Today, rising singer/songwriter Evan Honer released a new version of his song “Fighting For” featuring a stunning duet with breakout country star Hailey Whitters. The single arrives on the heels of Honer’s sophomore album Fighting For which dropped earlier this summer and has since earned over 25 million streams worldwide.
Listen To “Fighting For (feat. Hailey Whitters)” HERE
“As soon as I wrote ‘Fighting For,’ I knew immediately that I wanted to eventually have a female voice on the song to show the other side of the story,” said Honer. “I had been listening to Hailey Whitters for awhile and me and Julia Digrazia had actually covered her songs at a couple gigs before. I was so stoked when I heard Hailey was game to do the song and could not have been more impressed how she sounds on the song. Her ability to harmonize with my weird runs was mind-blowing. Truly honored to have her on the song to show the girls side of the story of ‘Fighting For.’”
“The first time I heard Evan’s voice I was in,” stated Whitters. “He’s such an original artist and writer, and I’m honored he asked me to sing on this one with him.”
Honer will kick off the second leg of his Nowhere Fast Tour next month, which will take him through Atlanta, Austin, Phoenix, Boulder, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Toronto, and more. Several dates have already sold out while others have been upgraded to larger venues due to high demand. For the full list of shows and to purchase tickets, see below or visit www.evanhoner.com/tour.
This month, Honer made his official debut at the Grand Ole Opry performing songs from his new album. He sat down with WSM’s “Coffee, Country, and Cody” just hours before the show to chat about the new album, his path to the Opry, trying out for the Olympics, and more.
Available everywhere through Cloverdale Records, Honer’s anticipated sophomore album Fighting For follows the breakout success of his 2023 debut West on I-10, which has since earned Honer a staggering 200 million streams worldwide with over 2.8 million monthly listeners, sold-out tours across the US and Europe, and millions of followers across his socials. Fighting For captures this whirlwind period over the past year as well as all the excitement, challenges, and stresses that came along with it. It's a coming-of-age record that asks hard questions and offers no easy answers. Instead, it embraces the conflicting swirl of emotions that come with early adulthood, from exhilaration to uncertainty.
Highlights from Fighting For include the rough-edged folk song “Take Me As I Come” featuring fellow rising star Wyatt Flores that Holler called “the pairing we never knew we needed…a striking acoustic offering.” Follow-up single “Easier” is one of several new songs on the album that places Honer’s vulnerabilities on full display. Country Central called it “another heart-wrencher that will be instantly relatable to his audience.” The album’s lead track “Nowhere Fast” is a defiant and sarcastic take on society’s expectations of a young man while the title track “Fighting For” balances the lonely, empty feeling of a breakup. People Magazine exclaimed “Evan Honer proves his artistic worth on new single ‘Fighting For.’” Whiskey Riff also raved, “Evan Honer continues to prove wise beyond his years in introspective sophomore record Fighting For.”
With his mix of honest, heart-on-sleeve acoustic folk, indie-Americana, and alternative pop, delivered by a young songwriter who's never been afraid to blur the boundaries between genres, Honer captures the zeitgeist of 20something life during the 2020s. Self-produced with longtime collaborators Stephen Myers and Jon Notar, Fighting For is a soundtrack for young adults navigating the long road from past to present, looking to make some sense of the relationships, regrets, and romances they encounter along the way.
After the overwhelming success of West on I-10, Honer had the opportunity to do things differently, including seven-figure offers from virtually every major record label, along with A-list Grammy-winning producers vying to work with a young musician who'd already earned millions streams on his own. Instead, he opted to turn them all down, stay independent, start his own label Cloverdale Records, and build a community of like-minded and hard-working artists willing to bet on themselves. Appropriately, Honer recorded his new album on the move, finding small windows of time between gigs to capture these songs in small studios, churches, living rooms, and even AirBnbs.
Tour Dates:
09/06 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Music Hall
09/07 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
09/09 - Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
09/10 - Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
09/13 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Company
09/14 - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
09/16 - Houston, TX @ Last Concert Cafe
09/17 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
09/20 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
09/21 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
09/24 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
09/26 - Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
09/28 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
09/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
09/30 - Fargo, ND @ The Hall at Fargo Brewing Company
10/03 - Bozeman, MT @ The Rialto
10/04 - Boise, ID @ Shrine Ballroom
10/07 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
10/09 - St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
10/10 - Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
10/14 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
10/15 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
10/17 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
10/18 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
12/01 - Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Indy
12/03 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall
12/04 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore*
12/06 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount*
12/07 - Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway*
12/10 - Huntington, WV @ The Loud^
12/11 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry^
12/14 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium*
* supporting Wyatt Flores
^ supporting Jack Wharff
