Tony Evans, Jr. has always been intrigued by the storytelling element of country music. The Atlanta native, who now resides in Nashville, is now garnering attention for changing the face of country music.
Evans’ initial rise to fame occurred after he released a cover of Luke Comb’s “One Number Away” which eventually went viral on social media. He also appeared on The Shade Room and caught the attention of prominent artists such as Keyshia Cole, and country singers Mickey Guyton, Luke Combs, and Jimmy Allen.
For Evans, country music has been away for him to express himself and travel through sound.
“There’s something unique about it,” Evans told ADW. “The genre almost takes you to another place. When I write my music, I love to create another world. I love that escape that you get from it.”
Although Evans uses the music as an escape, it has allowed him to stand out and attract millions who have found him through social media.
“Going into country music, I knew I was going to be different,” Evans said. “But one of my main goals was to be the country artist that is posted on The Shade Room, because I’m from Atlanta. So that’s part of my culture. One morning, I woke up and I saw a DM (direct message) from TSR room and they asked if they could post my video. And, it almost brought tears to my eyes. And it just brought a whole lot of attention.”
Being raised in Atlanta, Evans saw how the city’s music scene thrived during his youth. Artists such as OutKast, Usher, TLC, and more helped to inspire him and his music. But he believes adding the twist of country music will benefit Atlanta’s music scene.
“It’s amazing, I will always have a deep love for Atlanta because that’s where I was raised,” Evans says. “Atlanta will forever be my home. The fact that I can bring love back to the city in a whole new way is exciting for me. I can bring a whole new thing to the city. And that’s a big deal.”
Evans will indeed get an opportunity to make Atlanta proud as he continues on his journey. But he also wants to collaborate and create projects with those who inspire him.
“When it comes to a dream collaboration, it has to be H.E.R.,” Evans says. “It is just something about her, she has such a unique vibe. And she’s so elegant. I feel like our fans would enjoy it…I’m a musician. I’ve been playing guitar for 15 years. So everything starts on the guitar with me. And that’s another reason why I really do appreciate H.E.R.’s art. It just all starts on the instrument. And then the words come. And I’ll just put it all together.”
The past year has been a bit fast-pace for Evans, but to touch his dream of being a country star, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The year has definitely been a whirlwind,” Evans says. “Often, I’ll have my headphones on, and it’ll just hit me like, I’m living my dream.”
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