The Evens is the self-titled debut album from The Evens, a duo formed by Ian MacKaye on baritone guitar and Amy Farina on drums (both assuming vocal duties). Consisting of songs that the pair had been writing since August 2001, the songs would be performed live several times and even demoed before being recorded at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara during the summer of 2004. A reaction against what MacKaye had perceived to be the commercialization of rock music driven by the industry's "idea of youth", the album's "post-post-hardcore" sound is more stripped-down, minimal and personal in comparison to his work with Fugazi. The more direct and politically-charged lyrics, penned by both members, deal mainly with "the loss of community and the struggle to recapture it", though some of them feature romantic themes as well. Released through Dischord Records in the spring of 2005, the album received positive reviews from a number of different sources. Much of the praise (& even criticism) centered around the duo's sound, performances and songwriting, with publications such as Pitchfork and Cokemachineglow considering the album to be an impressive and even "vital" debut. Background MacKaye and Farina had known each other for nearly a decade prior to the album's recording - with Farina's band Mr. Candyeater playing frequently with Fugazi & being friends with the band in general. After the break-up of The Warmers, and with many Fugazi members being busy with family life, the two got together and began playing, according to MacKaye, during the "late summer - August [...] - of 2001." After Fugazi went on hiatus, the duo would write for each other and play together "all the way through" till 2003. The duo first gained attention in late 2003 when they created a video for their original children's song "Vowel Movement", which was made for Pancake Mountain, a Washington, D.C. internet-based children's program. The clip fueled furthered rumors of Fugazi's breakup amid their hiatus, whilst resulting in speculation as to MacKaye's new musical direction. The song itself featured sing-along lines and upbeat music in the vein of Sesame Street and other children's educational programs, while the video showed dancing children and colorful vowels. Having recorded their demo in December that year, the duo began performing their songs live. However, performing live had resulted in many of the songs changing significantly, hence leading to their decision to re-record the songs 6