“Is This Out Exit?” album cover. Credit: Courtesy of Evan Westfall
For the first time, Evan Westfall is stepping into the spotlight all on his own.
Westfall — a founding member of the Columbus-born folk trio Caamp — is set to release his first solo album, titled “Is This Our Exit?,” Friday.
Caamp has achieved incredible success, amassing over 1 billion streams and performing on major shows such as “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “CBS Saturday Morning.” The band’s lineup features Westfall on guitar/banjo/harmony vocals, Taylor Meier on guitar/lead vocals and Matt Vinson on bass/harmony vocals.
In this instrumental album, Westfall said he lets his guitar speak for him, using it to convey his thoughts and emotions in each song.
“Just something about it felt mature of me — to do something like this,” Westfall said. “I don’t know why or what I mean by that, really. It feels like a growth for myself in my songwriting.”
Westfall said the album began to take shape after he experimented with various tunings beyond the standard E tuning on a guitar. He also explored several playing styles, such as finger picking, which he had never tried before.
“I was, I don’t know, just maybe in a rut or something writing wise, and I just wanted to try something new, so I started experimenting with some open tunings, and it really helped, and I was just able to sit there and just went on a creative spree,” Westfall said.
Westfall said the album features eight tracks inspired by themes surrounding the four seasons, personal change and his growth as an individual and musician.
“I just like playing guitar, mostly,” Westfall said. “Just writing songs on the guitar is what I like to do every day.”
Westfall said creating a solo album has certainly felt different from writing music with Caamp.
Picture of Evan Westfall. Credit: Courtesy of Matt Vinson
“I love collaborating with others, so it was a little weird just not having that, but it was also freeing at the same time,” Westfall said.
Notably, Westfall said the album cover features a photo he took during the April 2024 solar eclipse, while the name “Is This Our Exit?” comes from a phrase he frequently uses when traveling from city to city on tour buses.
“It’s just something I’ve always had in the back of my mind,” Westfall said. “I just like it. It felt mysterious too.”
Maddie Corbin, Westfall’s publicist, said she first met the musician when the pair attended Ohio University together from 2012-16.
However, Corbin didn’t collaborate with Westfall professionally until 2024, when she represented singer-songwriter Zack Keim for his “Battery Lane” album release. This was because “Battery Lane” was released under Super Sport Records, Westfall’s own Columbus record label.
“It’s been a true delight to reconnect years later in the music industry and find a way to collaborate like this,” Corbin said.
Corbin said it has been incredible to witness Westfall’s growth as an artist, having followed his career from the very beginning to the forthcoming release of “Is This Our Exit?”
“[Westfall] is a musician’s musician,” Corbin said. “It’s inspiring to see someone who is already so well-established in their craft dig even deeper. I respect that curiosity tremendously.”
Westfall’s album will be available on all streaming platforms Friday. For more information about Westfall and his music career, visit his Instagram page.
