Originally from Toronto, songwriter, producer, and musician/ guitarist Evan Blair began his career as many do: as a teenaged tunesmith with various indie and rock outfits. He soon discovered his talent for shaping songs and bought his first piece of audio gear. His output attracted attention online and for the following five years he toured as a DJ. He’s since gone on to work with artists such as Benson Boone, Nessa Barrett, and CIL. Notably, he co-wrote and produced Boone’s 2024 “Beautiful Things,” which has earned more than two billion Spotify streams.
People are drawn to music for their own individual reasons. For Blair, the ongoing mystery is what calls to him. “You never figure it out,” he asserts. “It’s an unbelievably complex, ever-changing puzzle and a lifelong learning. Every time you feel you’re close to figuring it out or think you have the answer, you see that it’s wildly deeper than that. And because of its intersection with culture, the target moves all the time. When the stars align, it’s the most rewarding thing in the world, but as we all know, those moments are somewhat fleeting.”
In the past, Blair has observed that he made nearly every wrong decision when writing/recording Boone’s juggernaut “Beautiful Things.” Despite the many unconventional choices, few songs have ever been so well received. “There’s no right or wrong but maybe there are best practices,” he says. “Just under three minutes long, getting to the chorus as fast as possible and teasing the chorus at the beginning are examples. I have no creative allergy to any of those. I’ve learned— and attempt to practice—that songs have this life when you make them and they tell you what they want to be. It’s almost never what you want them to be or what you think they should be.”
It’s rarely, if ever, easy to create in the afterglow of a massive hit. Certainly, Boone’s latest song “Mystical Magical” came bundled with its own set of challenges. “We were supposed to be finishing the song,” Blair recollects, “but me, [co-writer] Jack [LaFrantz Larsen], and Benson are notorious for procrastination. We always seem find something interesting and it’s so hard not to chase it. On the last day, we started this thing that became its genesis. As a producer, your job is often to say that it’s time to put something down when it doesn’t seem to be working. Much to Benson and Jack’s credit, they wanted to try one more thing."
His current and upcoming projects include work with Rosé from Korean girl group Blackpink, along with Michael Marcagi and CIL, both signed to Warner. He counts the Fender Telecaster and his recently acquired Jack White Triplecaster among his favorite instruments. Gear-wise, he’s an analog devotee and the Prophet-6 synthesizer is one of his go-to pieces. He works largely from his well-ordered Encino home studio designed by Chris Owens.
Contact Instagram @evanblairsounds
