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It all started for Evan Rotella with a riveting performance of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA” at his school talent show when he was six years old. At 11, he played his first official gig in the lobby of a local musician’s CD release party — and the performing bug took hold.
Since then, the Niagara Falls singer-songwriter has built his career the old-fashioned way: writing songs, recording records and playing wherever there was a stage.
Evan began releasing original music with the 2020 vinyl single “(If I Was A) Rockstar,” featuring Pittsburgh musicians Danny Gochnour and Joe Munroe. In 2021, he followed with The Demo Tapes, a collection of acoustic songs written between the ages of 12 and 14.
His 2023 debut album, Happy To Be Here, featured a collection of 10 original songs produced by Mark Rogers of LMT Connection and Myles Rogers of Jin The Band. In 2024, Evan returned with Last Train Home, a stripped-down, folk-inspired record that marked another step forward in his development as a songwriter.
The album's song “Maryanne” went on to earn Evan the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Arts Council and Folk Music Ontario.
Along the way, Evan has performed at festivals, theatres, clubs and legendary venues including The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, The Turning Point in New York, The Casbah in Hamilton and The Cameron House in Toronto, where he has completed multiple residencies.
Evan has opened shows for The Trews, Julian Taylor, Steven Page, The Wilderness, Miss Emily, Edwin, Honeymoon Suite, Wheatus and Stephen Stanley, and has shared the bill with artists including Steve Earle, Blue Rodeo and Southside Johnny.
He has also shared the stage and collaborated with artists including Dave Rave, Stephen Stanley, Danny Gochnour and Bobby Mahoney.
Evan has also been invited to perform as part of Lance Anderson's acclaimed The Last Waltz — A Musical Celebration of The Band, joining an ensemble of celebrated Canadian musicians honouring the music and legacy of one of Canada's most influential groups.
His music and career have continued to gain attention, including two mentions in Billboard Canada in 2024.
Now Evan is entering another chapter creatively. He is currently working on new music with Mark Rogers at Impression Recording Studio in Niagara Falls, while also developing Abandon All Hope, a new rock-leaning album with John-Angus MacDonald of The Trews.
With influences stretching from Springsteen and Steve Earle to the great folk and Americana songwriting tradition, Evan continues to build a catalogue centred on storytelling, memorable characters and songs meant to be played live.