Evann McIntosh's new single JENN!FER AN!STON is out now! We chat to the musician about the release and more.
Image: Khufu Najee
Last month, 17-year-old rising singer-songwriter Evann McIntosh shared their latest single, JENN!FER AN!STON. Fusing together modern pop and R&B sounds, McIntosh crafted the track upon heavenly vocal harmonies, with the song centred around the feeling of wanting to view someone in a new light, moving away from feelings of love.
The release comes alongside an official visual, which finds the singer making their way through the streets of New York City. “Once I shared the song with director Loris Russier, we knew right away we wanted to do something in New York,” creative director of the ‘JENN!FER AN!STON’ video Khufu Najee says. “Something that felt like you were in Manhattan. Like an episode of Friends but inside Evann's world. When you listen to Evann's music, you hear the soul in their voice. The music they make has such a timeless feel that shooting on film was important. We had to match the energy and soul of their voice, but visually.”
The release follows up the musicians body of work, MOJO, which embraced and championed the aspects of their identity that had previously brought confusion. McIntosh worked on the release with longtime collaborator Jesty Beatz, with the pair crafting the record together from different remote locations.
JENN!FER AN!STON is out now! Read our interview with Evann McIntosh below.
Tell us a bit about how you came into music…
I’ve always made stuff, but I hadn’t released anything until I met Jesty when I was 13.
You’ve just released your single JENN!FER AN!STON can you tell us a bit about the track, what prompted you to write it and the significance of the title JENN!FER AN!STON?
I had a very massive thing for Jennifer Aniston in 8th grade and my freshman year of high school because of a Friends phase and the song is just about trying to see somebody as more of a friend than a love interest in order for that relationship to be able to progress.
Could you tell us a bit about your creative process when writing and recording songs?
It’s just therapy and it ends up outletting itself in sounding like whatever I’d absorbed creatively at that point in time. The process is very fluid.
How did you arrive at the sonic sounds present on this single?
I really wanted to make a song with the whole backtrack composing of just vocals.
Who or what are your influences when writing new music? What inspires you?
Everything I’ve ever listened to or anything I’d ever seen or heard or experienced ever led up to what I make. Anybody who’s ever had a massive impact on me like Prince or whoever is just weaved in there in bolder strands.
Things have changed in the world over the past year, how do you feel you as an artist worked in the midst of a worldwide pandemic? Did you encounter any challenges, or did it perhaps allow you the time and space to explore a whole new sphere within your creative world?
I can’t speak on my experience being altered crazily or anything because I’ve always been remote with stuff. Jesty, my producer, found me over the internet and we didn’t really meet in person until after we’d released an album together. We were kind of lucky with that process being familiar. I’ve spent a lot of this time trying to learn about stuff.
Are you working on any new music? Will there be any new releases in the coming future? What can we expect next?
Yeah yeah yeah oh yeah oh yeah. Oh yeah. Good stuff.
How would you describe your sound to someone who is about to press play on JENN!FER AN!STON?
It’s really nice.
If you could describe JENN!FER AN!STON as an existing piece of visual art (painting, sculpture, photograph etc), which artwork would it be and why?
I used to dye my hair purple every month and one time I put my whole self in the shower to wash my hair out and I dyed my whole body. I left a purple ass print on my toilet seat.
JENN!FER AN!STON features some stunning visuals to accompany your beautiful vocals. Can you tell us a bit about the process of developing the video, and the inspiration behind it?
I wanted a stalker concept because it’s fun, and shooting in New York sounded very nice. I think we shot it in New York because of Friends???????? It was so beyond cold the whole time we shot it. All of the outdoor shots I was freezing my ass off and it took everything in me not to poop my pants and die. In between shots they had somebody on standby to run me my two coats.
Looking at your body of work, how important are the visuals to you when it comes to portraying the stories and themes present on your songs?
They’ve become more important to me after working with other strong people with separate visions. You can collaborate and get something you’re both happy with most times, but I’m still learning how to communicate my ideas and my vision. I think taking on a project and being completely in charge would be very nice.
With everything that’s been happening in the world touring has changed, what are your 2021 touring plans, what can fans expect from a live show, and is there a chance we’ll see you performing in Australia anytime soon?
God I hope so. I’d be horrified but it would be very fun. It’s a conversation.
RAPID FIRE
Biggest influences?
PRINCE. OUTKAST. MARVIN GAYE. SNOH AALEGRA. HALL AND OATES. THE TIME. FRANK OCEAN.
Dream collaboration?
ANDRE 3000.
Album that has had the most impact on you?
BLONDE. THE LOVE BELOW. SIGN O’ THE TIMES. SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE.
How do you define your musical style in 3 words?
YEAH. YEAH. OHYEAH.
A release you’re most looking forward to in 2021?
I DON’T KNOW ITS NOT OUT YET.
If you could create the soundtrack for any film, which one would it be?
A MOVIE I MADE.
Favourite Friends character?
RACHEL GREEN IS SO FINE.
Album you would listen to on repeat on a road trip?
BLONDE.
Last concert you went to?
BILLIE EILISH.
Guilty music pleasure?
THE ALBUM GUILTY BY BARBRA STREISSAND AND BARRY GIBB.
If you could support any artist on tour, who would it be?
PRINCE.
An artist you think has had the most influence on the music industry.
PRINCE.
What advice would your current self, give your future self, for a year from now?
ENJOY YOURSELF.
The moment you knew you wanted to be a musician?
BIRTH.