Evilyn have announced that they have lost two members, but have gained three! Lead vocalist Ryder Ataxia released this statement:
“Hey guys,
Ryder here… I’m currently recovering from an extremely cold photo shoot that took place yesterday. It was snowing and minus 1 in that forest, yet I was there in just a turtleneck and a coat. Getting to Starbucks on Oxford Street was like bliss. I’m sure the photos will look amazing though!
A lot of you have been wondering what exactly has gone on over the past few months. A very shaky gig in December at The Peel followed by a few months of seemingly nothing besides the release of a double A Side, then suddenly two members vanished; well, I can tell you it has been hectic.
Due to musical and personal differences we decided not to carry on with John and Liam, something which was both hard to come to terms with but also a slight relief. A definite tension had been building up for quite a while and it felt better knowing where the situation stood rather than being left in the dark. We wished them both the very best on their future endeavours and said goodbye. There are no hard feelings on our part.
This whole situation could have gone one of two ways, but due to mine and Luke’s stubbornness, it was only ever really going to go one way. We could have called it a day; after all we had lost 50% of our former members and now had to seek out not only a new guitarist, but a new drummer too, and this all meant a lot of work. We contemplated a lot of things but at the end of the day we knew that what we had started together back in 2011, all the friendships we had formed and the amazing fans we had gained were far too precious to give up, so we started scouting, and much sooner than expected we had found our new lineup.
We are now happier than we have ever been before.
We have Dave Curtis on guitar. He is a true musical prodigy and has actually been my best friend for a long time. He was always my go-to guy when I had a problem, be that as simple as wanting to know something about music production, or as complicated as my emotional state. He is without a doubt one of the most down to earth, talented and nicest guys I have ever met, and working with him is an honour.
Danny Smith also joined on rhythm guitar. We decided that as we were doing something new, I might as well give this vocalist thing a real go. He is a fucking brilliant guy and really knows his shit, and boy oh boy can he play the guitar. Being just 16 he is the youngest member of this band, but don’t let that fool you. He brings the grit back to our sound; where Dave and myself have been working on making sure the music is perfect, he adds so much character and emotion it is unreal. He brings back the punk element and keeps our raw yet polished tone.
Finally, we added Giovanni Lombardo on drums. Those clued up on the local scene will know that he was formerly the heartbeat of Dire Insanity, and that means skill. He is a brilliant drummer, but he is also so much more than that. He is determined, hard working, dedicated and above all else a right laugh. He’s one of those rare people you find that has managed to find the perfect balance between work and play, and since he joined this band I have felt so much more relaxed cos I know that no matter what, if the work load gets way too stressful, me and Luke have another really reliable guy who can help to get the job done quickly, efficiently and flawlessly.
So yes, things have changed drastically, but I feel that a few things are clear:
We are happy as a band. We are stronger than ever. We are gonna come back on April 12th at The Garage and tear that place apart!
Stay strong, Stay safe, Stick together.
