Evan Craft, singer of the multilingual song, “Be Alright,” jumped on with JBo and Yoshi to talk about how the new wave of anxiety and depression taking root in Latin America inspired the writing of the song, “Be Alright.”
View this video with Evan Craft and other BOOST Artists on YouTube.
JBo:
So when you write your verses now, are you more competitive? Do you think, man, when someone hears this verse, I want them to think this, or I want them to feel this?
Evan Craft:
Yeah. I mean, definitely. I’m writing with people in mind. I’ve written a lot of songs for my brother, for my family. I mean, Be All Right, was originally for my brother during the pandemic. And in Spanish, it was actually written with a Latin hip-hop artist. And with people in mind all over Latin America that we were talking about just the amount of anxiety and depression that is this wave that has taken over in a lot of places. And now I’m trying to think of also just the point that I’m at. I’m a newlywed. We have our struggles. We have our ups and downs, and the incredible adventure that is marriage, and also how hard it is to blend two lives.
And so the dependency on God and also just writing in a way that other people can relate to that because the more specific I am about my life, I think, actually, people really relate to that. And so I try not to be too general in music, because if it’s just, “I’m going through this storm and you’ll pull me through,” everyone can say, “Okay, I can relate to a storm and issue my life, but it’s not compelling.”
And so I want my music to be compelling, that someone to be like, “Hey, you know what, that’s exactly how I feel.”
Why did Evan Craft force himself to learn Spanish?
Yoshi:
Well, I was going to say too, you’ve gotten to travel all over the world. You’ve gotten to try new things, do a lot of different things that maybe the general person may not have the experience to do. What are some of the passions that you have outside of music that just make you come alive?
Evan Craft:
I mean, first of all, I think people.
A songwriter here in Nashville told me that in order to write, you have to live. And so if you’re not around people and you’re not hearing their experiences, hearing the struggles, their victories, it’s really hard to write music. I write actually really well when a friend comes over and we write together because I can hear their struggles and I can start playing with that idea.
I know my struggles so personally, and sometimes I feel like, “Well, I’ve already written about that. I’ve already written about that. I’ve already written about that.” And so that really helps me write, and just, as an artist, articulate things.
Also, I try to be healthy. I try to be outside. I’ve gotten into rock climbing, I’ve been into cycling just, just things that get me into a different head space, because especially living in Nashville, it’s like an office. You write 10:00 to 4:00. You write every day in a certain way.
And it’s nice to go with people that don’t know the rules, they don’t say, “Oh, well, that doesn’t work because it doesn’t rhyme perfectly.”
Well, I never had an a A&R. I’m not signed to a label. So what’s worked has just been natural and organic. And I think that’s the thing that, really… You’ve got to hustle you definitely, definitely got to hustle. And I think that anybody who’s on boost has probably hustled really hard. But it’s also something that’s like, this is who I am, and I can’t really fit myself into a little box.
JBo:
Right. Yeah. That’s so good. That is so encouraging too for anyone who’s trying to fit into a box because what I got from that was just be authentically yourself, worked out for you. Being you has worked out for you.
Evan Craft:
Well, yeah. And I think, as a Christian, you understand that being you is not enough in and of yourself, But laying your life down and submitting yourself to Christ is what… And then being yourself. Being the person that God’s designed you to be is actually a lot better than who you are by yourself. Because a lot of people, they take that freedom and they think, “Oh, well this is just who I am.” Well, actually, who I am is not that great. And I really, really, really am grateful and I need God’s grace on my life, and then I can start really expressing who I am in light and with the filter of God’s grace.
JBo:
I probably should clarify that. Being you when it comes to your writing style.
Yoshi:
It being you too. That’s good. That’s good. Both are great.
JBo:
I wasn’t going to cut you off with preaching. I mean, I’m always down for a word. You know what I’m saying? But being you, when it came to your writing style, definitely worked out for you.
