Some people choose to make music, and others are drawn to it. For Danielle Evin, the rising singer/songwriter whose self-titled release is featured on Amie Street, it would seem that music was always her calling. "I felt at an early age I had a knack for singing," says Evin. "My mother says I used to sing in the crib."

Evin's parents certainly had a lot to do with her early inkling for song, playing Rolling Stones and Neil Young records all day in the house where she grew up. A lifelong fan of Young, Evin realized a dream by sharing the stage with the folk rock legend and other musical giants at this year's FarmAid concert. Evin recalls her excitement upon receiving the news she would be performing with the likes of Young, Dave Matthews, and Willie Nelson: "It was an amazing moment - then it hit me, and I was like, ‘Oh man, I got a lot of work to do now!’"

Evin's depth of vocal ability and sultry, genuine lyrics have caused a stir already. But the recent success has not come without effort - Evin worked hard to get where she is today, partnered with famed producer Jack Douglas and mixer Michael Brauer, whose previous colleagues are, to say the least, impressive: John Lennon, The Who, Coldplay, and Bob Dylan among others. "It's easy to know what you love," observes Evin, "but you also need the courage to go out and do what you love, whatever that may be." Paying her dues and working on her craft day-in and day-out has helped Evin become a fixture with musicians and producers, though she is not a household name with the larger audience. That may change soon. The passionate, conflicting lyrics of a song such as 5 Wishes are sure to earn Evin playing time in concert venues, car stereos, and living rooms from coast to coast.

A combination of blue-collar work ethic and superior talent, Danielle Evin appears to be something of a rarity in today's music scene: a skilled singer, writer, and musician, with her eyes open and her feet on the ground. Evin's perspective may be valuable to young musicians trying to maintain artistry within a space so often dominated by industry. Her sage advice reveals a clear view of things both as they are and as they should be: "Don't let anybody change who you are, you always want to stick with your instinct... and hire a great lawyer."

Evin is currently on tour, coming next to Providence, RI this Thursday at The Century Lounge.