"I got this album a week ago and have not stopped playing it. It’s like Prince meets Lightnin' Hopkins (who her uncle played with). I want to recommend this album and suggest y'all keep an eye out for this young woman. This is her first album." - Todd Snider, Americana singer-songwriter

My name is Evan Nicole Bell, and I’m a 27-year-old musician from Columbia, Maryland. As an African-American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and descendant of slaves, I am deeply committed to honoring and preserving the rich history, culture, and legacy of the blues—while also pushing its boundaries and intertwining it with the sounds of rock, folk, pop, and Americana.

As Matthew Sabatella says in Ballad of America: "Blues stands as the trunk of the American music tree." The blues is not just a genre; it is a living, breathing history, deeply rooted in the African-American experience, and thereby, the American experience. From the negro spirituals, work songs, and field hollers of enslaved people to the musical expressions of sharecroppers and factory workers in the 19th and 20th century South, the blues is the foundation of all American music. Without Robert Johnson (one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, whose acoustic guitar mastery pioneered and epitomized the Mississippi Delta blues genre; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as “the first ever rock star”), there would be no JAY-Z. Without Muddy Waters, there would be no Rolling Stones (literally—they named themselves after his 1950 hit, "Rollin’ Stone"). Preserving the blues means not only preserving the cultural heritage of African-Americans in this country (nearly two million of whom live here in Maryland), but preserving American art, history, and culture. The blues is a living tradition, and it is imperative in this day in age, when Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to imitate and recreate the voices, likenesses, and musical works of artists, that we encourage and support original compositions using real instrumentation.

Shades of Blue, my first full-length record, released on January 16, 2025, is a reflection of my personal and artistic growth. I was raised in Columbia and educated in the Howard County Public School system. I've been singing and playing guitar since I was 13—music has always been important to me. As a student at Duke University, I worked as a documentary artist, studying the role of photography in social movements and creating two major photographic projects focused on honestly and ethically telling the stories of Black people living in Durham, North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating, I applied to a Ph.D. program in Art History—only to not get in, leaving me feeling adrift. Then, the pandemic hit. I took a couple of teaching jobs and focused on songwriting during my days off. On Christmas Day 2018, my mom gifted me an electric guitar on a whim—and it changed my life forever.

That electric guitar—named Stormy—reignited my passion for music. I reconnected with my old guitar teacher, and together, we spent weeks delving into music history. It was then that I discovered the groundbreaking contributions of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Black female guitarist and “Godmother of Rock and Roll,” whose style influenced Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Johnny Cash. Each week, I immersed myself in the work of great guitarists like the three Kings (Albert, Freddie, and B.B.), Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix. I dedicated fifteen months to intensive vocal training with a coach specializing in bel canto opera, honing my technique and refining my vocal abilities. This deep dive back into music transformed my artistic practice and redefined my creative path.

Though I shifted from documentary work to music, my time as a documentarian wasn’t a detour—it laid the foundation for everything I do now. Every skill I honed—storytelling, capturing emotion, and listening deeply—now fuels my music. The vulnerability and authenticity I once sought to capture in others is now what I pour into my writing, my voice, and my playing.

Writing, composing, and recording Shades of Blue was incredibly rewarding and elucidating—it was a simultaneous journey of both tracing my roots and paving a new way forward. Some of the songs on the record, like “Liar’s Anthem,” have lingered with me for years, evolving quietly as I grew. Others, like “Flame,” came to life quickly—unexpectedly, even—as recently as eight months ago. “River” was born from a voice note I recorded in the car on my way to an appointment—the first nine seconds of the track even include that original snippet. Each song is a vignette, and together, they form the story I set out to tell with this record.

And what is that story? Shades of Blue is a delicate tapestry, interweaving the sounds of folk, rock, pop, and Americana—with the soul of traditional blues. The blues isn’t just music; it’s an oral history—a living, breathing American folk art born from the resilience and brilliance of a disenfranchised people—from the plantations of Mississippi to the electrified stages of Chicago, even through my ancestors' roots in Texas and Alabama, carrying the weight of struggle and the beauty of survival. I am the sole songwriter on this record (aside from covers), arranger, and producer, playing all the instruments—electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, piano, synth, vocals, and background vocals—except for the drums. This record is my way of honoring the blues legacy while also making space for my own story.

You’ll feel it in the slide guitar, in the emotion in every note of my voice, and most intimately, you’ll find it in the lyrics—in these songs are stories of heartbreak and resilience, of falling and rising, of trying to make sense of the chaos life sends. The blues is all of that—it’s the story of the human spirit, with roots that run deep and branches that stretch wide. My hope is that these songs resonate with you—wherever you’re from, wherever you’re headed, and whatever you’re carrying.

Tracklist:

Side A: Shades of Blue

1. River
2. Liar’s Anthem
3. Wish It Wasn’t You
4. It’s Not My Cross to Bear*
5. Flame

Side B: Runaway Girl

6. Grandma (Interlude)
7. Catfish Blues**
8. Runaway Girl (Extended Mix)
9. Burn
10. Catfish Blues** (Live at the Clubhouse)

*Written by Gregg Allman

**Written by Robert Petway

In 2023, I was invited to perform my debut concert at the 100-seat Baltimore County Arts Guild in Catonsville, Maryland. On April 2024, I performed a sold-out show to an audience of listeners who came from as far as Philadelphia and New York City.

The setlist for this performance was crafted to represent my artistic journey, honoring the foundational roots of blues while celebrating the diverse genres that have shaped and influenced my sound. I performed tracks from my EP Runaway Girl, songs from my album Shades of Blue (which had yet to be released at the time), and several unreleased vault tracks, showcasing the breadth of my creative exploration and expression.

To further honor the rich legacy of blues and other Black genres, included were four carefully chosen covers: a rendition of "Catfish Blues" in the style of Jimi Hendrix (blues), "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by The Temptations (funk), "It’s a Man’s Man's Man's World" by James Brown (soul), and "The Lime Tree" by Trevor Hall (reggae).

These songs were selected to reflect the interconnectedness of musical genres. Blues, as the foundation of modern music, has continuously evolved and given rise to many of the world’s most influential genres, including funk, soul, reggae, rock, country, and beyond. Each song in this set was chosen to tell the story of that evolution, honoring both the genre’s roots and its ongoing cultural and artistic impact.

My seven-piece band features Baltimore musicians Anna Bross (viola/violin), Laura Banner (cello), Jordon Stanley (drums), Noah Pierre (guitar/bass), Ricky Jefferson (keys), and Montel Butler (background vocals). 

Footage from the show has garnered over 2.3 million views online. 

"[Bell's] advanced finger-picking, electric guitar riffs and sultry voice are sheer bloody magic [...] the sound is breezy, expressive, taut and exciting [...] exceptionally well produced." - GonzoOkanagan.com

On January 11, 2024, I released my debut four-track EP (extended play), Runaway Girl: EP, to critical acclaim, peaking at No. 1 on Roots Music Report's Top Singer/Songwriter Albums Chart and securing positions on the iTunes Top 100 Charts in Brazil, Italy, France, Belgium, Poland, Ecuador, and South Africa, demonstrating its global reach and resonance with audiences across multiple cultures.

My intention behind writing, recording, and releasing Runaway Girl: EP was to create a body of work that stays true to the authenticity of real instrumentation, especially in an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasing threat to human-led music production. In a time when digital tools make it easier to produce music without ever picking up an instrument, I wanted to offer a deliberate counterpoint—crafting music that is deeply rooted in the human experience, with all of the raw emotion and soul that comes from playing live instruments. The influence of blues and guitar is woven throughout every track, both in the lyrics and in the composition itself.

Three tracks from Runaway Girl: EP, "Catfish Blues," "Burn," and "Runaway Girl (Extended Mix)," alongside "Grandma (Interlude)" and "Catfish Blues (Live at the Clubhouse)," are featured on the B-side of my debut album Shades of Blue, further solidifying this EP's place within the larger context of my artistic journey. These songs, built on the foundation of blues and classic guitar-driven music, serve as a testament to the power of real instruments to create a tangible, emotional connection with listeners, reminding us all of the transformative power of instrument-driven music.

"[Evan Nicole Bell is] one of the most exciting newcomers on the Baltimore scene." - WTMD 89.7

In 2022, my cover of Albert King’s "Crosscut Saw" went viral on X (formerly Twitter), drawing over 200,000 views and an outpouring of support from music enthusiasts across the world. This led to an invitation to perform live at WTMD’s Towson studio for Public Radio Music Day 2022.

During peak listening hours, I had the honor of a 30-minute feature where WTMD Program Director Carrie Evans interviewed me and gave me the stage to perform four songs: two of my originals ("Burn" and "Runaway Girl") and two blues covers ("Voodoo Woman" by Koko Taylor and "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman). In between songs, I shared pieces of my story—how I transitioned from being a teacher and visual artist to fully pursuing my passion for music. I spoke about my vision for blending modern sounds with the tradition of the blues, a vision that came to life with the release of Shades of Blue in January 2025.

The experience of being featured on WTMD connected me not only with the Maryland community but also with a national audience. Following the broadcast, I was selected as one of six standout participants from Public Radio Music Day to be featured on NPR Music’s front page. For the first time, I felt the magnitude of how music could bridge my past, my identity, and my future aspirations while sharing the enduring power of blues with a wider world.

Selected excerpts from articles, interviews, and reviews of Evan Nicole Bell, Runaway Girl: EP, and Shades of Blue. Featured in publications such as Blues in Britain Magazine, Blues & Rhythm Magazine, and SoulTracks.com, as well as on Sirius XM.

Evan Nicole Bell will be featured in an upcoming article in Baltimore Magazine in Spring 2025. Shades of Blue will be honored as Album of the Month at WSGE 91.7 FM for February/March 2025.