An Interview with Composer Evan Duffy

As I sit here, preparing for a full migration to a better, faster server, I have a certain tune streaming through my headphones, calming me… preparing me for the 72 hours of stress that are about to wash over me like crude oil from an oil spill. The song is Concrete Angel by Gareth Emery, but not like you’ve ever heard it before. No, this is Evan Duffy‘s piano cover, and it’s the only thing keeping me sane right now.

You may not have heard of composer Evan Duffy before, but given his incredible talent, I think you’re going to see a whole lot from him in the coming years. It’s for that reason which I would like to publicaly state here that Evan is one of the most talented pianists I’ve ever seen, and it’s with great pleasure that I present one of my favorite tracks of his, followed by this interview we did together.

Gareth Emery – Concrete Angel (Evan Duffy Piano Cover)

Unfinished Man: Evan, tell our readers a little bit about yourself. How long have you been creating music for?

Evan Duffy: Hey Chad! Well I’ve been taking piano lessons since I was 10 (so about 13 years now), and have been composing for the last 9. I basically transitioned into composing as my main focus back in high school, but have kept up with piano and such since.

UM:  How does it feel to be getting so much attention? Has it had any effect on your career?

Evan: It feels great! All of these arrangements and things I create for my channel originally started as party favors for friends and family, so it’s been nice to see it impact a wider audience. The attention my channel’s gathered has also brought some really great opportunities as well – I’ve had the chance to work with people from completely different music backgrounds than my own, as well as work with some of my favorite EDM artists. In addition to this, I’ve gotten quite a few film scoring projects to boot (which is my primary focus), so it’s all been so incredible!

UM: Do you prefer covering other people’s songs, or creating entirely original pieces? You’ve done quite a bit of both.

Evan: While I totally love making arrangements and bringing new elements to my favorite tracks, there’s just no topping the feeling you get when you’re creating something from scratch. Composing is a completely different form of expression, but arranging/performing is a very close second.

UM: You seem to cover a wide range of music. Are these songs personal favorites, or do you just like the challenge?

Evan: It’s definitely a blend of both. It started off just as I was becoming more acquainted with dubstep and EDM in general – I noticed tons of piano arrangements out there, but no one was arranging the drops/really complex parts… so I thought I would take up the challenge! Now it’s become more of trying to balance my own personal favorite tracks with what my viewers want. I also throw in some completely random things here and there, as well, for good measure. I’m a fan of all music!

UM: I’m always curious how talented people become so talented. Did you just practice playing piano a lot, or did you have a particular way of learning?

Evan: I have definitely worked really hard over the last 13 years with music. A lot of days spent locked inside (by my own will haha) just learning, practicing, and figuring out all types of music. My formal training is a classical one, but even starting out I had always enjoyed playing more modern stuff (Billy Joel, Elton John, etc). My first teachers saw this as a distraction, but I now see that it really forced me to work hard on figuring things out by ear, as well as developing a more contemporary piano technique. I still actively learn classical music as well.

UM: Do you “just” play piano, or are you handy with other instruments as well? I awkwardly banged out a tune on a xylophone once… that’s about it.

Evan: Hahaha, I wish, man! I always said that if I could play another instrument I would want it to be the cello. It’s just such an expressive and beautiful instrument. Unfortunately my musical abilities are limited to the piano and composing… although I did play clarinet for three years in middle school… but lets not go there!

UM: Aside from music, what are your other hobbies? If weight training isn’t among them, I would be shocked. You look like you could break a man in half.

Evan: Hahaha I definitely enjoy lifting and running – my college roommate for the last couple years was a fitness major, so I didn’t have much choice! It seems completely backwards for a pianist, but I also love to skateboard. I used to be pretty good until I got too paranoid about breaking my hands – now I just stay in my comfort zone. I’m happy to say I never once broke any bones, though!

UM: Where is the best place for people to find your music? Are you working on an album?

Evan: I’m slowly working towards an album within the next year, but no solid plans as of now. The best place to hear my music is at my YouTube channel, and I frequently give out free downloads for my arrangements via SoundCloud. If you want to support my music even more, feel free to check out the few arrangements I have on iTunes.
Thanks so much, Chad!

UM: Anything else you want to tell our readers? Perhaps more details on the Unfinished Man theme song you’re creating? 😉

Evan: Hey if you need music, I’m your guy! Haha, I just want to say thank you to all my fans, friends, family, and favorite artists who continue to share and support all of my arrangements. To hear that the artists I am covering think of my arrangements so fondly and even play them at shows is truly something I will never take for granted. I would also like to ask everyone to stay tuned, as I have some really fun things in the works (with some BIG edm producers), as well as some film scoring projects along the way.

Closing Thoughts

Evan, thanks again for taking the time to do this interview with me, and please, please keep doing what you’re doing. If you guys have any questions for Evan, feel free to leave them in the comments below, or head right over to his Facebook page and ask them.