Rising Stars: Meet Evan Kaz of Mobile

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Kaz.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From an early age, creativity became the foundation of who I am. My journey started in grade school through my band program, where I played the trumpet and discovered the beauty of collaboration through music. Hearing different instruments come together to create something emotional and meaningful felt almost therapeutic to me. Music became a source of comfort and escape during my childhood, and it introduced me to the idea that art could make people feel understood.

At the same time, I was deeply immersed in fantasy novels and storytelling. I spent countless hours reading books like Harry Potter and writing my own stories in secret notebooks at home. The more music I listened to and the more stories I created, the more I realized how connected emotion and creativity are. I began writing songs for imaginary bands with my friends, holding fake rehearsals during after-school care, and eventually rewriting lyrics to songs I heard on iHeartRadio using instrumentals from artists like Nickelback, Lady Gaga, and Maroon 5. Creativity made life feel limitless, carefree, and exciting.

As I grew older, my relationship with art became more personal and emotionally driven. In high school, I participated in symphonic band, marching band, and my school’s broadcast program throughout all four years. During that time, I began exploring filmmaking, songwriting, and music production on browser-based DAWs, teaching myself through experimentation and persistence. The songs I wrote became deeply reflective, often serving as diary entries that captured my thoughts, emotions, and experiences while growing up.

At the same time, I started to gain interest with social media, analytics, and digital storytelling. I created and managed my own YouTube channel, developing character-driven “how-to” videos, writing scripts, and experimenting with audience engagement and online growth strategies. It was an outlet that allowed me to combine humor, storytelling, and creativity while also learning how media connects with people on a larger scale. That passion eventually led me to pursue a degree in cinematic multimedia production at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

However, my transition into college coincided with the challenges of 2020. Beginning a production degree during a time when hands-on collaboration and filmmaking were limited created a difficult and isolating experience. For the first two years of college, most of my education took place remotely, and without the creative environment I had thrived in, I felt disconnected from many of my passions. At the same time, I was facing personal struggles that made it difficult to stay motivated. Through all of it, music remained the one creative outlet that consistently grounded me. Whether I was feeling overwhelmed, hopeful, frustrated, or inspired, songwriting became the way I processed my emotions and stayed connected to myself.

At the end of my sophomore year, my family unexpectedly faced a major transition that resulted us having to leave Las Vegas within a short period of time. While exploring possible options for continuing my education, I rediscovered a scholarship opportunity at Hawaii Pacific University for multimedia production. Around the same time, my family visited Oahu, where we happened to come across multiple active film productions being shot on the island in a single day. That experience felt symbolic to me, almost like confirmation that I needed a fresh start. Soon after, I was accepted into Hawaii Pacific University and relocated to Oahu to complete my degree.

Moving to Hawaii became a turning point in both my personal life and creative journey. For the first time in years, I felt free to fully reconnect with my passions. I immersed myself in acting, directing, and creative production courses while also gaining hands-on experience through internships and work on film sets. Yet despite my growing experience in film, I realized that music continued to pull me in even more strongly. I found myself spending more time writing songs, studying music production techniques, and experimenting creatively than I was spending on some of my homework.

That realization helped me understand that while I loved the world-building and storytelling aspects of film, music was where I felt most connected emotionally and creatively. I began studying the work of my favorite artists, filmmakers, and producers to better understand how emotion, atmosphere, and storytelling could translate into sound. Eventually, I overcame my fear of sharing my work publicly and began independently releasing my own music in 2023.

For nearly three years, I have continued developing myself as an independent artist, constantly refining my abilities in songwriting, production, branding, and creative direction. My background in cinematic multimedia production has given me a unique perspective on visual storytelling and audience engagement, while my continued education in music business and collaborative music production has expanded both my technical skills and professional network.

Through every stage of my journey so far, I have learned that creativity is about more than technical ability or strategy. The most meaningful art comes from honesty, vulnerability, and the ability to make people feel something genuine. Whether through music, film, or storytelling, my goal has always been to create work that resonates emotionally and inspires others in a positive way. As an independent artist, I am grateful to contribute to that human connection through the art I create today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The journey has not been smooth, and one challenge that many independent artists rarely talk about is the amount of time, effort, and sacrifice required to bring a project to life. Creating music is not just about writing songs — it is about learning how to transform ideas into fully realized, deliverable projects. While songwriting has always come naturally to me, finding or creating the right production to match a song’s emotion and vision can be both time-consuming and mentally exhausting.

The same applies to the technical side of music, such as mixing and mastering. Every engineer has a different creative approach, and finding collaborators who truly understand your vision can be difficult. As an artist, you are trusting someone else with something deeply personal to you, almost like handing over a part of yourself and hoping they can see what you see. Balancing that level of vulnerability while maintaining confidence in the creative process is one of the hardest parts of being independent.

There is also the financial reality that comes with creating art. Producing a quality project often requires significant investment while still managing the responsibilities of everyday life. It can be difficult to ask for help when you are unsure of the cost, the time commitment, or whether the outcome will align with your expectations. However, I have learned that when you find the right collaborators — people who genuinely understand the vision and believe in the project as much as you do — everything begins to come together naturally. Those connections make the process not only more manageable, but also far more meaningful.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an independent artist, but I mainly specialize in songwriting and music production. I also have a film and media background, so I use those skills to create my own visuals for my music. Something I am proud of so far is that I have created an entire short film for my first independent EP, as well as handcrafted and painted all of the cover art for it. I think what sets me apart from others is the honest vulnerability I have within my writing. I think that is what makes it truly raw and unique while also creating my own production for it, which can be an emotional process.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am always open to collaborating with others across writing, production, storyboarding, visual development, and concept creation. I genuinely enjoy learning new processes and exploring different creative approaches, as each collaboration offers a chance to grow and expand my perspective on art.

At the same time, I value the connection between artist and audience. Whether it’s streaming, sharing, or simply engaging with my work, I appreciate any support that helps my music reach others. More importantly, I hope listeners take the time to connect with the meaning behind the lyrics and the stories I’m telling, as that is the reason for why I create.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evan_kaz/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvanKaz
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/25AVwAs3Kqir7zDNEOSgYq

Image Credits
Evan Kaz