After ten years and three albums as Devon, you’re now going by Devon Michael. Why the change?
Devon Michael; I’ve always been making my own music, and the last few years I have been exploring new production and soundscaping ideas while writing for other artist’s projects in different genres. With the new styles and creative perspectives, ended up founding a new sound fore my own artistry. My earlier recordings were more real instrument driven and geared towards my live show. Now, holed up in the studio more, I dove into in the box production, including fresh synth sounds and more soundscaping. My music has a bigger feel.
The main outside artist I have been working with is Alexis Donn, a very ethereal singer/songwriter who refers to me as her co-pilot. We connected while writing for dance music pitches, which is the other side of my artistic life. We compose top lines for dance artists, including the reggae band Revolution and also Matisyahu. I also worked on “Broken Things” for Midnight Kids featuring Linney. These were fun records to make. So when I met her for some DJ pitches, we realized we love to explore some of the same topics, including astrology, space and astronomy.
Things just started clicking differently. On my earlier releases as Devon I was trying to figure out who I was and now I realized that the sounds I love don’t have to be confined to a single genre. When I sat down to make music for myself, these new influences came together more cohesively than ever. I’m finding myself in more joyful and whimsical music. I’m still an indie pop singer songwriter, but the music is more danceable and fun. My songs are still piano and lyric driven, only now with a larger dance element.
What are some of the challenges of rebranding like that? And as far as people finding both your previous and current material on streaming?
Devon Michael: Actually, being on streaming as Devon Michael makes it easier for fans who had trouble finding me when I was just Devon, apparently because there are many other Devons out there. Anyone who liked the old Devon will still have a lot of fun, but I’m not really concerned about everyone needing the context of my earlier work to enjoy my new songs. It’s a whole new journey!
Obviously, there’s a great buzz about your recent fresh and beautiful re-imagining of The Killers’ When You Were Young” in the ESPN documentary Decade of Dominance. How did that opportunity to contribute to an ESPN documentary come about and why did you choose that song? What is your history with that song and The Killers?
Devon Michael: That one came about through my friend Rory Karpf, who directed the doc. He’s a brilliant and creative director who understands that film and music go hand in hand. He actually tapped me years ago to submit original material to the Fight Island show on ESPN+. I submitted “We Rise Up” and they used it. For some of my work with him, he asks me to submit a tune even before the film comes together, and this was one of those cases. Doing a new version of “When You Were Young” was his idea. I rearranged and recorded the song for voice and piano not knowing what spot in the film it would be used for. He had no idea that The Killers’ version is a personal favorite that was part of the soundtrack of my youth. At first, I interpreted it in a melancholy way but then it became more positive in a nostalgic way. It’s in a scene where players are looking back on the greatest times in their careers. The riff is iconic and I added a touch of electric guitar that’s spacey and ethereal.
Are you a college football/SEC fan or is the subject less important than the opportunity for you to be heard by a wider audience?
Devon Michael: No, but I really felt the magic in the way he nailed the storytelling. I love when my music is part of telling a great story and to see how things come together. I created the track in a vacuum, but somehow, maybe via luck or just being on the same wavelength as Rory, I captured the emotion he was trying to convey.
When I saw you at Hotel Café a few years ago, you referred, perhaps facetiously, to the fact that you craft “poppy little bops.” Are you still referring to your songs like that?
Devon Michael: I am always going to do poppy little bops! What I enjoy listening to and creating is joyful and fun while also offering a little catharsis and relief. Someone can put on one of my tunes and have a nice time. Referring to my music in this funny way doesn’t mean I don’t take it seriously. I just want to disarm people, like, hey, no expectations, so they can relax and have a great time.
Let’s talk about your new song “Distance,” the new third lead single from your upcoming EP Even NASA Loses Satellites. What is the song about and what or who specifically inspired it? Why is that a good track introduce listeners to the new project and your first foray as Devon Michael?
Devon Michael: “Distance” is literally about a long-distance New York-LA relationship with my partner. We met long distance and when we were dating he was in LA and I was in NY. It’s crazy because I realized that I felt as close to him as I could be despite the physical distance. I sing, distance won’t make me distant from you. So the song commemorates that time in our relationship. We actually got to know each other via FaceTime and we would use that while walking in the park and even cooking. The silliest line is that I would rather be on my phone than phone it in with someone here. The song reflects my roots as a piano and lyric driven singer songwriter, a little softer, and not a hard- hitting bop. Then it picks up and becomes danceable in the post chorus. It’s a preview of the EP, saying it will be fun and you’ll be able to dance to it!
How do you feel you are growing as a singer/songwriter, both musically and lyrically? How does the new EP build upon the craft and artistry you showcased on previous albums, singles and EPs?
Devon Michael: This may be a big generalization, but when I lived in New York, I found that many of the musicians focused more on music as art, creating their art as raw expression. When I moved to LA, the artists I met focused more on melody and catchiness. I find it interesting to marry the two approaches. I still write songs via stream of consciousness, but now I go in and question the melodies that come out and try to improve them. I think I’ve grown a lot these past few years as a technical songwriter. Part of that isn’t about LA or NY, but going to Nashville and collaborating with writers there, where the focus is on storytelling. Some of my best songs happen accidentally, like the ones I wrote for briefs or pitches that are written with the least pressure. And my approach is different now that I’ve come into my own as a producer. I look at production as an art form itself and had a lot more fun producing Even NASA Loses Satellites than any other project. I feel like I’m growing in real time.
The EP title is pretty trippy and of course there’s no track with that name. Is it metaphorical? What does it mean and how do the songs on the EP reflect the concept?
Devon Michael: It is from a line in pre-chorus the EP’s last track “When I Found You.” I was writing songs with friends of mine, about feeling lost in life, and in my typical offbeat way, I raised the question, “Do you think NASA ever loses satellites?” I Googled on the spot and found out, to my surprise, that they do all the time! They launch satellites and lose contact with them and they literally get lost in space. So I’m thinking if rock scientists who are supposed to be our smartest people can lose things, then it’s probably okay for all of us to occasionally lose items or feel lost in life or that we’re losing our sense of self. The song is basically saying it’s okay to feel that way sometimes.
Do the five songs on the EP build a specific narrative/arc, or are they more like distinctive snapshots or impressions of certain emotions?
Devon Michael: They’re all individual snapshots, but they tie together through space metaphors and ethereal productions and soundscapes. All part of a connective thread, they live in the same world of writing style, language used and production elements used, plus an essence of self-discovery and the notion that I’m giving myself a little bit of grace to figure things out.
Let’s go through the other four songs one by one. What are they about and what inspired them?
Devon Michael: “Retrogade” refers to the concept of “Mercury Retrograde,” where it looks like Mercury is moving backwards in the sky. It’s moving slower than normal even though it’s just doing its thing in space. Astrologers warn that we might revert to old patterns or relationships - or repeat mistakes we have made when Mercury is in this phase. I realize that it’s applicable to my life where I feel like I’m falling behind and failing, but actually it’s just the angle I’m looking at the situation from. In reality, I’m doing my best and I’m happy where I am.
“Airplane Mode’ was written after feeling upset about seeing an ex on social media. It’s about wanting to put your phone on airplane mode so you can stop obsessing about painful things we experience when we see certain things there. It’s about my wish that I could put my phone on silent and disconnect myself and escape for a moment.
"Jedi Mind Tricks" is my take on dating in the modern age, where everyone seems to be playing mind games. Many people who do online dating want to be careful about being too straightforward, and some think you have to play the game. But that’s not how I personally want to behave with a potential partner. So my opening line is, “Why you gotta try those Jedi mind ticks on me?” The chorus mentions the desire to “crash into your galaxy,” like wanting to be in love despite the game playing.
When I Found You” is my most romantic song here. The last line of the chorus says I was looking for myself when I found you. As I’ve learned, it’s a journey of self-discovery and things fall into place and the stars align when you’re doing your absolute best. I wanted instrumentation that felt joyful, celebratory and cathartic. As I was playing that piano part, I was building a unique sonic world.
How did you create the artwork for “When You Were Young” and “Distance”? Tell me more about your history with visual arts?
Devon Michael: I don’t use photoshop. Everything is old school, and not a fancy process. I love painting impressionistic art with bright warm colors, which goes hand in hand with the music on this project. Everything is space-themed so I did a photo shoot with the sky as the background, and everything angled looking up from a camera below me. The imagery symbolizes me in space. I felt silly going to Staples to print out huge photos of my face. I hand painted on them in an impressionistic style and filled in parts of the background with little aura photos. I did that with colors and brushstrokes and then I photographed the end product.
What is your favorite thing to do in your life when you’re not writing, recording or performing music?
Devon Michael: I love painting, especially in nature, and this year re-enrolled in a local adult painting class in LA called Mission Renaissance. I’ve been paining my whole life and I love going to art museums. I pattern my two worlds of music and art after Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, who is also a prolific comic book writer and TV screenwriter. I also love poetry and every year I angle to compile and publish a poetry book. I used to teach yoga but now I just practice it every day.
What are the greatest challenges and greatest rewards of being an indie artist? What makes it worth it after over a decade as an indie artist?
Devon Michael: I feel like making music is not even a choice. It’s my favorite thing to do and the reward is the abiiity to make music and have the flexibility in y life to do it. I’m grateful for every opportunity to write and produce for others as well as create my own projccts. It seems the main way artists promote music these day is with social media, which is a whole different skill set, and I enjoy the challenge of finding time to do that and figure out new ways to get people to hear me.
Life and career wise, what are you most grateful for?
Devon Michael: I do gratitude journaling every morning, which is good for my mental health. It can be for big things in my life, but sometimes it’s just simple stuff like being grateful that I’m safe and live in a city where everything I enjoy doing is accessible to me. I’m also grateful to find the balance between doing my own projects, producing and writing for others and working my day job in the music industry, all of which allow me to work with amazing, talented people. I love having the time and opportunity to do what I love.
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