Evan Gerish. The Northville, Mich. native is being compared to Eminem. He is the next rising star to come out of the Detroit music scene. Gerish was born on Oct. 14, 1989. He speaks English, Italian and Spanish. His stage name is Elevan and his debut album, 11-11-11, was released on that very date.
Describe what you do…is it more of poetry or rapping?
“Well, its actually a pretty even blend,” Gerish said in a Facebook interview. “It will probably be marketed as hip hop, but there is definitely spoken word influences.”
How are you similar or different from Eminem?
“There is always going to be that comparison between any white rapper and Eminem,” he added. “We’re similar in that we both are musicians and our specialties are lyrics, but I think the noticeable similarities end there.”
Who or what inspired you to get into the music business?
“My friend and I were getting Taco Bell one day after school and he had just bought The Cool by Lupe Fiasco,” the new artist explained. “He was talking about this song ‘Streets on Fire’ and how it was really about AIDS, but you didn’t know that until you heard the song like five times and we listened to it over and over and I kept getting impressed with the amazing metaphors in the song and I had already started writing poetry. But after that, I started writing them in a lyrical structure and it just kind of slowly went from there.”
Can you give me some highlights of your debut album, 11-11-11?
“It’s a mixture of songs and poems,” Gerish said. “The first track is ‘A Million Thoughts’ and it’s in essence, a freestyle talking about Detroit and the hardships of Detroit. Then I talk about myself and my mind and the struggles I’ve gone through, etc. There’s one called ‘Whiskey Sour,’ which is a really chill drinking song. It’s got a great hook in it. ‘Wake Up’ is another one and it’s all about nightmares.”
OK. Please tell me a little about one of the struggles.
“You kind of have to listen to it,” he responded. “Basically, I’ve got a million thoughts and I go through a few of them.”
Where can people pickup your new album?
“It’s on Bandcamp at elevan.bandcamp.com or on my Facebook page at facebook.com/elevanmusic.”
You mentioned your girlfriend Macey. Are any of the songs dedicated to her?
“No, not on this one,” Gerish answered. “There is one about heartbreak.”
If you could do a duet with anyone, who would it be?
“I’m open to doing collabs with anybody,” he added. “I would LOVE to do something with Skylar Grey.”
What are some of your upcoming gigs?
“I don’t have any more scheduled in the near future,” the new artist explained. “But I’m open to them.”
For more information about Evan Gerish, visit his website at http://elevan.bandcamp.com.