Echoes of This (CD)

The Echoes of This EP. Comes in a jewel case.

When Dead Links was acquired by BlackRock, Inc. in November 2024, they put pressure on us to hop on the alt-country trend. “Interest in alt-country peaked last year,” I protested, brandishing a Google Trends chart. “Shut up and get back to work!” they yelled. At the end of the day, you all know I’m in it for the money, so I tucked my tail between my legs and got back in the sound mines.

Ultimately, I’m grateful for the board because this project allowed me to explore new workflows and textures. I haven’t really focused on acoustic guitar since I started writing songs, only using it for more low-key live performances in recent years. Honestly, I still didn’t really want to do it but I had accumulated a handful of acoustic songs and decided to shape them into a single story. 

I really enjoy the 4 track EP as a format for doing that. It’s an opportunity to dial in one specific sound with a limited set of tools. I see it like a short story. So, this is my take on the mainstream and DIY acoustic rock I’ve been hearing recently.

I became a much better producer while making my Collision EP and used those skills to explore using sample-based soft instruments to broaden the scope of what I can do with a folk-singer type setup. Working with the limited available articulations is very interesting to me, and sequencing a natural sound (like a mandolin sample) is inspiring. I also picked up a bass guitar for the first time since I was a teen and played it on all the songs. Most of the noise elements are field recordings and actual foley work I did around my neighborhood.

Lyrically, I wrote all of these when I wasn’t feeling very good about myself or the future, it is what it is. 

Finally, thank you very much to Chris for the artwork, Danny for playing piano, and Wes for engineering and production. 

Luke Evans - acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, programming, samples, synthesizer, tambourine, xylophone, vocals
Daniel Kit Boyle - piano on tracks 2 & 3
Wes Meadows - recording, mixing, and mastering
Chris Passabet - artwork