by Adelie Salagnac
Photos by Gudmundor Vigfusson, styled by Namita Kapoor
Upcoming release Jump The Fire is said to be capturing “the adventurousness of the Evie Ladin Band in performance. They remind you that music is meant to move.” I got the chance to chat with the lady behind the band, Evie Ladin, and get a glimpse of that adventurousness. She talked about her various experiences, traveling all around the States, all around the world; playing shows, playing festivals; playing music, playing body music, exploring different aspects of her artistic and musical journey… an energetic and passionate woman!
The Evie Ladin Band’s latest project is, of course, their new album, Jump The Fire, set to be out on May 6th. “I’m really excited about a lot of the new songs,” says Ladin. “You know, your songs are kind of like your children.” You could feel how proud Ladin was of her work. She adds: “I feel like there’s a lot of songs that are really moving and emotional, and some others that are energetic. There’s a lot of variety and I like that.”
What’s in store for the band after the release of the album is, obviously, a lot of touring. “We have a lot of CD release shows coming up,” Ladin says, “and I am really looking forward to touring on both coasts. I also would like to play more festivals again. I used to play a lot of festivals and I really love that environment.”
But what does an Evie Ladin Band show look like? It is like no other, and you probably will have a hard time putting labels on it. Ladin comments: “The most common response we get is how entertaining and unusual the show is. It is not just a concert of music, because we mix music and dance. I find that it is difficult to categorize the music that we make, but when people come to the show, they always like it.”
A multi-faceted artist, who cleverly combines music, traditions, dance, and body music, into a one-of-a-kind performance. Unusual art, body music got my attention, and I just had to ask more about it to Ladin. She highlights the fact that it is called body dancing, because you are using all of the resources you have with the human body. She says: “I started because I come from the Appalachian Mountains. I was doing folk dance, and I have always been making music and rhythm with my feet. Over the years, I started being more creative. Traditional music and dance, foot percussion, body percussion, vocals…” Expanding their knowledge and living their “double life” as Ladin likes to say, she will be at the international body music festival in Paris this fall.
With her husband as part of the band and a son to take care of, Ladin still manages to balance her professional and personal life pretty well, especially considering her touring schedule. She says: “Touring has always been part of our lives and my son really appreciates the experiences that we have all over the world. We also find that when we travel together we have more high quality family time, oddly enough!”
For a complete list of tour dates, check out http://www.evieladin.com/events/
The Evie Ladin Band will make a stop in Pennsylvania in June: the band will be in Ardmore on June 23rd and in Harrisburg on the 24th, don’t miss out!
