Sara Evans and her children, Avery and Olivia, are celebrating their family ties by releasing brand-new music, together! The trio released the Barker Family Band album, out on Friday, April 12.
“Avery, my son, is 19. Olivia is 16, and Audrey is 14,” Evans told PopCulture.com, adding that Audrey declined to sing on the album. “Obviously, I started my career before any of them were born. And so they’ve all grown up in music. They’ve got music in the their blood, and they were all raised on the tour bus and in the studio and with adults, with musicians. So it was only natural that they would all be musical. Or I assumed they would be, and they are.”
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Avery realized when he was about 14 that he wanted to play guitar, along with piano and drums, while Olivia focused on singing.
“It’s just in the family,” Evans explained. “All of my siblings are musical. A couple of years ago, Avery and Olivia, they would always learn songs together. And it’s so funny because my brother, Matt, is my bass player, and he’s three years older than I am. He and I are the two out of the seven of us that really, really focused on music. We moved to Nashville together. And Avery’s three years older than Olivia. And it’s so cool to watch them do music together.”
It wasn’t until the two oldest siblings began working on a song together, Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” that Evans realized they had something special.
“Every Fleetwood Mac song is incredible,” Evans said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s so good,’ and I started singing the high harmony. And then I was like, ‘Can I post this?’ And they were like, ‘No!’”
Finally, Evans convinced them to let her record it and share it, if she focused the camera on the chandelier above them, instead of their faces.
“So that’s kind of where the whole thing started,” said the singer. “We started talking about doing a little tour. I think the fans would love to see the kids and hear what they’re doing on their own, musically, because Avery and Olivia both have their own careers as solo artists that they’re pursuing.”
Avery is used to being on the road with his mother, since he toured with her for a while after high school as her guitar player – a role that many aspiring musicians would cherish, but for Avery, came with a stipulation.
“He was like, ‘You know, I’m not gonna do this for very long mom. I’m doing my own thing,’” recalled the proud mother. “And I’m like, ‘I totally get that.’ And so he’s been on the road for us for about a year. And the girls travel with me all the time. And like I said, it’s just like, Avery went from being on the road with me in one capacity, to being on the road with me in another capacity, which was really cool.”
While Evans is thrilled with the six-song EP, she insists the Barker Family Band will not become a permanent act.
“Avery and Olivia don’t want to be in a band with their mom,” Evans acknowledged. “They both want to do their own things. But it’s turned out great, and it’s just been this fun little project that we’ve done. And people are just kind of freaking out over these songs. And I’m so proud of them. I mean, we worked on this music; I’m not gonna do anything unless it’s as perfect as I can make it, and my kids are the same way when it comes to music.”
“Avery is his own solo artist, and has his own complete vibe,” she continued. “This is literally just him playing along with Olivia and I singing, on guitar. And he was happy to do it. But I think when you grow up as a child of a celebrity, and if you decide that you’re gonna go down that same path, you don’t want anybody thinking that you’re not legit, or that you’ve ridden on anybody’s coat tails. And so Olivia’s the same way. She’s her own artist. And she is currently pursuing her own career right now. So no, it’s just a one time deal.”
The Barker Family Band might be a one-time deal, but Evans has another solo project in the works as well.
“We’re hoping to go in in June,” Evans revealed. “I thought I had a producer, but that producer had to back out because of his schedule. And I couldn’t wait that long for him, to go back in and start working on it. So I’m about to announce the new producer soon. But it’s gonna be a really cool album. It’s gonna be very different, much more Americana vibe, rootsy kind of vibe.”
The Barker Family Band has a limited run of dates scheduled on their City Winery and SiriusXM Y2Kountry present Sara Evans and The Barker Family Band – Bloodline Tour. Find dates at her official website.
Photo Credit: Getty images/Cooper Neill
