Evan Michael Green’s dynamic and personal debut EP is a striking combination of playful melodies, ironic wordplay and powerful underlying themes inspired by his own romantic struggles and relentless motivation for success. The acoustic ballad “Nice Voice” showcases his command of melody while offering a harsh yet honest perspective on modern relationships. Booming, bass-heavy tracks “Suspect” and “The Right Thing” prove the artist’s fearlessness at unleashing fierce, complex emotions through well-crafted, intricately-produced songs. Featuring sensual rhythm, deeply personal lyrics, and unparalleled falsetto, the hotly-anticipated project is inspired by Sam Smith, Frank Ocean and The Weeknd and will be released in 2017.

In this interview spotlight, we chat with Evan about the new project, his influences, digital music and more.

Full Q&A along with links and the video for Wake Up Mary below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I’m originally from Upper Marlboro, MD which is in PG county right outside of Washington D.C.I like to make music from a storytellers point of view. When we were young, my grandmother used to read us aesop’s fables and which are stories for children with harsh lessons and morals. Now that I’m grown, I use that same approach in most of my songs. Something that is easy on the ears that you can latch onto, but has some type of deeper, underlying theme or warning. I hope that it puts my listeners into a different thinking space about some of the modern things we’re going through today as a society and as young people.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?

I honestly don’t remember life without music. I started playing piano at a very young age and I never really gave it up. When I got into high school I finally decided to become more serious about developing my craft and it grew from there. My fans keep me motivated on a daily basis by having my back and supporting me when things get overwhelming. Hearing their stories and experiences fuels me as an artist to keep grinding everyday.

How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?

With this new release, I tried to expand on my versatility as an artist which was a huge challenge. Alot of my fans know me from Drown and Wake Up Mary Please which are two songs that focus primarily on me playing piano and singing. This new record displays some of the other sides of my music that I haven’t shown yet with more synths, guitars, and falsetto leaps. It was the hardest thing I’ve done to date but now that its done, I’m determined to push even more with the follow up record.

Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?

The main and obvious challenge of being an indie artist is getting people to hear your music. Me being an optimist, I saw it as an opportunity to get to know my fans on a personal level through social media which gives my music and mission a much deeper meaning personally. Technology like snapchat, instagram, and facebook has allowed me to connect with fans in a way I never dreamed that I could. Fans who live down the street, or on a different continent have the same access to me which I love and take full advantage of. I’ll love my fans until the wheels fall off.

Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?

• Snapchat: evanmgreen
• Instagram: evanmichaelgreen
• Twitter: @theboyemg
• and you can find all of my music and videos on evanmichaelgreen.com

Anything else before we sign off?

My friends and fans know that I’m not a confident dancer at all but we might see some dancing in one of my new videos. I haven’t decided yet but we will see.