Sara Evans got her start in music at the age of 5, leading The Evans Family Band with two of her siblings. Her solo career took off after signing with RCA Records, going on to score five #1 singles, including “Born To Fly” and “A Little Bit Stronger,” selling millions of records and taking home trophies from the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association. Family has remained a constant since day one as her brother Matt and sister Lesley continue to perform in her live band and her three children – Avery, Olivia and Audrey – were raised on the road, watching shows from the side stage.
Sara has a new solo album is in the works for 2019 however she was inspired to go in the studio earlier this year with her own family, daughter Olivia Barker (16) and son Avery Barker (19), to record a small side-project after fan reaction to acoustic renditions of “Dreams” and “Born To Fly” posted to Instagram. The result: a 6-song EP — The Barker Family Band — and limited engagement acoustic tour — City Winery and SiriusXM Y2Kountry present Sara Evans and The Barker Family Band – Bloodline Tour —launching this spring. Look for the band at Nashville’s City Winery on May 18.
“Family is everything to me and making a record like this has been a dream for me since my kids were little,” said Sara. “They were literally raised on a tour bus around music and this is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m honored that I get to make this music with them before they embark on their own careers as musicians.”
As Olivia, a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter, and Avery, a singer/songwriter, guitar player and multi-instrumentalist, embark on their own solo music careers, Evans is thrilled to share The Barker Family Band EP on April 12 as a snapshot of this moment in time for the family. Mesmerizing harmonies are showcased on covers including Beyonce’s “XO” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” along with an original song, “The View,” written by Olivia and Avery. Sara and Olivia trade off lead vocals and harmonies while Avery co-produced the project, along with Sara and Ben Fowler, and played acoustic and electric guitar on the tracks.
