As We Dance: EVAN GIIA on Brooklyn Nights, Big Leaps, and Finding Her Rhythm
Interviewed by Samantha DaSilva
When you talk to EVAN GIIA, her voice carries the same electric warmth as her music— grounded, genuine, and pulsing with motion. She’s the kind of artist who doesn’t wait for perfect timing, she makes it.
We caught up ahead of the release of her new single, “AS WE DANCE,” a love letter to summer nights in New York City, to talk about her journey, her advice for aspiring women in electronic music, and how she’s learned to trust herself enough to jump before she’s ready.
Evan’s journey began like many artists, not conventionally, but with a relentless need to create. A Berklee College of Music alum, she’s been singing her whole life, but the project known as EVAN GIIA truly took shape in Brooklyn around 2016. “I started writing a lot of bad songs that led to better ones,” she laughs. “Then I met my husband, one-part of the production duo MEMBA, who’s now my main collaborator. He pushed me to quit all my side jobs and really go for it.”
One of those side jobs, instructing spin classes, turned out to be an unlikely training ground for Evan. “It was essentially a 50-minute DJ set, and I became known for my playlists,” she says.“I played all EDM, so it gave me this awesome platform to try out different flows. It was sort of my first foray into the DJ world.”
That instinct for pacing and emotional flow still drives her artistry today. When her breakout single “WESTWORLD” went viral in 2019, she left the spin studio behind and stepped into the spotlight, opening for ODESZA on an arena tour just months later. “I was thrown in pretty quickly,” she admits, “But I was like, just fake it till you make it.”
That mindset has carried her through every chapter since.
Confidence Over Perfection
This past year, Evan took another leap when she started DJing her own hybrid sets, singing live while mixing on the decks. “I'd only ever been on-stage with a mic,” she says. “I learned over a short break, and three weeks later my team was like, ‘Okay you want to DJ? Here’s your headline slot at Elsewhere.’ Then I was on the main stage at Breakaway Festival the next week.”
There was no easing in. “I was fully thrown into it, which honestly feels like the theme of my career. And I’m grateful for it,” she says. “There are so many buttons and technical things I’m still figuring out, but if I’d waited until I felt ready, I probably never would’ve done it.”
That willingness to dive headfirst is exactly what she wants other women in the industry to embrace. Navigating a male-dominated scene, Evan’s advice for rising artists is simple: you don’t need to know everything to belong. “I’ve been in the boys’ club for a long time,” she says. “A lot of guys dive deep into the technical side, sometimes almost to show off, but you don’t need to know every in-an-out of sound design or every technical detail, to be a good producer.”
Her words echo the Support Women DJs mission: creating space where talent speaks louder than intimidation.
“Show up like you belong there,” she adds. “Because you do.”
Getting That First Gig and Building a Career That Lasts
Evan’s path is a little different from most. She started out as a vocalist, so by the time she began DJing, she already had a team to help her land gigs. Still, she credits one move that made a big difference early on: finding an agent. “My agent was the first person to join my team,” she says. “I’d venture to say that having an agent is more important at the beginning of your career, than having a manager or label.”
For DJs starting out, her advice is simple: get out there. Talk to promoters, even if you're just playing bars or small clubs, let them know you’re interested in getting an agent someday. Promoters are in agents’ inboxes every day and that’s how you start showing up on their radar. More importantly, just play: stay visible, stay consistent, and let the rest build from there. Then post the highlights on TikTok and Instagram to amplify what’s already happening in real life.
For Evan, real success isn’t about chasing viral moments but building something that lasts. She measures it by sustainability. She says, “If you can release music, keep fans, and continue elevating yourself, for a long period of time, that’s true success. While it’s great for a song to go viral, and we’re all playing the game to see if it does, keeping the bigger picture in mind is super important. When you start trying to make what everyone else is making, that’s probably when you’re doing your worst work,” she says.
“When you put your head down and make what’s really you, that’s when people connect.”
Women Who Inspire Her
When asked who inspires her, Evan lights up. “Ninajirachi is my biggest one right now,” she says. “I’m absolutely obsessed with her production. Her album’s a work of art, her branding is top-notch, and she’s just incredibly badass.”
She also points to Alison Wonderland, both a mentor and a friend. “She’s an OG. The way she commands a crowd just gives me chills.”
Both artists embody the kind of power and self-possession Evan radiates herself: unfiltered, unafraid, and deeply present.
The Sound of Summer in Brooklyn
Her latest single, “AS WE DANCE,” channels the energy of New York nightlife, a rush of shimmering synths, hypnotic vocals, and that signature EVAN GIIA electro-pop glow.
“I’ve lived in Brooklyn for almost twelve years now,” she says. “I wanted to bottle that magical feeling of a summer rooftop night in Brooklyn.”
She paints the scene vividly: “Friday nights in the summer, the sun starts to set and you look across the horizon of apartments and slowly see everyone coming up to the roof. You hear voices, CDJs being plugged in, bass pumping from different rooftops. You feel the city buzzing, and you know there are a million people in different boxes around you doing the same thing. I was really inspired by that, so I tried to capture it when I was writing.”
You can almost hear the hum of connection in her words. For Evan, inspiration lives in those real-life moments.“If I just sit in my apartment and make music all day, I have nothing to write about,” she says. “Going out and living my life keeps me inspired.”
Her version of that looks deliciously Brooklyn: “Getting an outdoor table at Bernie’s, ordering a chicken parm, a brownie sundae, a martini, and just vibing with my friends. Then maybe walking by the waterfront in Williamsburg, looking at the sunset and feeling lucky I live here.”
Looking Ahead: High Energy, No Holding Back
“AS WE DANCE” kicks off Evan’s next chapter, one driven by energy and instinct. “There are a lot of collaborations coming out this year and next,” she says. “It’s all high-energy songs I want to slide straight into my DJ sets. I’m writing so the vibe hits the second you press play. Now that I’m DJing, I notice song structure a lot more. I used to write these long, epic intros, but now I want to come in hot with the hook.”
Her creative mantra for this new era? Freedom. “I’m done sitting on songs for years,” she says. “If I like something, I’m putting it out. I’m not gatekeeping anymore. I used to wait on labels or industry timing, but now I’m moving with my gut.”
