Evan Bartels, the Nebraska-born singer/songwriter, describes his music as “intense and intimate,” and we have to agree.
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On his latest album titled Lonesome, Bartels hits his listeners with a stirring ballad right out of the gate. “False Gods” is the record’s opening track and it sets a pensive tone that leans into our shared humanity.
“This is a love song for the voiceless, the shouting, the ignorant, the angry, the hurt,” Bartels tells American Songwriter. “This song is about loving your neighbor. This song is about using your voice in a way that brings unity and understanding. It is a song that offers forgiveness and hope and unconditional love.”
When asked what sparked poignant song, Bartels states, “My heart is full of a righteous anger. I believe in freedom for all people based on each of our inherent value as human beings. We are faced with so much division and name-calling. There is so much hurt and so much blame. The only way to move forward is [to] fall back on the baseline of loving all people and standing for freedom to live without fear. Only then can we move forward.”
Timely and cathartic, “False Gods” is a reminder to slow down and focus on the things that matter. The final line of the chorus, I’ll love you cause we’re human, embodies this sentiment and is “undeniable” in Bartels’ eyes. “It is a proclamation that can’t be misconstrued,” he says.
Listen to Evan Bartels’ “False Gods” below.
