Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Cyote.
Hi Evan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in St. John’s Florida. I always loved to sing and listen to music but never considered pursuing a career because I had zero outlets for it. I started playing guitar for fun when I was 15 and for a brief period in high school, I would busk in St. Augustine for some extra money. I put away my guitar for a couple years until I was 21. During this period I was at a huge cross road of deciding what I wanted to do with my future. I had just dropped out of school and really only had a passion for horses. I went on an impulsive trip with some buddies to Nashville Memorial Day weekend of 2021 and knew I was exactly where I needed to be. It was the first time in a long time something other than riding horses felt right. I saved up for 6 months and moved to town with zero experience and I didn’t know a soul. When I moved to town I immediately posted an ad on Facebook to be a trainer/ exercise rider. I had five clients I would drive out to in the day time to work their horses, and at night I started working downtown. Pretty quickly I was thrown on the biggest stages on the strip with zero experience. Everything that I’ve learned about music has been in front of a live audience. Over the last four and a half years I’ve done over a thousand shows. I was in a country band, then a rock band, and now I have my own band which is primarily southern rock and country.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey with music has been anything but smooth. I knew coming into this career it would be a rollercoaster but I didn’t know to what extent. Ive been challenged in more ways, financially and emotionally than I could’ve imagined. There were periods of time I was making so much money I didn’t know what to do with it. Then out of no where I would lose a gig or slow season would hit and I didn’t know if I could pay rent or groceries. I lost a lot of weight in 2023 strictly because I couldn’t afford to eat.
Ive always been a very passive person who really struggles with confrontation and this career has beaten that out of me. Becoming a band leader has forced me to make big decisions that I would have never been able to do before. I’ve had to fire band mates who were my best friends because it wasn’t working for either of us anymore. Ive had to stand up to bosses and really put my foot down in order to make sure my band and I could eat at the end of the day.
In the last few years my confidence in myself has been a fluctuating thing that I felt like I would never be able to fully grasp onto. I’m fully surrounded by the most talented artists in the world who all have so much more experience than me. The growing pains of learning my sound and artistry is something I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied with but I think I’m finally coming to a good place with it. I felt my weakest when my career finally started doing well. I was receiving backlash from people who I really cared about their opinions. After a lot of time passing, I’ve been able to know the difference of what is worth wasting my energy on and what is not. I put every ounce of energy I have into this career and that is something that is so rewarding and I can be proud of. It’s something to be excited about to. I’ve seen how much I have grown as an artist even in the last 6 months. My confidence now is rooted in knowing I will continue to get better everyday.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a full time singer/ song writer in Nashville Tennessee. For the last four and a half years I have spent almost every night singing downtown. I think what sets me apart from others in this industry is I am fully authentically myself all the time. I learned pretty quickly in this town that people just want to be around someone they can feel safe to be themselves around too. I’m not afraid to mess up or embarrass myself in front of a large audience. If I do, I always stand back up and try again or make a note to never do whatever it was again. We’re all humans trying to figure this life thing out. Every ounce of success I have now is because I wasn’t afraid to take a risk.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is probably my first time barrel racing. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a barrel racer so bad. I would beg and beg my parents for a horse everyday. After riding for five years, I finally got my first horse at 15. I can still remember the excitement in my body that lasted for days.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Evancyote.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evancyote
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1B37aedP9Z/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@evancyote
