Weekly Interview 10/13/20: Evan Miller of Funk You

Hey everyone! I’m Evan Miller, the guitar
player from the band Funk You.

www.funkyoumusic.com
www.facebook.com/funkyoumusic
www.youtube.com/funkyouaugusta
Instagram – @funkyoumusic

How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place?

Ive been playing in bands for the past 15 years but I started on the piano around the age of 10 years old. My grandma played the piano for our church, so I was drawn into playing music through that. When I was a freshman in high school I started playing guitar and that has been my main instrument ever since.

Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present?

This is always a tough question because there are so many. Some of my main guitar influences include but definitely not limited to Eric Krasno, Jake Cinninger, Jimmy Herring, George Benson, Jimi Hendrix, Tim Reynolds, Mark Lettieri, Cory Wong, Trey Anastasio, and Chuck Garvey.

What drew you to using pedals initially? Have you been using them throughout your playing career? How have pedals helped to shape your sound, or influence the style that you’ve created?

I started out playing acoustic guitar, so I really liked the way Tim Reynolds utilized effects when playing acoustic to transform the sound. I then got into moe. and Umphrey’s McGee who both have guitarists that heavily use pedals to get their sound. I slowly started gathering pedals when I started playing electric, so using pedals has become a huge part of my tone in Funk You. Being able to utilize pedals to transform the guitar into a different sounding instrument all together, has been something I’ve always liked.

What’s your current setup look like? Take us through your pedal rig (feel free to include amps and instruments as well if you’d like):

Im playing a ’06 PRS McCarty gold top named Goldilocks > Peterson Strobe Tuner > Dunlop MC404 CAE Wah > TS9 Tube Screamer > Dunlop CAE Boost/Overdrive > TC Electronic Flashback Triple Delay > Boss CE-5 Chorus > MXR Phase 90 > Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble (stereo) > Zoom G5n multi-fx (stereo) > L output is going to Supro 1697RH / R output is going to a Vox AC15

My second guitar that is on the road with me is a G&L semi hollow telecaster named Francesca.

Favorite type of pedal (drive, delay, fuzz, etc. – more than one answer is always acceptable!):

I love overdrives and modulation effects. I’d be set if all I had to work with was an overdrive, delay and a wah pedal.

You’re stranded on a desert island – which three (3) of the following do you want to have?

In no particular order:
Instruments: Martin D28, PRS McCarty 594 Hollowbody, any pre CBS Fender Strat
Amps: Fender Twin, Vox AC15, Mesa Boogie Lonestar
Pedals: Strymon Timeline, Dunlop MC404 wah, TubeScreamer

Covid-19 has obviously affected us all – how have you as a musician been able to stay positive and upbeat? What’s up next for Funk You, as far as concerts/live streams/etc,?

It’s been crazy watching all this happen since the middle of March. It wasn’t easy at first seeing all of our shows get cancelled, but we have gotten to spend the time working on our upcoming album, “Moving Forward”. We are nearing the finish line on completion, so we are really excited to get it out to everyone in the near future. We have also been putting out fresh live streams and live show recordings to keep people engaged online, until we can fully tour again.

The Klon hype: Love it or Hate it?

I haven’t gotten the chance to play through one, so I can’t say much on that but from what I’ve heard they sound fantastic. I don’t think I’ll ever be in the market to buy a pedal that expensive when there are so many other great choices out there.

Any last comments, promos or anything you’d like to talk about?

Thanks for taking the time to do this with me! Please be on the lookout for a upcoming album, “Moving Forward”, in the near future. We are really excited about it and it definitely captures where the band is at musically, right now. We can’t wait to get back on the road, hopefully in the near future and see everyone!

Thanks so much to Evan for taking the time to answer some questions! Make sure to go check out funkyoumusic.com, and check their tour page to see when they’re headed to a town (or virtual venue) near you! Cheers!

Other interviews you might enjoy:

Peter Anspach of Goose

Ori Naftaly of Southern Avenue

Phil Tessis of After Funk

Anthony Thogmartin of Papadosio