LD Systems Live Sessions: EVALINA performs at Signal House Studios

In the ninth LD Systems Live Sessions, powered by Headliner, London-based singer-songwriter EVALINA performed original song, Happy You're Happy, live at Signal House Studios.

EVALINA performed through an LD Systems MAUI G3 rig and MON 15 A G3 Stage Monitors, into an Earthworks SR117 vocal mic. We caught up with her after the performance…

What have you been up to these last few months?

I've been working on my debut EP, which I'm really excited to release. I've been wanting to release it for quite some time now, and I'm finally getting to put it out. I'm hoping to release music every six weeks this year. I’ve been busy in the studio writing lots of music, and developing my sound a bit more. A lot of the songs on the EP I actually wrote when I was about 20 – about three years ago – and I feel like it's kind of closing that chapter.

Behind the scenes, I'm already working on new music for the next EP and thinking ahead. I'm just constantly thinking about how my sound can develop and how it can progress from my previous releases.

How did you first get into music?

I first got into music by doing musical theatre classes, which I used to go to every Saturday. It was quite funny actually, because it wasn't really for any particular reason. It was just because my dad would take my brothers to rugby on a Saturday morning, and my mum just needed me out of the house for a few hours so she could have some alone time. I really took to it like a duck to water, and just absolutely loved it. From the moment I was about four, I just loved performing. I found a real sense of community in creative spaces and around creative people.

When I was 14, I ended up going to the BRIT School, and studied musical theatre there. I always knew that I wanted to do music, because I was always writing songs, but I think the musical theatre training really helped to develop my voice and my confidence as well. And then when I was 15, I started working in studios with songwriters and producers, and making my own music.

Tell us the backstory to your new track, Happy You're Happy.

Happy You're Happy is actually not at all about being happy that somebody else is happy. I think we've all experienced that moment where, maybe in our first relationships, we've taught somebody how to be a better person and how to treat us right and how to love us. And it really feels a bit like a kick in the teeth when they can't do that for you. But then they go on, and they treat the next person well because of all the lessons that they learned from you.

So, in the song, I'm like, bitterness and envy and jealousy, that's not me, but actually, it is me - like I'm totally not happy that you're happy. I just thought instead of it being a really on the nose, aggressive, angsty song, I wanted it to feel a bit more passive aggressive. If you played it without knowing the backstory to it, you might feel like it is a genuinely happy song, and that it’s really wholesome talking about being happy for your ex. But yeah, it's totally not about that; I just wanted to put an interesting spin on that situation.

What's it like being an independent artist in today’s industry?

I am really enjoying being an independent artist; I feel like I have a lot of creative freedom over what I'm doing. There is a really nice community of other independent artists in London and the South. I'm part of this group chat called Loud LDN; there's probably about over 100 of us now, and it’s a mixture of signed artists and independent artists. It's a group full of women and non-binary creatives in the industry, and it's really cool - we're always supporting each other, going to each other's gigs, pre-saving each other's songs.

When you win as an independent artist, I feel like it means just that little bit more, because you know that you did it off your own back. On my last release, I made it into quite a big Spotify playlist called Fresh Finds, and Fresh Finds Pop, and honestly, I could’ve cried when I found that out. I’ve had editorial support before, but getting it from an independent release just came as such a shock and a surprise; I just wasn't expecting it. I just think in general, the small wins really feel that much bigger as an independent artist. I'm loving it so far.

How did you find your vocals cut through the Earthworks mic today, and what are your thoughts on the LD Systems rig?

The Earthworks mic was really nice to use. I felt like I was in very safe hands with the sound that it was projecting, and it gave my voice a really nice, crisp and clear tone.

I would definitely recommend this LD Systems setup to anybody who is looking for a good sound system. The sound was really crisp and clear, and it really cut through. It was great performing through the system.