Sara Evans grew up singing in her family’s band, and now she’s passing on her own musical legacy to her children. The 48-year-old just announced the release of The Barker Family Band EP, a six-song collection recorded by Evans, along with her 19-year-old son, Avery, and 16-year-old daughter, Olivia.
“Family is everything to me and making a record like this has been a dream for me since my kids were little,” Evans said in a statement. “They were literally raised on a tour bus around music, and this is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m honored that I get to make this music with them before they embark on their own careers as musicians.”
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Evans and Olivia take turns on singing lead vocals on the EP, which includes covers of classic songs like “(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman” and “Over the Rainbow” along with a song, “The View,” written by Avery and Olivia. The idea for the project was inspired by Avery and Oliva, and a spontaneous jam session in their Birmingham home.
“Avery came downstairs with his acoustic [guitar], and they started singing ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac,” Evans recalled to Billboard. “Olivia was singing the lead. I came in with the high harmony and Avery was singing the low harmony. I recorded it. They told me that I couldn’t film them, but I could film the chandelier. I recorded it and posted it to Instagram and that just sparked the idea.”
The threesome will also embark on a six-city City Winery and SiriusXM Y2Kountry present Sara Evans and The Barker Family Band – Bloodline Tour, playing City Winery venues in Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago and Nashville, but Evans hints more stops might be in the works as well.
“I didn’t even really know if anybody would want to buy the show or tour, and now we’re getting calls from promoters saying, ‘Hey, why just City Winerys? We want to be a part of this too,’” Evans divulged. “It’s been exciting for me that other people think this is a cool idea too.”
The Barker Family Band project will be released on April 12, on Evans’ own Born to Fly Records. Find tour dates, and pre-order the project, by visiting her official website.
The Barker Family Band Track List:
1.. “Born To Fly Intro” – lead vocals Sara Evans
2. “Dreams” – lead vocals Sara Evans
3. “XO” – lead vocals Olivia Barker
4. “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” – lead vocals Sara Evans
5. “The View” – lead vocals Olivia Barker
6. “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” – lead vocals Olivia Barker
Photo Credit: David McClister
