Today we’d like to introduce you to Evi Menshikova.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Josh Hofmann and I (Evi Menshikova) had become friends while out and about town, and we had decided on one of the earlier nights out to jam together. We both had a past with music; Josh played the piano for several years, and I played the guitar in bands for a long time. We had found our groove from the first practice and continued from there. After curating enough to make up a set list, we played our first official show at Wills Pub in Orlando. When we went to record our album, we asked my long-time friend Luke Leuterio to produce our work. Luke is a music teacher, multi-instrument player, and one of the most talented individuals we have worked with. He ended up enjoying what we were working on, and we asked him to join the band as our drummer. After several albums, many shows, and many different bassists later, we finally found Mattea McBroom. Mattea had been playing music and singing from a very early age alongside their 3 siblings (their brother is an amazing drummer in Heatback). They have brought the deep groove we have been missing for a long time.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has and has not been a smooth road. Like all bands, there have been difficulties with inner conflicts and several bandmates shuffling in and out. We struggled for a long time to find a bassist who could jam with the music we were working with and clicked with everyone on a more personal level. Our group is very close and supportive of one another, and we wanted to take our time finding someone who worked well within the band.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us more about your work.
Awaystead is an indie rock band from Daytona Beach, FL. We are known in our city for our emotional, groovy, and personal shows. We are the proudest of what is yet to come—I am currently working on a new 15-track album, merchandise line, and talks of an East Coast tour. The newer unreleased songs are something that we have not yet shared with fans but are most excited about. They bring on a new range of vocals, compositions, and lyrics like we haven’t written before. Awaystead is set apart from others in our genre because we do not hesitate to bring raw emotions to performances. We perform and write about depression, suicide, and drug abuse alongside the hopeful parts of life, peace, and healthy love.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to us is the happiness and peace of those surrounding us. Throughout the years, we have lost several friends to suicide and drug abuse, which drives us to create what we do. We hope to empower those who can relate to situations and provide a safe space for those who need someone to lean on.
Contact Info:
- Website: Linktr.ee/awaystead
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awaystead?igsh=ZzI1cDRsenZoOGps&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awaystead5354/featured
Image Credits
Annie Scull Joel Andrew Bell
