Kellylee Evans

 Kellylee Evans - The Innovator Has Returned to Show Love With Her New EP

          Get ready to hear Kellylee Evans as you've never heard her before.

          On her new six-song EP, Show Love, the Juno Award-winning and multi-Juno nominee singer, songwriter and motivational speaker has accomplished what she set out to do with her seventh studio project: offer a fresh and innovative approach that establishes new sonic terrain built on the foundation of familiar sounds and styles from the past.

          From the satisfyingly phat, arpeggiated synthesizer introduction on “Friends” to the polyrhythmic trip-hop accompaniment of “Higher,” — courtesy of producer and arranger Michael Shand, who played every instrument on Show Love — Evans achieves a more futuristic soul concoction that blends elements of R&B, funk and yes — a hint of jazz — into earworm ecstasy.

          And while the music focuses on a new approach, the lyrics arose out of reflection.

          “This album feels like an album of contemplation and reassessment,” Evans asserts. “I’m looking back at the music of my childhood; my relationship with my mom; old, new and present relationships; at who I've been, and where I am now.”

          Whether it's romance, parenthood or self-healing, Kellylee Evans offers plenty of food for thought on the six songs that comprise Show Love, including a bold and needed reconsideration of the conflicted relationship with her mother, spelled out on the Caribbean-flavoured second single, “Shelter In The Storm.”

          “You taught me tough love/I didn’t feel I was enough/But with time I see/How you always believed in me/I miss your kinda love,” she sings.

          “My Mum passed away in 1999 from cancer,” Evans explains. “And when she did, I put that relationship in a box and tried to get through. I was the only child of a single mum, and she was my world. This song is coming to terms with what my mum was for me.

          “She was a tough cookie in many ways: she really pushed me and had super-high expectations. I had a lot of anxiety trying to be a good daughter and trying to be the best at everything. When I finally became a mother myself —I have three beautiful children — I finally got it: I recognized what she did and why she did it. So now I fully understand and really appreciate her.

          “It's a love letter to my mum to say that I finally get it.”

          The topic switches to romance for the equally catchy second single, “Show Love,” a song borne of frustration when government-mandated isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic had Evans, like many in Canada and around the world, keenly feeling the physical separation from her partner.

          “It was a difficult and infuriating situation, as I wasn't spending as much time as I wanted with that person,” Evans reveals. “Eventually it worked itself out, and today we're better friends as well as lovers because I'm able to express my feelings more honestly.

          “But this song recognizes that despite the ups-and-downs in a relationship, it's about that moment when I realize I have the power to change how I’m reacting, how I’m viewing each situation. I get to choose how to show love to others and my partner.”

          Another emotionally compelling song is the Prince-like “Holy,” which marvels at the wonder of birthing a child which Evans says is the most wonderful, scariest thing in the world.

          “‘Holy’ is about that moment where you look at your newborn, this tiny little being, and wonder ‘how on Earth am I going to take care of you?’ Over the years, I've been sick, and I couldn’t work as much as I needed, and that one question has filled me with anxiety.”

          The illness that Evans experienced has been well-documented, and it was the result of an improbable accident: she was struck by lightning in her kitchen while washing dishes at home. Her resulting recovery has been an extremely long period of convalescence that has involved a regaining of her mobility after another concussion further complicated matters.  It is only now, 11 years later, that Kellylee Evans is feeling closer to 100% than she has in a while.

          Which is the reason she concludes her EP with the up-tempo “Higher.”

          “I’ve actually ignored a greater voice within me guiding me to do things, " says Evans. "When I was washing the dishes just before the lightning struck, I heard a voice tell me to leave the dishes for later and go sit on the couch. Thirty seconds later I got struck by lightning.

          “So, I definitely believe in a higher power, and that's what this song is about.”

          Whether it's the slow funk of “Now” or the cool rumble of the pulsing "Show Love," Evans admits the overall vision would have remained incomplete if it weren't for the aural architecture provided by her “Greenlight” producer Michael Shand.

          “He played every instrument and arranged it all, except for some backing vocals sung by his partner Miku Graham,” Evans marvels. “He's the secret sauce of this album, and such a vital contributor.

           “This album, to me, also reflects the music of my childhood, of growing up in the ’80s and ’90s: house, soul, and a Caribbean vibe that goes through all of it.

          “Michael is so amazing, he captured it perfectly.”

But it’s Evans who composed the music and whose impeccable and versatile voice meticulously delivers the emotional wallop of each song with picture-perfect phrasing.

          Today a healthier, happier Kellylee Evans enjoys a daily regimen that includes walking and swimming. She’s looking forward to performing and promoting “Show Love” to fans and new audiences alike, while also prioritizing family.

          “I'm willing to let my heart show love and direct what's next.”

          “Show Love” track listing: 

          1. "Friends"

          2. "Show Love"

          3. "Shelter In The Storm"

          4. "Now"

          5. "Holy"

          6. "Higher"