Sian Evans: It's nice to have some industry recognition. If not for it being a finalist I probably would never have released it ever.

Question: What's next, for you?

Sian Evans: Shows! Also my other Band "the long johns" are releasing a couple of singles shortly as well. Following this it will be working on that album completion. I have one other song of my own that needs wings in the world, however it's not finished and making it into studio for solo stuff is tough due to schedule and budget aligning.


Interview by Brooke Hunter