Photo: Kristin Barlowe
Sara Evanswalked into Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center for theCMT Artists of the Yearevent last month with every intention of enjoying a night spent honoring artists such asMaren Morris,Miranda LambertandCarrie Underwoodfor their contributions to country music.
“I was sitting there watching Alison Krauss sing (alongside honoreeKelsea Ballerini) and I just got depressed,” she tells PEOPLE. “I just thought to myself, ‘This is bulls—.’ Women like Alison have made unbelievable music and has made powerful impacts on this genre, but we can’t get our music played. I felt like I was at a memorial following a death of some sort.”
“It’s true — my kids have watched me sob,” she says. “I have been singing since I was 4 years old and I was raised on country music. There is no reason that I am now being shunned after I’ve made my mark and contributed to the genre.”
Kristin Barlowe
Indeed, Evans has experienced much difficulty with getting her songs on the radio as of late, with recent singles such as “Marquee Sign” and “Put My Heart Down” not even reaching the top 40. In 2017, the Missouri native released her eighth studio albumWordson her own Born to Fly Records label. Featuring 14 different female songwriters, the album shot to No. 1 on the iTunes Country Albums Chart upon its release.
But her music never found itself on the radio.
“Wordswas the best album I ever made and it wasn’t played,” says Evans, who hasn’t had a number one single since “A Little Bit Stronger” in 2010. “I’m not about to spend 1/3 of my year away from my children for no reason to go on some radio tour and promote it and essentially introduce myself to everyone. It’s humiliating. I remember when Kix Brooks went solo and I watched him have to go around to country radio like he was some new artist. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
And as far as Evans is concerned, this struggle for females in country music isn’t necessarily new.
“Believe me when I say that I know it takes work to get a song on the radio,” she tells PEOPLE. “My kids grew up on my tour bus. They learned how to walk and talk on that tour bus as I visited radio stations. It was never easy, but I worked my ass off for every spin. But at least, years ago, putting myself out there would pay off.”
Well, sometimes it would.
“I mean, I would have a huge career hit like ‘Suds in the Bucket’ and then they wouldn’t play my next single. But that never seemed to happen to men likeKenny Chesney,” Evans recalls.
“I know at this point that radio isn’t going to play my music,” she says quietly after a brief pause. “I know that I have probably pissed off every radio programmer out there at this point.”
“Some may say we are moving away from bro-country, but c’mon,” she says. “Every time I turn on the radio, it’s the same s—. It’s just not good in my opinion.”
But make no mistake, Evans' anger is not directed solely at men.
“I’m not a man hater,” she says. “I have a husband that I love and a son that even wants to get in the business and I want him to have all the success in the world. But there are six women in the top 60 right now. Six. You always worry about backlash and I don’t want to sound bitter, but I’m just so upset.”
Granted, Evans didn’t get this far in her career to just give up. She says that her next single, “Long Way Down,” is as country as country gets these days. And on Nov. 24, she will head out on the road with herAt Christmas Tour.
“I’m just sad, you know?” she tells PEOPLE. “There are so many new female artists that deserve to be heard, likeDanielle BradberyandCarly Pearce. I can’t imagine what they are going through. And what if we never had a Patsy Cline? What if her music was never heard? I basically just hate what has happened.”
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What makes things even tougher for Evans is the fact that daughter Olivia hasexpressed her hopeto possibly follow in her mama’s footsteps someday with her own music.
“I’m just not sure what to tell her anymore. I just don’t know,” she concludes.
source: people.com
