Tallahassee is notorious for its nightlife. If you’ve ever gone to happy hour at Potbelly’s or ended up at TENN at The Strip on the weekend, you know that the energy is always high and the music is always poppin’. However, when you’re dancing along to the music with your friends, you’re not thinking about where the music is coming from, you’re just thinking about how much you’re enjoying it at the moment, right? You know there’s a DJ, but you usually don’t pay much mind to them. If you enjoy the music at any of these venues, there’s a likely chance that the person behind the DJ booth is Evalution. A recent Florida State grad, he’s working hard on new track releases and continuing to make a name for himself.
HerCampus (HC): Hi! Who are you, where are you from and what do you do?
Evalution (E): Hey! My name is Evan Cazes and I’m from Tampa, FL. I moved up to Tallahassee to attend FSU in 2016 and have been performing and releasing music under the name of Evalution since then!
(HC): What made you get into music?
(E): I’ve been playing piano since the second grade and from there it snowballed into other instruments/outlets. I’d say my family and my parents especially were a huge influence on me getting into music. After learning piano, I picked up bass and guitar and soon began singing/beatboxing as well! This then led to doing theatre in high school, followed by a DJ career beginning in college. Then about a year into dj-ing, I decided to begin producing my own music!
(HC): What was the first moment you realized you fell in love with music?
(E): I don’t know if there was an exact moment, but I grew up with a band room alongside siblings who all played instruments. So I’d say my love for it probably began forming around the time I was old enough to participate.
(HC): What’s been your favorite part about performing in Tally?
(E): My favorite part has been visualizing the growth. When I began playing here in 2016, I started out in the Beer Garden back when it was a picnic table surrounded by mud. I also started a Saturday night in TENN which wasn’t a thing at the time. So to see both of my resident venues/nights evolve over the course of my years here has been special and rewarding.
(HC): If you had to pick between only performing at Pots or TENN, which would you pick?
(E): I honestly couldn’t pick because I love them both dearly. They’ve both had their fair share of exciting moments and I’m extremely thankful to be working for the top two venues in town.
(HC): Did you ever find it difficult to balance music and school?
(E): 100 percent. I notice it more so since I graduated in May. In fact, I’ve probably made more songs in the last six months than I have produced during my last two years in college.
(HC): In terms of musicians, who do you look up to the most?
(E): I’d say currently my biggest influences on my style and live performances would be Boogie T and Griz. There’s also been a whole era of musicians who have inspired and influenced me over the years. Most prominently I would say The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and Pink Floyd!
(HC): Where do you get inspiration for your tracks?
(E): It usually just starts from a little improvisation. I’ll mess around on the guitar to see what sort of foundation I can come up with and then usually build from there! Also, I’ve found that listening to genres other than the one you’re making tends to help with inspiration!
(HC): Is there any particular memory you have from any gig or event that always stands out in your mind?
(E): Opening for Boogie T back in 2018 and trading guitars with him was definitely one of the most inspiring moments I’ve felt since beginning this project!
(HC): If you had to pick only one artist to listen to for the rest of your life, who would it be and why?
(E): I probably couldn’t pick to be honest lol but if I absolutely had to I’d go with The Beatles. They have more hits than anyone and I probably know more songs by The Beatles than any other band.
(HC): What kinds of plans do you have for your music in the future?
(E): Just taking it step by step for now. Always working on trying out new stuff and pushing the envelope! Hopefully, everyone is staying safe so we can get back to live events soon!
The next time you’re at Pots or TENN, you should definitely take a look at the DJ booth and keep your eyes out for Evalution because I promise it’s a name that you’ll be hearing again in the future.
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