This Side Of Country With Trav And Kjiesta
This is a 95.9 KRFF post show podcast that plays back special guest interviews that aired live on air hosted by Trav & Kjiesta. "This Side Of Country" airs Monday - Friday 9am to 11am (CST) on 95.9 KRFF heard throughout the Fargo/Moorhead area, also streaming everywhere at radiofreefargo.org The show was voted "Best Local Radio Show Of The Red River Valley" 2021, 2024, and 2025! It spotlights the music from midwest country artists, new indie country from around the world, and celebrates the legends of country! It also features in studio special guests, interviews, performances, fun segments and more!
This Side Of Country With Trav And Kjiesta
Evelyn Grace Interview
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Meet local singer/songwriter and artist Evelyn Grace. Her brand single and EP "Bloom" recently debuted on our station so we brought her in to chat about it!
Fix it forward auto care.
SPEAKER_00Hi, it's Matthew Carlson with Fix It Forward Auto Care and Ministry. We're proud supporters of your community station at 95.9 KRFF. Thank you, Radio Free Fargo, for being you.
unknownFix It Forward Auto Care.
SPEAKER_04This side of Country Live with Trav and Kiesta. Slam a coffee, then grab another cup, and tune in Monday mornings on 95.9.
SPEAKER_03Powered each and every day by our pals over there at Fix It Forward Auto Care. We thrive on this station, being the station that supports our local artists. And one we've been keeping our eye on now for a little while is artist Evelyn Grace. She just recently came out with a brand new song called Bloom. We started playing it here on the show. And she is in studio today so much so that uh we pulled her out of school to be here today to talk about her music, her background, where she wants to go with this. And she's right there on mic number three. Good morning to you, Evelyn. Good to see you.
SPEAKER_05Good to see you. Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for making time. I appreciate it. Sorry I had to pull you out of school to be here, though. It's okay. What grade are you in?
SPEAKER_05Um, I'm a senior in high school.
SPEAKER_03Senior in high school, how does that feel?
SPEAKER_05Uh it's pretty easy, actually. I feel like all the classes are like pretty light.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. What's your favorite? What is your favorite uh subject in school, by the way?
SPEAKER_05Probably English, because we do a lot of like poems and stuff, and I feel like that's that's right generally.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I mean, that's literally what you're doing. Poems to songs. Absolutely love this. Well, congratulations on your brand new song, Bloom. Thank you. Scarlett over here even took a listen last night, was getting into it. She loved. Now you were talking about there were a couple of things. Go ahead and move that mic in front of you there, Scarlett. Tell us what you thought about her music when you first got that first impression.
SPEAKER_02So you have a lot of really cool lyricism in there, and then also just the beginning of your song Bloom. It was very jazzy at the beginning, and I thought that was really interesting as it transitioned more into like indie pop. Thank you.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, a lot of different flavors there. So, what is your background with music? Are you country? Are you indie? Are you pop? You're all the things. What would you say you are?
SPEAKER_05I feel like I draw from like a lot of different genres. Like I don't think I have a very specific one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05I just because I love all different types of music, so I feel like I like to just do it all.
SPEAKER_03How long have you been doing singing, songwriting, performing, playing, all the things?
SPEAKER_05I've always sung and wrote songs. Like when I was little, I'd write like weird songs in my room. And I just I can't think of a time when I wasn't writing songs.
SPEAKER_03Like, was it listening to the radio or was dad who's over in the room here, was he somebody that was singing, playing in bands when he was younger and you built off of that? I mean, where did the inspiration come for you?
SPEAKER_05Uh my dad plays the guitar. Okay. I think our family is pr a pretty musical family. Okay. I think I just I don't know. Like I always have just sung and danced around and music has just always been a part of you.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. Who are some of the artists you grew up to listening listening to that have really kind of inspired you along the way?
SPEAKER_05Taylor Swift. Of course. I always listen to Taylor Swift. Some like newer artists that I've been listening to. I really like Olivia Dean.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_05Um Sienna Spiro, I think that's her name. I don't know how to say your last name.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_05Adele. Sure. Those artists.
SPEAKER_03A lot of great artists there. A lot of different flavors. Yeah. In artists, just like you were saying over here, Scarlett. A lot of different flavors and artists here. You got a brand new song called Bloom. Now, is this your first single that you've ever released? Actually, it's actually an EP. It's an E P. There's three songs. Oh, there's three songs. So is this the first time you've released a music? It is. Well, congratulations. Tell me about the song Bloom. We were listening to it here. Scarlett's loving it. There's all these different flavors. What's it about?
SPEAKER_05Um, it was about a boy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Um can dad hear this?
SPEAKER_05Yeah. It's about a boy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05And I obviously I really liked him. So Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Didn't work out? No. Didn't work out. Alright.
SPEAKER_05One of the then like one of the next songs on that EP, it's called Another Hand, and it's like it's about him too, but it's like after we broke up.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Alright, so does this boy know that you've been writing music about him like this? I think so. He does, he does. So have you chatted with him going, hey, this song's kind of about us and you? No, you haven't talked about it, but he does kind of know. I don't ever talk. Yeah. Oh, you don't even talk anymore. God, is there a new guy in your life? Yes. There is. Good. What does he think of your music career so far?
SPEAKER_05He loves it so much. Awesome. He's very supportive.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Do you get out and play shows and do gigs? Yes. Yeah, where's the where's your upcoming show?
SPEAKER_05Um, I have I usually try to sing at 701 Eateries about once a month. I have one uh in November and December. Okay. I don't know the exact date, but you can look at my Instagram.
SPEAKER_03No, I know when you play shows, you're you're there for a couple of hours. You've you've got three songs here, but what are we getting into when we come and see you perform?
SPEAKER_05I do a lot of cover songs. I like to do older songs like Billy Joel and Elton John and I also do like Olivia Dean.
SPEAKER_03Very cool. So tell me how you even know who Billy Joel is and Elton John, because those are from yesteryear here. I mean, we're talking 70s music. How did you get into those artists?
SPEAKER_05Uh, probably my grandpa. He oh he's a very musical person too, and he's always giving I feel like he's always giving me like requests and he texts me like, listen to this on the radio, like play this song.
SPEAKER_03So absolutely. Well, we are gonna be playing your song for the first time for you on the radio. And uh, what is how does it feel to know that your music is getting played locally on the radio here in Fargo?
SPEAKER_05I'm really, really happy, and it kind of just feels like a dream.
SPEAKER_03Yes, so let's talk about that. Evelyn and uh Scarlett and I were talking about this, Evelyn. What is your goal now with music? Is this something you want to pursue or is this a pastime for you?
SPEAKER_05I really want to pursue music, I want to be successful. Yeah, I want my music to like like be pushed out to everybody who loves music like I do. And it's I don't know. I just like it's really something that I love so much.
SPEAKER_03You want to keep riding this train here, absolutely. So, what is the goal? You're a senior in high school, you've got the year here. Do you plan on attending college? Have you had that conversation, or are you gonna go straight to I'm gonna go to Nashville? What is what is kind of the goal for you?
SPEAKER_05Um, I think I don't know. I think I want to go to college because if I do go to college, I want to do something like in business because that's helpful in the music industry.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05But I don't know if I'll go to Nashville.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. That's not the town that's calling you, huh? That calls a lot of artists is Nashville, so I'm very surprised to say that or to hear that that might not even be the town for you. What are you thinking? Maybe LA, New York? What's what's the possibilities that you've thought of?
SPEAKER_05I just like I don't know. I guess I haven't really thought that far.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean it's still early. There's no reason to.
SPEAKER_05I want to see like where my music takes me. Yeah. And like at least, like, I really want to lean on like North Dakota. Yes. And like, because I feel like your hometown is always gonna be like your biggest supporters. It is. So I want to definitely just like get my name locally out there first.
SPEAKER_03Keep you on the fan base here in Fargo, absolutely. What do you think of artists like Tiger Lily who are from North Dakota now they're out there, they're hitting the big stages. What do you think of the stuff like that?
SPEAKER_05I think it's awesome, and it's definitely like good motivation for me to keep pushing into that. I also can do that.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely, you can. What's so great? I don't know, ladies, if you know this about our local scene here, but artists supporting each other around here, and they do what they call singer-songwriter rounds. They get up there and they play their original music, they tell the story about their song, and then they get up there and they play it, and they go back and forth and do that together, and then kind of at the end of the night, they do a little jam together. Maybe they do a Taylor Swift song together. Would you ever consider doing a songwriter's round?
SPEAKER_05That sounds super awesome. I think I would.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, absolutely. We'll have to get you in touch with some of the local artists that put on some of those evenings here in the community and get you a part of those songwriters rounds. I think that'd be another great step for you. Yes. But what about opportunities for some of these bigger national acts that come through town? Would you like to share the stage with them, maybe open up for them? Do you feel like you're ready for that?
SPEAKER_05I think I I think I am. I have uh a friend named Griffin. He goes to MSUM. Okay, plays guitar, um, and he's gonna help me. Sometimes he plays guitar for me, and he can help me out with that.
SPEAKER_03That's cool. Who would you like to share the stage with if you had that opportunity? Maybe at the Fargo Theater or something like that, they're going, hey, we need some local artists, and Fargo Theater calls you up and you say, Yes, absolutely. Who would some of those artists be for you?
SPEAKER_05Hmm. Pro Jason Isabel. Yes. I really like him. Okay. I think he's a really good lyric lyricist. How do you say that word?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, lyricist.
SPEAKER_05Lyricist?
SPEAKER_03Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_05Um, I really like him. Some like ones that I'm not sure like if it would ever happen, but I also like Olivia Dean and like those artists I look up. Oh, Fiona Apple. I really like Fiona Apple.
SPEAKER_03No, I'm kidding, Fiona Apple. Now you're getting into my territory here, my generation. Yeah, Fiona Apple. I loved Fiona Apple, still do. Great artist. Love that. Fantastic. Okay, so we got shows coming up here at 701. You got a brand new EP. Did you throw yourself a little party? Did you have like a listening party going, hey, come on out, I'll play some songs. You can listen to my new EP for the very first time. Did you throw yourself a little party?
SPEAKER_05No, I didn't. I should have.
SPEAKER_03You totally should. Do you have future plans for more music? I know you just put this out maybe early next year. More me more plans for more music.
SPEAKER_05Um, I definitely I have so many songs I've wrote, and I just I feel like I'm always writing new songs, and I definitely want to record those and put them out there. I have a song that's already recorded called Four Chord Song. Okay. Um, maybe I'd release that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. But walk Scarlet and I through the recording process. Did you do this here locally record, or did you go to another Minneapolis, another community to do this?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, um, so I go to Heathen's Music Lab.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_05Um, Ian Fry. I don't he um recently passed away.
SPEAKER_03That is the one, yes. Yeah. We were actually just reached out about doing helping be a part of his uh kind of his memorial service and his his thing.
SPEAKER_05I'm gonna be singing at his No kidding. Yeah, his Remorance of Life with Griffin, and I'm really excited.
SPEAKER_03So you you got to work closely with Ian.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, he was like my second dad. He was my mentor.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh. Well, I'm so sorry. What how did you feel when you heard the news?
SPEAKER_05Uh it was beyond hard. It was it was really tough, and it was like he was really, really important in my life. Like such a big light in my life, and he was just he loved every room he walked into, and he was so talented, and I just like it was I it crushed me, especially because like like in bloom, like the piano you hear in the beginning, that's Ian. No kidding! Yeah, and like he plays piano in all my songs. Fantastic.
SPEAKER_03So give us one thing that Ian taught you that you will carry with you now into your musical career because he obviously played a big role in your life.
SPEAKER_05He taught me like music is in everybody, like my friend S one of my good friends Signe, like I made her come to the studio with me one time and she was like, Oh, like I don't even play music, and he's like, Music isn't uh in everybody, like even if you don't think that you're musical, like it's with everybody like even if you're just like listening to the radio, like it's like goes through everybody, and I just really admire him for that because he had like such a love for music and he loved to share it with everybody. Yeah, he was just an awesome person.
SPEAKER_03Wonderful. Thank you for sharing that. That's absolutely wonderful. We know what a wonderful man he was, and we hear from a lot of local artists what an impact he made on their career and their lives. So thank you for sharing that. How exciting though that your your music now kind of gets to help Ian live on because he was a part of your songs here that you just released, like Bloom.
SPEAKER_05It makes me really, really happy that I have this music and I like have like sometimes people don't always have like pieces of a person that they love so much. And I feel like having this music is I just feel so grateful because like it's like a piece of him, like I can turn that song and be like, oh, that's Ian.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05And I don't know, it just like makes me really happy that I have such a big piece of like my life to share with him.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05And it just like keeps his memory alive.
SPEAKER_03That's wonderful. That's a wonderful way to look at it. We got some gigs coming up. We got future plans for more music to be released probably next year. You've already got one that's that's uh recorded, that's fantastic. You got some plans now to maybe we gotta hook you up here with a singer-songwriter around, get you out there and start meeting some more local musicians and be a part of those nights. Those are pretty fun too. Yes. How do you feel when you're in front of a live crowd performing? Do you feel like there's no are do you get nervous?
SPEAKER_05No, I feel like I mean, I usually am nervous like to start, like I was a little nervous for this. Yes. Um, but I think I just get in the groove of it and I just I love it so much. I do always kind of feel like a little nervous when I'm like like having to talk to the crowd, like this is my song.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05I usually I just wish I could like just sing and sing and sing and but obviously I have to talk to people. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03Well, that's definitely a big part because people folks love hearing the story behind the song, and we love hearing your story too, which makes us get attached to you more and want to support you more, and that's what we're doing here today, and I appreciate that you're making time. School, tell me how's school going? It just started a couple of weeks ago. How's that been going for you?
SPEAKER_05Good.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05It's it's really nice. I have a lot of good friends there and lots of support too. Like that's awesome. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03We hear that, you know, that's one thing we want to we want to hear is that there you got a good support system at school, especially for your musical career. I imagine you're pretty busy with school music. Do you have extracurricular things that you do? You play volleyball. You play volleyball as well. Yes. Oh my gosh, how's the season going? Uh uh.
SPEAKER_05Some wins, some losses, curriculum. Some wins, some losses. It's I love my team so much though, and I love my coach. Yeah. I feel very blessed.
SPEAKER_03Where do you find the time to do all the things? I mean, you got school, you got volleyball, you got music, you got gigs. Where do you how do you balance all that?
SPEAKER_05Uh, sometimes during my open periods, I go to the choir rooms and they have pianos in them and sing in there, write some songs if I can.
SPEAKER_03No kidding. You don't take a nap. I would probably crash and take a nap because I would just be overwhelmed with how busy my schedule is. But you go in and you find more time to continue doing songwriting. Where is one of the most interesting places you were when a song hit you? Like were you were you at volleyball and you were just humming and then all of a sudden going, I I need to record this. This is a song.
SPEAKER_05Uh, probably I when I was younger, we were like kind of in the middle of nowhere, and my dad was like it was raining and it was really hot, and my dad was like, It's like rain in the desert. I wrote a song called Rain in the Desert in the car. Hey. It's not my favorite song anymore, though.
SPEAKER_03What typically comes first for you when you're writing a song? Is it the melody? Is it a lyric? Is it a title? How does that usually start for you?
SPEAKER_05I I always put the title last. I never know where I'm gonna do the title last.
SPEAKER_03Sure.
SPEAKER_05Um, I'd say like if I'm just doing like writing a song in my room, yeah. I'll be like, I'm gonna write a song right now. I'll usually just like throw some chords together and then the lyric's like, just come to me.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome, though, the way that comes to you. Because obviously you're doing a fantastic job. You got three great new songs that are out right now. When did you officially release Bloom? Been a couple weeks now?
SPEAKER_05The 20th.
SPEAKER_03The 20th.
SPEAKER_05Was it the 21st? Or is it 20th?
unknown20th.
SPEAKER_05August 20th. August 20th.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. How's your has it been received so far from all your friends, your family? What's everybody thinking? Anybody giving you feedback on the song so far?
SPEAKER_05Lots of love. So much love.
SPEAKER_03And it makes me happy.
SPEAKER_05It makes me blush.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_05Yes, I almost have on Spotify, I have over 2,000 streams.
SPEAKER_03Look at you. Yes, that's so happy. That's only been like two, two and a half weeks, and here you are. You've already got over 2,000 spins. That's fantastic. Yes. Well, we're gonna continue playing it here on the radio, and I am so glad that you connected with us so that we could chat with you, get to know you as an artist here, continue playing your music on the show.
SPEAKER_04This side of Country Live with Trav and Kiesta. Slam a coffee, then grab another cup, and tune in Monday mornings on 95.9.
SPEAKER_01Fix It Forward Auto Care. The name of Trisford Cares.
SPEAKER_00Hi, it's Matthew Carlson with Fix It Forward Auto Care and Ministry. We're proud supporters of your community station at 95.9 KRFF. Thank you, Radio Free Fargo, for being you.