Interview: Country musician Dan Evans

by Brett Ryder of McKinneyNews.net

Dan Evans hits the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) Saturday evening, bringing with him a foot-tappin’ Keith Urban-inspired country music show in support of his debut album, Goin’ All Out.

Evans, who gained a modicum of fame as one of the contestants on NBC’s The Biggest Loser (2008), says even though he didn’t win the contest, the show helped him find an abiding self-respect and a determined work ethic – all this while helping him lose more than 100 pounds.

From his childhood home of Frankfort, Illinois, the 23-year-old Evans spoke with McKinneyNews.net by telephone, patiently answering questions pertaining to his on-going battle with weight gain and, of course, his burgeoning music career.

McKinneyNews.net: So you released Goin’ All Out relatively late last year. How are album sales?

Evans: Well, the album debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard Country Charts when it was released. I don’t know exactly how many albums I’ve sold. They don’t let you know until it’s gone gold. But I will tell you that it’s all indie, that we’ve pushed this thing pretty much all by ourselves. We have distribution through Universal Musical Group, a big name, but it’s not like we’ve got a multimillion-dollar marketing apparatus behind this effort. We’re doing it pretty much on our own.

McKinneyNews.net: Any radio support?

Evans: The first single, “Goin’ All Out,” was picked up by 200 stations across the country. We’re in the process of picking the second single. We’re testing songs with radio marketing groups, getting different input. We haven’t made up our minds. So yeah, we’ve gotten some airplay.

McKinneyNews.net: Describe your music.

Evans: It’s country music with some rock 'n' roll. It’s the new, contemporary country music. Keith Urban is my biggest inspiration. He’s the reason I even wanted to do it. I saw him in concert at 16 and knew that’s what I wanted to do for rest of my life. I think a lot of that came out on my record. I was so inspired by him. Keith Urban has paved the way for the new country sound.

McKinneyNews.net: How does the new country sound differ from tradition country?

Evans: I honestly think it’s like old classic rock, like the Eagles, with better production. The Eagles, the stuff they were doing back in the day, add some steel guitar and it’s country music all day long. I think country music is kind of bringing that old classic rock vibe back. I think country music has always been about the lyrics and story. That hasn’t changed.

McKinneyNews.net: Without The Biggest Loser fame, would the music career be happening?

Evans: I think absolutely not for a lot of reasons. I think it’s more than just coming off a TV show. When I was overweight, I wasn’t confident enough to do music, I was scared. I didn’t want to be the big guy on stage sweating for an hour. I didn’t want to do that. Being on Loser gave me a great launching pad; it helped me gain some self-confidence. It gave me the momentum to try and make my (music) dream a reality.

McKinneyNews.net: What’s it feel like to be fat in America?

Evans: It’s a weird thing when you’re very overweight. When I was younger, I was the life of the party, the Chris Farley of the group. I don’t think that applies to everyone. Everyone’s different. I kind of felt cool being overweight, being the big guy with the biggest jokes. But deep down inside, it was something I struggled with, it was something I wasn’t happy with myself about.

McKinneyNews.net: Where did that unhappiness come from?

Evans: Let me give you a scenario. You’re 16 years old at a friend’s pool party. You know you’re too embarrassed to take your shirt off. You make up excuses not to make the party. That’s how it affected me. I would sit at home mad at myself.

McKinneyNews.net: How much weight did you lose on the show and have you kept it off?

Evans: I lost 136 pounds. My weight fluctuates. When I’m home, I’m in the gym -- you know, doing stuff like that. When I’m touring, we’re driving six to eight hours a day. To me there’s no number I could ever tell you. For me it’s going to be my battle for life.

McKinneyNews.net: Who are your musical heroes?

Evans: Keith Urban, Jason Aldean -- those are guys I listen to all the time. I listen to the old timers, too, bands like the Eagles and the Allman Brothers. I listen to everything. I love music. I try to look at what’s topping the charts and try to figure out what they’re doing to get their message across and to get to the top. I want to write and inspire people across all genres.

McKinneyNews.net: Do you consider yourself a singer-songwriter?

Evans: I co-wrote four of the songs on my album. I absolutely consider myself a writer. I was flying home from Nantucket recently and I had to go the newsstand to pick up a notebook. I had to get a song out. I wrote it in the air. But there are songs on my album that are written by way better writers. I wrote more songs for the album, but these were better. I don’t consider myself the best writer. I’m still polishing my craft.

McKinneyNews.net: Speaking of other writers, you’ve got some pretty serious professional writers on your album, right?

Evans: Let me tell you how that worked. It wasn’t the record company setting me up with phone calls. I was introduced to some people who were inspired by my story. Then I just started trying to meet everyone I could in the business.