Non-binary musician Evann McIntosh is on the rise with fresh music and new adventures after moving to Chicago recently.
After experiencing phenomenal success in the form of millions of streams for McIntosh’s MOJO EP it was time to shift in a bold direction. Their new single “Free Ride” dropped in October of this year and features Grammy Award winning singer Madison Cunningham. Their growing catalogue of work has led this 21-year-old to be a supporting act for Chicago native John Splithoff with upcoming concert dates in California on The Far From Here Tour.
Evann met up to talk about their adjustment to the Windy City before heading out west.
Windy City Times: Where are you from?
Evann McIntosh: I’m from Kansas. I made an EP MOJO when I was 16 years old that did really well on TikTok. That inspired me when I turned 18 to move to Chicago just three years ago. I love it here.
WCT: How did you create music in the beginning?
EM: I used GarageBand on my computer to make a song and originally posted songs on YouTube. A producer named Caleb Carnell reached out to me to possibly record together. I sent the song “Self Control” to him to finish producing it and after it was released it did really well.
WCT: What was the scene like in Chicago for you?
EM: Well, I started going to shows. I looked for other people with X’s on their hands.
WCT: What does the X signify?
EM: It means someone is under 21 and can’t be served alcohol. I made a lot of friends that way, and met some people with connections to college radio.
WCT: Doesn’t that limit the venues you can go to?
EM: Yes, but several venues don’t have a bar. I like to go to the Empty Bottle to see bands play live.
WCT: Talk about your latest single, “Free Ride.”
EM: It will be on an album that comes out next year. I wrote it at the time when I first moved to Chicago and it follows my personal experiences. I have a car so I will offer free rides to my friends that don’t own cars around town.
WCT: Did you film the video in Chicago?
EM: I did. It was filmed in my car downtown. I made it with my friends and a camcorder.
WCT: Did you use your phone for filming or just an old-fashioned camcorder?
EM: No phone, just a camcorder and a dream.
WCT: Were there challenges with that?
EM: No, it was really fun and felt like we were all just hanging out.
WCT: It features Madison Cunningham?
EM: Yes. “Free Ride” was produced by Abe Rounds and I recorded it out in LA. Abe is big in the Los Angeles jazz scene. Many of his musicians ended up playing on this record. I was inspired by Madison Cunningham’s music at the time and it really bled into the song as I was writing it. I asked and she was cool with collaborating. I still haven’t met Madison in person yet.
WCT: I hear that from musicians often that they work through emailing the track around.
EM: It seems to be my experience so far.
WCT: Are there studio recording opportunities in Chicago or do you always go to LA?
EM: I was sent to LA for studio sessions to see what would work. Abe was out there, and so that is how it happened. I started working with him in 2023 and he’s been great.
WCT: Does it take a long time to complete a track?
EM: It can really take a while to finish a project sometimes.
WCT: Songwriters often tell me that after they compose the lyrics, they will be in a completely different place in life by the time the song comes out.
EM: Absolutely.
WCT: Didn’t you have a single released this year before “Free Ride?”
EM: Yes. “Blue Movie Magic” came from hanging out at movie theaters. I am really into cinema and I have been watching Ari Aster films recently. I just saw Eddington and rewatched Hereditary.
WCT: How do you describe yourself to others as an artist?
EM: I am a pop musician. My music taste is all over the place. I listen to everything and that filters into my music. I am influenced by R&B. My new music has been on indie and alternative playlists. I pull from a lot of references and my music tends to be very mellow.
WCT: Do you feel boxes are limiting with music and the queer community?
EM: Yes, it is all super fluid.
WCT: Being a transplant, what do you like the most about Chicago?
EM: Coming from Kansas, [growing up in] a small town, there was not much going on. In Chicago there is always something happening and it is easy to find something to do. The community is strong once a person gets into it, and there are lots of ideas all in one place.
WCT: Was it hard to find your tribe in Chicago?
EM: No. I got here at a convenient time, and I was young. Even though I wasn’t in school, the people I wanted to meet were. I found that people were coming from all over the place looking to find friends the same way I was, so it all worked out.
WCT: Are you hitting the road soon?
EM: Yes, I am going on tour with John Splithoff. We have a bunch of West Coast dates in California.
For information about McIntosh’s upcoming tour and all ages show on Nov. 17 at Oblivion, 6118 N. Figueroa St. in Los Angeles, California, visit evannmcintosh.com