Morgan Evans was already a bona fide country music favorite, but in recent months his career took an unexpected turn when his personal life threw him a curveball. The result was a deeply personal song and a viral performance that showed the world a new side to the Aussie-born singer: Evans debuted his new track “Over For You” during his headlining set at Australia’s CMC Rocks QLD Festival, in front of a sold-out audience of 25,000 fans. The emotional performance made the rounds on social media with fans applauding Evans for his vulnerability and songwriting prowess. Now Evans—who toured 10 countries over the summer—is preparing to hit the road again when he joins Brett Young on his 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Tour in March.
HOMETOWN: Newcastle, Australia
YEARS IN NASHVILLE: 7
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START?
I started a band on my 13th birthday—the day I got my first guitar.
WHO WERE YOUR EARLY INFLUENCES?
Garth Brooks, The Eagles, The Foo Fighters, Keith Urban
MOST EXCITING THING TO HAPPEN IN YOUR CAREER (SO FAR):
Headlining the CMC Rocks Festival in Australia this year was a big deal to me. It’s been a year of ups and downs for me, but we played country music in 10 countries this summer and I’ve never had so much fun playing music in my life. I just want to shout out to the community in Nashville for making an Aussie feel at home on the other side of the world.
WHAT SONG OF YOURS BEST SUMS UP WHO YOU ARE?
The line “we will never be this young again” closes the chorus in a song called “Young Again.” I try to approach everything I do with that in mind. I wrote it five years ago, but it is just as true every time I sing it.
NEW AND NEXT:
My new song is called “Over For You.” It’s as personal and honest as anything I’ve ever done, and writing it really helped me sort through a lot of things during a difficult time in my life. Sharing it has been a vulnerable experience, but also a cathartic one and the response at shows and on social media has been really meaningful. This record has songs about my past, my present, and hopefully my future with gratitude for what brought me where I am now. I’m really proud of this record and hope the fans are too. There are songs that are totally different from anything I’ve ever done, and I’m excited for people to hear them.