Singer-songwriter Evan Bartels is set to release his deeply personal new project ‘To Make You Cry' on May 23 via Lost Highway Records. The six-song collection, recorded in a handmade cabin outside Nashville, is a powerful display of Bartels’ storytelling, featuring intimate acoustic arrangements that capture raw emotion and unfiltered truth. The title track, available now, gives listeners their first look into the heart of the project.
Crafted with little more than an acoustic guitar and Bartels’ evocative baritone, ‘To Make You Cry' aims to illuminate the stories of people often overlooked. The songs also delve into the sacrifices and spiritual journey of life as a working musician.
“I wanted these stories and songs to be very intimate, where it feels like you’re hearing something through a wall, or you’re seeing something through a window, and you perhaps shouldn’t be,” says Bartels. “Also, I wanted it to feel expansive. I wanted it to sound like the West, which is often stark and intensely beautiful in a way that takes your breath away.”
The title track, co-written by Bartels with Bobby Tomberlin and Curt Gibbs, is a haunting reflection on the strain that distance and time can place on love. “'To Make You Cry' isn’t just a song. It’s the ash that has come from the flame of my life,” Bartels shares. “It’s more than hope. It’s resolve. No matter how dark the night, just make it to the morning.”
Produced by Bartels alongside Rico Csabai and Dave “Squirrel” Covell, the album was recorded live with only acoustic guitar and vocals, allowing for a stark yet cinematic sound that puts Bartels’ emotional delivery at the forefront.
Tracks like the already-released ‘Lula' have earned Bartels praise for his ability to tell “intense and intimate” stories. American Songwriter has highlighted his gift for humanising characters who often go unseen, bringing light to their quiet, everyday struggles.
To Make You Cry Track List:
- Death Of A Good Man
- Lula
- Montana
- The Highway
- To Make You Cry
- Waves
Following a successful run at the C2C (Country 2 Country) festival across Europe, Bartels is set to return overseas this spring with upcoming shows in the UK and Ireland. He will also appear at The Long Road Festival in August, with more U.S. dates to be announced soon.
Upcoming Tour Dates: May 15 – Glasgow, SWG3
May 18 – Manchester, New Century Hall
May 19 – Dublin, The Academy
(with Charles Wesley Godwin)
‘To Make You Cry' is available for pre-save now, and the title track can be streamed on all major platforms.
