Formed in the hills of Western North Carolina, Evoka quickly gained recogni… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in the hills of Western North Carolina, Evoka quickly gained recognition performing dates for the Warped Tour, as a finalist for the AMA Music Awards, as a featured band on XM Satellite Radio's RADAR Report, and through licensing deals with MTV, Subway and ESPN. Propelled by lead singer, Taylor Redding's gifted songwriting, the band is establishing itself in the region's rock scene.

Growing up in the isolated community Hildebran, NC, Redding, drummer Bryan Ledbetter, bassist Pete Small, and guitarist Price Stevens, had few musical influences to inspire their songwriting. It wasn't until college that they discovered a new underground music scene devoid of Top 40 radio. Suddenly T-Rex, The Verve, Led Zeppelin, and Johnny Cash became newfound influences. Profoundly impacted by new sounds and sharp lyrics, Redding, Evoka's primary songwriter, incorporated dense sonic textures and brute strength rock arrangements. The pop music of their childhood, however, surfaces through Redding's soaring melodies and memorable choruses. The amalgamation of those influences results in atmospheric and brooding musical arrangements that are as accessible as they are at times chilling.

EVOKA's debut album "Cries from the Castlegate Empire" is the result of three years of hard work for the band. The album was produced by long time friend Oran Thornton (Bleach, Flick, Golden Republic) and engineered/mixed by Dan Leffler (Weezer, Jagger, Cash). The resulting tracks are an ample cross section of the band, ranging from the melodic "Reborn" and "Silent Actors," the formidable flex of "Almost" to the airy muse of "Take".

"Cries from the Castlegate Empire" is now available. With the release for their debut album, Evoka will hit the road hard playing shows all over the Southeast sharing their music with friends and fans alike.

Hollow
Evoka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hollow
The feelings that you must stop again
Their echoes repeating
It's all that's[left?] standing still
So stay away from here

And if we could see
We'd find it all in time

And if we could be
We'd leave it all behind

There's[those?] voices keep ringing
They tear you down too thin
Your colors enhancing
The[it?] changes from within
So stay away from here

And if we could see
We'd find it all in time
And if we could be
We'd leave it all behind

Tragic the actions all weight out to bend

And if we could see
We'd find it all in time
And if we could be
We'd leave it all behind

And if we could see
We'd leave it all behind

We'd leave it all behind
We'd leave it all behind

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Hollow" describe the haunting persistence of feelings that keep repeating themselves. It's almost as if they're an unwanted guest that just won't leave. The singer urges the listener to stay away from this internal struggle, as it threatens to consume them. Later, the song further describes the painful impact of these persistent feelings, which tear down the listener's sense of self and leave them feeling hollow.

Despite this bleak picture, there is hope in the lyrics, as the singer suggests that if we had the ability to see things clearly, we could leave our pain and struggles behind. There's a sense that the singer believes that, even though it may not seem like it, there is a way out of this cycle of pain and hurt.

The repeated lines of the song emphasize this message, urging the listen to leave everything behind and move forward into a brighter future. In all, the lyrics of "Hollow" speak to the universal struggle to overcome our inner demons and find a way to live a fulfilling life.

Line by Line Meaning

The feelings that you must stop again
The emotions that you need to suppress once more.

Their echoes repeating
Their reverberations continue to resound.

It's all that's[left?] standing still
It's the only thing that remains motionless.

So stay away from here
Therefore avoid this place.

And if we could see
And if we were able to perceive.

We'd find it all in time
We would gradually discover everything.

And if we could be
And if we were capable of becoming.

We'd leave it all behind
We would abandon everything and move on.

There's[those?] voices keep ringing
Those voices persist in echoing.

They tear you down too thin
They erode you excessively.

Your colors enhancing
Your true nature becoming more prominent.