about

Effie Zilch is not an individual; it's an idea, a muse, a guiding light—and a rock and roll band. Members Steve Wyreman and Evanne Barcenas have been making music together since their teenage years in Northern California. Despite being children of the '90s, their sound is deeply rooted in the vibrant music scene of San Francisco in the 1960s, influenced by legends like Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and The Staples Singers.

Their new EP, Multitudes, set for release on November 8th via Redtone Records, embraces the best elements of foundational American music. Recorded in the hallowed halls of  EastWest Studios in Hollywood and United Recording in Los Angeles, mostly during brief interludes from the road with little time for second-guessing, the sessions included contributions from old and new friends, adding drums, background vocalists, upright bass, and even in-key dog barks. 

Their quiet confidence shines through in opener “Prayin’ Amos,” a groove-laced homage to slow days, long friendships, and good old-fashioned fun. With “Up and Down Blues,” the band pushes past the 12-bar format but retains the angst, punctuated by B3 organ flares and tweed amps pushing air. Inspired by a single Patti Smith remark and many slow, contemplative mornings alone with Walt Whitman, album track “One Hundred Years” heralds the folk tradition of observation, questioning, and searching for something more, while the band veers into gospel soul in “Only Fools,” a hymn that taps into the full spectrum of emotion with tender, balladeering verses that weave in and out of searing fuzztone steel guitars. 

Music has always been a powerful presence in their lives. By age eight, Evanne received her first guitar, and Steve would sneak into his older brother's room to practice on his. Though Evanne nearly gave up after realizing she wasn’t instantly as good as Bonnie Raitt, Steve meticulously studied Hendrix songs, learning to play them by ear.

Steve's dedication to his craft paid off, and his undeniable talent garnered opportunities to work with artists like Rihanna, John Legend, Common, and Jay-Z, and tour with icons such as The Rolling Stones, Richard Ashcroft, and Mary J. Blige. By 2019, Steve had become a GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter for his work on Leon Bridges’ "Bet Ain't Worth the Hand and was nominated again for Bridges’ 2021 LP, Gold-Diggers Sound. Evanne took a more circuitous route, delving into the tech world, teaching, and motherhood before returning to her first true and tortuous love: music. Playing guitar was once a means to a creative end for her, as the band’s main lyricist and melody-maker. Now, it’s evolved into vehicle for mediation and release. When the pair combines forces, Evanne’s melodies meet Steve’s groove, and magic is made. 

In 2022 Effie Zilch released two albums, Trinity Volume 1 and Trinity Volume 2. In 2023, they unveiled Live in Concert Halls and Bookstalls, a collection of previously released songs, recorded live at The Guild Theatre in Menlo Park, California. Together, they have contributed to albums by Richard Ashcroft (Acoustic Hymns) and Miko Marks (Our Country, Race Records, Feel Like Going Home), and have toured with Marks in support of Little Feat and Tedeschi Trucks Band. Also in 2023, the duo scored and acted in the 40th anniversary of Sam Shepard’s play, Mother/Tongues, at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, and composed the soundtrack for upcoming film, You’ll Lose A Good Thing, out early next year. 

Multitudes is a testament to the journey of a band that dances to their own rhythm - a reflection of the unrestrained, the frenzied, and the patient. Together, these two artists create unapologetically authentic songs that defy conventional expectations. With clarity and courage, they present an album with a little bit of something for everyone - they contain multitudes, and their music reflects it.