Faces full of thought and concentration filled lead singer, Weston Weast’s apartment. The clock would tick as the hours passed. There would be a moment of silence, but their minds began to merge together as their ambitions for growth as artists and Christians led them to an artistic flow to create new music. As the sun went down, their instruments would reverberate through the walls like a tingle down your spine as the flow of words emerged from their mouth like they were always meant to be sung. Endless nights of prayer and hard work to perfect their God-given talent of music in a way that will bring inspiration, joy and uplifting messages to the crowd were nights to remember in the days of Weston and the Evergreen.
Alumnus Weston Weast (’20), was a boy out of high school with dreams of becoming famous and touching hearts of the world through music. While in college, Weston became friends with a few other young men by the names of Mace Ratliff, Ryker Ratliff, Duncan Welborn and later, Joshua Seca. Through their friendship and genuine love for the art of music, Weston and the Evergreen was created in 2018. Throughout the past four years, Weston and the Evergreen has been an inspiration to all with big dreams, and have truly shown to never be afraid to try.
“When we perform on stage in front of others, I let everyone know that they’re part of the Evergreen family,” Weston said. “Any person that’s famous or in the spotlight is just as normal as you and me. We’re definitely all in this together, and we want to share that experience as a band.”
The band’s title stems from a sentimental place. Evergreen has a Biblical context, and in addition, Weston and the Evergreen represent a consistent and beneficial mindset that the band members encourage others to pursue. Bassist Joshua Seca said they promote this belief through their music and their performances.
“Having an Evergreen mindset is like facing all of life’s things and despite everything that’s thrown at you, you still retain a youthful optimism on life,” Joshua said. “Regardless of everything that happens, try to maintain that evergreen-ness.”
Weston and the Evergreen achieved endless progress since the day they began their journey, and they have dedicated many hours to perfecting their discipline. In the beginning the group had difficulty finding shows to play and gigs to book, but they never gave up hope. Guitar player Duncan Welborn said that he can still remember the band’s first gig where they played for fifteen people in the amphitheater on campus. He didn’t have an amp so he had to borrow one from the band they were opening for. Since then, they have played as the opener for well-known bands such as The Band Camino, and have put on performances themselves at different locations.
“I hope people see how much we care, and how hard we try to instill Christ in this,” Duncan said. “We’ve always tried to make music that uplifts people and gives them something to relate to. I think we’re all more alike than we realize. I hope our music brings out how alike we all really are as people.”
Today, Weston and the Evergreen are facing new challenges and seeking new ways to overcome them. Some band members are still in school, others have married or are soon to be married, some have full-time jobs and others are living in remote places far from the others. At times, they have been questioned about the “four-year shelf life” of college groups and creations. This phrase brings into perspective the reality that many groups started in college will fade out after these individuals come to the end of their college life and go their different ways. Joshua said Weston and the Evergreen have a different outlook on this thought.
“This is something we’re facing, and it’s a real thing,” Joshua said. “There’s growth in our life and that’s not a bad thing, but it’s recognizing that and maintaining what happens. The face of the band may change, but the heart and soul that was created in college will never fade.”
Today, the band is working on the creation of new songs while living in a life that’s different from the one they had when they started the endeavor. They are a well known name in the city of Abilene, and desire to continue growing. Duncan said that ACU will always be special to him because of the immense support the band received, as well as the connections with the people around him. He encourages others to find good people because friends are vital whether they are joining you in your dream or supporting you from theirs.
“It may be embarrassing at first, and your first few projects won’t be nearly as good as you’d like them to be,” Duncan said. “Even if you think you’re ready you’ll realize the mistakes you made in a year or so. Just start doing what you dream about.”
