Two years ago, in the midst of a looming pandemic, EVAN GIIA’s headline tour came to an abrupt end. But on October 22nd, the singer-songwriter performed at the Sinclair music venue a mere walk from Harvard Yard. Just as the beat of her hit song “Westworld” makes you feel, GIIA says she is “ready to rock.”
GIIA, whose birth name is Evan Giarrusso, says her music can be recognized by a “catchy pop vocal over a very classic electronic track.” She characterizes her fan base as “people that love electronic music at the base, but can also get down to a Justin Bieber song.” GIIA creates inclusive music with the intention of it being for anyone. She describes the audience of her shows as heterogeneous, spanning from dads to little kids.
The Brooklyn-based musician has always been around music. She grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts, singing opera and studying classical music, then studied music business at Berklee College. This education equipped her with skills to run her business today. “I got really into the business side of things, I learned the ins and outs of being a manager, putting on shows and promoting,” she said.
As soon as GIIA graduated, she moved to New York City and worked as a receptionist for two years, prolonging her musical career. “I felt like there was this huge missing piece in my life,” she said, referring to her life without performance. Her husband, Ishaan Chaudhary, one of the members of the producing duo MEMBA, convinced her to quit her job and start writing music.
Her song “Westworld” can be heard across many college campuses. “It’s my biggest hit, but it was made on a very drunk night with me, my husband and my best friend,” she said, revealing that she wrote the entire song while playing a drinking game called power hour. “We just never thought anything of it and I think that’s why it has become as big as it has,” she reflects. GIIA currently feels pressure to write another hit song, but knows it would be difficult to emulate that same relaxed environment.
The release of “Westworld” brought newfound fame for GIIA. She recollects her recent experience of not being able to attend a concert in Brooklyn without being recognized. While she doesn’t consider herself famous by any means, she feels more recognized when she returns back home to Massachusetts. While the prospect of fame excites her, GIIA is also incredibly daunted by the idea of it. “I am petrified of fame, but it is also everything I have ever wanted,” she said.
Performing at the Sinclair is a special experience for GIIA. A graduate of Berklee, just across the river, she saw some of her favorite artists perform at the Sinclair growing up, and now returns for her own performance as an established singer.
GIIA feels incredibly lucky to have a hometown show, which her uncles, aunts, friends, and highschool teachers attended. “I am able to bring everyone from my past into one building and show them just how far I’ve come,” she said.
EVAN GIIA will be continuing her tour with a performance in Portland, Oregon, on November 5th.
Grace von Oiste ’24 (gvonoiste@college.harvard.edu) is the News Editor of the Independent.