“Evaride has the coolest name… it sounds like a band name”
We were first introduced to Evaride in January 2017. Band member Josh Devine made the announcement about his new band, where we got an insight into how hard Josh and his new bandmates Sean Michael Murray, and Hayden Maringer had secretly been working. Fast forward to over a year later and we caught up with the guys for a chat.
The first thing we had to ask was how they came up such a unique name. The answer is Josh. “The name came about while I was on a trip to visit my sponsor child in Rwanda with a charity I work with called Food for the Hungry! We took a film crew out and documented the incredible people there who are waiting for sponsorship, as well as me being able to meet and hang with my personal sponsor child, whose name is Evaride. One of the camera guys actually turned to me knowing that we were looking for a band name and said; “Dude, Evaride has the coolest name… it sounds like a band name”. So, I presented it to the lads (Hayden and Sean) and we decided that was it!!”
“WE FOUND OUR F%$#ING SINGER”- Hayden
All bands with such distinctive names, come with a good backstory of how they were formed. Evaride is no different. “Josh and I met on the One Direction “Take Me Home” Tour in 2013. I was in the opening band and we just really hit it off.” explains Hayden. “Josh ended up hanging on our tour bus a lot and when the tour ended we kept in touch for years. I continued playing with other artists and Josh continued with 1D. [Those artists include Demi Lovato, Bebe Rexha and Jennifer Lopez].
Hayden continues: “In Fall 2015 Josh got to LA and we met for breakfast to catch up. It was there where we both decided now was the time to start our own band. We started writing that week and working on the band. I still at the time was playing for artists on some tours I had confirmed already. In Spring 2016 I was on tour and the artist’s manager mentioned she had an amazing singer if we were looking. She showed me a video and it blew me away; It was Sean in a vocal booth belting a ballad live in the studio. I texted Josh immediately with the video “WE FOUND OUR F%$#ING SINGER”. A couple weeks later we both flew to NYC to meet Sean and get in the studio – the rest is history.”
We each bring a different set of skills that complete the puzzle perfectly.
Each member has their own skill set, “Our backgrounds have given us a huge leap ahead than most bands.” explains Hayden “We each carry different roles in the band that really fill all areas that most bands do not have. We all bring a ton of knowledge on the business which I think is our biggest strength. When we formed the band, it was very easy with our connections to find the right team. Most importantly we have seen what a successful team looks like as well as a bad one.”
He continues with a sentiment both Josh and Sean firmly agree with ” With my background in music directing and producing I understand the technical side of live performance and built our live show rig. I also know the ins and outs of programming a live show and production from the ground up. I have done it for so many artists so for me to program lights, arrangements, and music with the guys on our own music is amazing. On top of that I bring the knowledge of running two self-made successful businesses in the entertainment industry as well as seeing first-hand artists break from the ground up. One thing I think that makes us special is we all bring something different and naturally found each other. We each bring a different set of skills that complete the puzzle perfectly.
All three of the guys have had some career-defining moments prior to joining together for Josh it was his time spent as the drummer in One Direction’s band. “For me, it was either playing sold-out Wembley Stadium three nights in a row in England or watching myself in the cinema in the movie THIS IS US… truly blessed!”
“it was amazing watching the progression of these guys. I learned a lot of the “Do’s and Don’ts” in today’s industry as an artist by watching them and following the example they set! Sometimes it’s hard to relate it to being in my band and the way we are doing things because, as One Direction was one of the biggest bands around (even to this day) the level difference and things I saw them achieve is so big that it’s tough to try and compare anything between the two bands. I just hope we get the opportunity one day to do some of the great things 1D did while I was fortunate enough to be a part of it! It was a hell of an experience, and one I would love to experience again with my Evaride lads!” He says.
For Sean, it was it was a combination of two things and pinnacle moments. “The first was landing my first Broadway show, “American Idiot” and being able to share a stage with rock legend, Billie Joe Armstrong. And the second was winning the TV show “Make A Band Famous” on VH1 with my previous band Fancy Reagan which landed me my first recording contract with Republic Records.”
And for Hayden? “For me, that moment was playing for Barack Obama at the White House and also performing at Madison Square Garden in NYC and The 02 Arena in London. I grew up spending countless hours playing the guitar in my bedroom watching videos of Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin playing on those same stages. It still blows my mind to think I shared those same stages.”
There’s something about 3 that is a magical number.
Evaride is a different project for all three. For Josh, it’s different for creative reasons, “Now I am (as are all 3 of us) artists rather than playing for an artist. It’s nice to have creative control and at the end of the day, we are the bosses of our art, our baby! So, it’s nice to be able to have the freedom to do what we want! Sean echoes Josh, also crediting the band’s manager the “incredible” Ken Lane. “We’ve released our music independently and have yet to sign with a major label. I think the day will come for that, but the process of creating the music for Evaride has been very organic and not forced and maintaining creative control over what, when and how we release the music is very important to us!” “It’s a blessing now being able to play songs we wrote to our fans and create what we want, ” says Hayden.
I always knew I wanted to be the lead singer of a rock band.
As kids, all three had a love of music from very early ages. Hayden received his first guitar at age 3 and became “hooked”. “My parents would take away my guitar as punishment for doing poorly in elementary school. As I grew up my parents realized that this was what I was born to do and really supported my gift. School was never a priority for me; it was always music. If I went to my dad saying I needed to skip a day of school to practice for a gig or guitar competition he would let me take the off days I needed. They always nurtured my gift but never forced me to do it which I really respect them for doing. ” Similarly Josh started playing the drums at the tender age of 3. “it was just something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I didn’t even realize you could make money from it until I was a little older, then it became even more appealing!” he laughs. For Sean he always knew music was his passion. “I started as a singer-songwriter where I grew up in South Portland, Maine. I started performing for local coffee houses around the age of 16. I wrote my first full song at the age of 13 and always knew that music and singing was my true passion. Growing up I always knew I wanted to be the lead singer of a rock band.”
Sometimes we need to look ourselves in a mirror and ask, “What’s It All For”? Why do we do what we do?
The trio has recently released their latest single “What’s it All For?” They co-wrote the song with an “incredible” writer named Gino Barletta and it was produced by a German producer named Lindgren. ” The song actually spawned from a list of song titles that I keep as ideas in my notes on my phone. That day the conversation in the room started about reality TV and all the different dumb things we as humans give credence to. Viral videos, video games, memes, different reality TV stars etc. at the end of the day sometimes we need to look ourselves in a mirror and ask, “What’s It All For”? Why do we do what we do?”
https://youtu.be/SSXBQsfFkZw
We had to ask the “million dollar question”, what’s next for Evaride?
“We will continue to release music to our fans and our goal is to get on the road as soon as possible. We all are so used to playing shows every day and cannot wait to take the music we have made in the studio to the live stage! It is there where Evaride shines and we can’t wait to meet all of the fans who genuinely love the songs we have created together! ” Says Hayden. “
We are working hard to release what in our minds is the perfect EP by Fall 2018! An album should follow by spring 2019, we want to get as much music out as we can so that we start touring!”
Josh agrees, adding “We’re all seasoned road dogs, we’re ready to get out and kick some ass!!”
What do you think of Evaride’s latest single? Let us know over on @CelebMix!