In today’s day and age of internet success, it can be hard to discern talent and passion from a viral moment. While we’ve seen social media’s ability to make success more accessible for independent artists, it’s also saturated music discovery into an overwhelmed hodgepodge of noise. Breaking through the static is rising popstar Devon Again, who’s creativity and experimental attitude makes her a shoo-in for success.
I first stumbled upon Devon’s music when Spotify suggested her lusturious and fun debut, “Suburbia“. From there on out, I was hooked on her playful, relatable lyrics and structured pop hits. Devon Again released an EP, PEE, where her homemade album trailer went viral for it’s quirky, strange but cheeky storytelling. I’ve been a proud fan from the beginning, reveling in the memories I’ve made with Devon Again as a background to my adventures.
Check out Almost Famous Zine’s exclusive interview where we talk about everything and all; Follow Devon and check her out on Spotify!
Patti: So I wanted to start off simple with an easy question. What’s your go to source of caffeine or your coffee order?
Devon: That’s a good question… I have this really shit, like, Keurig adjacent thing. You put grounds in it instead of K-Cups. I have that at home, but I love that. I love a bad cup of coffee.
Patti: Are you a black coffee girl?
Devon: No. I feel insane, living in LA for some reason, I don’t know why I’m like, embarrassed about this. But just like, a bit of the Kroger sweet cream creamer. Like, that shit is so delicious, but I’m bullied for it. So that’s what I drink. Wait, what are you sipping on?
Patti: I’ve got my like, three drink combo going on right now. I have a cinnamon dolce latte right now from Starbucks.
Devon: Mmmm. Oh my god.
Patti: I know. I’m so bad because I’ve been trying to boycott [for Palestine], but I’m not doing a great job at it. But that’s where I’m at right now. And I have a kombucha because I went to the doctor and I have bronchitis, so don’t mind me if I’m wheezing a little bit.
Devon: Oh my god. Wait is kombucha good for…? Tell me more.
Patti: [The doctor] said it’s good to add probiotic in my diet since I’m taking an antibiotic. So I have it, but I haven’t split it open yet… and then my water of course.
Devon: That’s so cute. That’s a classic three drink combo.
Patti: Yeah… You gotta be a little fruity if you’re enjoying that many drinks at once.
Devon: Yeah, especially if they’re coffee and kombucha.
Patti: Right. Not beating allegations, oh my gosh. [Devon laughs]. Okay, well, to start off… I wanted to know, like, how did you first become interested in music and in the music scene? And what made you start making music? … I think Spotify Wrapped [and artist’s music taste] is really interesting, too. But like, what got you into it?
Devon: I don’t know… I just remember I wanted to be a star when I was a child. My kindergarten career day, where we’re like, ‘What do you want to be?’, my sign said ‘singer’. Like, I want attention, give me the attention.
I remember singing as a kid and my grandma being like, ‘hey, you you’re so good at singing,’ I was like, ‘okay, so I’m gonna be famous!’ That is kind of how it started.
But I don’t know, I mean, I’ve always like really loved music. When I was in middle school, I was really obsessed with Paramore, and I wanted to be Hayley Williams so bad.
Patti: You know what, you very much give Hayley Williams [vibes] too, so that makes sense to me.
Devon: Good, that’s awesome. Yeah, I started writing when I was in eighth grade, and… I don’t know… I just always wanted to do it, music has always been it.
Patti: Yeah, that’s so awesome. I feel like everyone I talk to (in music) is the same way, where it was always music, which is so interesting to me. Because like, I don’t know, you guys are so brave. You’re so strong for that. I have split interests everywhere I go.
Devon: I think that’s so cool. I think it’s more delusion than bravery, truthfully.
Patti: Also, you obviously mentioned Paramore, but where do you find your inspiration sonically and lyrically? Obviously, I feel like most people get their lyrical inspiration from their daily lives. But also sonically, I think, is a really interesting question to me. What inspires you music-wise, you know?
Devon: Yeah, I don’t know… it’s such a hard question. I feel like my favorite things are weirder things. The most inspiring thing recently, it was definitely a JPEG Mafia-Danny Brown album that came out last year. I was like, this is fucking insane. I love music. Everything is awesome. I love that progressive production-heavy music that’s just like, ‘What the fuck am I listening to?’ I love that.
But I also love like, a pop song that makes too much sense. love, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, Hardy, he’s like a country artist.
Patti: I haven’t, but I’m gonna write it down.
Devon: Okay, write it down. He like, probably… I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s definitely like, problematic somewhere. Um, you know…
Patti: That is a pretty common issue today. Just like, I was talking about the fact that I’m a stan for like, an 18 year old boy…
Devon: That is awesome. I do love glaive.
Patti: My whole wall is people younger than me, which is insane to me as well, except for the 1975.
Devon: I think that that makes sense. Because young people don’t have rules, like, young people are just so inspired and so creative.
But Hardy… I’m gonna give you a couple of songs. Because it like actually will blow your mind. And if it doesn’t, listen again until it will. There’s a song called “A Rock” by Hardy. And then the other one that is… oh my god, they’re all fucking so good. But there’s another one that I really like, called “Red Necker”. And it’s just like, really, really fucking good songwriting. Like, it just makes so much sense. It’s like, the perfect math equation of songwriting. You should definitely listen.
Patti: That’s fun, country is also it’s fun for me too, because like, I’m not a super big country person, but I live in Kentucky right now. So Kentucky, you know, you go out to bar and there’s people playing live music and stuff. And it’s sort of similar to like… it’s not quite Nashville because there’s not nearly enough people, but it’s like the same sort of vibe where everyone’s about the live music. It’s really fun to see it all intersect.
Devon: I still can’t really get into most country but for some reason me too. [But] country songwriting is, like, so classic.
Patti: Well, I love that. So speaking of, I also am just like a curious girl, but, who are your top five Spotify Wrapped artists or like your top five songs?
Devon: Let’s go! I’m actually, like, I feel fucking incredibly about it this year. You have to go after me also. The songs: We have “Lean Beef Patty” [by] JPEG Mafia, Danny Brown. And then we have “Flatline” by Frost Children as number two. Incredible song. “You Make Me Sick” by AshNikko. That song is so fucking good. You have to [listen]. Okay. “Heavy Bend” by Big Thief. And then “My Own Summer (Shove It)” by Deftones. Which I’m like what?
And then, okay, my artists are JPEG Mafia, Cake, cr1tter, who I have to talk about, Slow Pulp and then Tyler, the Creator. Okay, but cr1tter – Have you heard of cr1tter?
Devon and I proceeded to go pretty off topic and talk about the revolutionary likes of cr1tter’s music, Meg Thee Stallion’s Olympics commercial, listening to glaive and how music impacts you in high school, my Spotify Wrapped and finally, Devon’s neutrality in regards to the 1975.
Patti: Okay, so speaking of seeing people live. How was your experience touring with Maude Latour? You know, just getting to go around the country and actually play your music?
Devon: It’s so like, hectic. I think my favorite city might have been Chicago. It was so much fun. It was so awesome. Like, the crowd was so nice. It was really fun. Yeah, I love Chicago. I feel so lucky to get that, that was such a nice experience.
But it’s so unnatural to do that to your body. Your body is like ‘what the fuck, where are we? Like, why?’
It’s also just like one of my friends told me before I left… First of all, I had a cold like, the whole time. Right from the jump, I just went into it with a cold. And he was like, ‘you’re gonna feel like you’re not going to be able to sing. But every night, it’s just gonna happen. Like, it’s just gonna work, you’re gonna be able to sing,’ and he was right. It was fine every time. I would spend the whole day being like, ‘Oh my God, I feel like shit. I feel like shit. I’m not gonna be able to sing on stage,’ and I’m singing and it’s fine.
Patti: Yeah, I’m sure in general, the adrenaline gets you through. I think that’s also a really interesting thing about tour too, because I feel like everyone’s always like, ‘oh my gosh, it was so fun’, but at the same time, you hear experiences of people being like, ‘I got so burnt out from tour.’ It’s, I mean, obviously, like you said, not very natural. It’s a very hard thing to do. Did you feel like you guys had a pretty good balance with that?
Devon: Yeah. Like it was only a month – it was like 18 shows – everything about the tour was the best possible way that it could have been. I feel like the setup was really easy. It was just me and my friend Emma who was drumming. Oh my God, it was just cool. It was just me and Emma. So there was not a lot of setup and not a crazy complicated soundcheck. Everything was really as simple as it possibly could have been. And we were also able to stay in hotels so weren’t couch-surfing.
Patti: That’s so fun. Okay. So I’m thinking about tour and music and stuff like that. Obviously, you have two recent single releases. So what went into, you know, those singles and is there something new coming up? What should we be expecting from you?
Devon: The one that came out most recently I made a couple years ago, and finished recently. I had flown my little cousin out to LA… she came out to do the music video, and the music video was just her. It’s so cute… I’m really excited about [it]. And then I went home to Colorado, which is where she’s from, right after. It was just like how I lived with her for a little bit when I was younger. I hadn’t really gotten to spent time with her in a while.
Patti: Any new music, any new tours?
Devon: No new tours yet. Definitely new music next year. It’s a lot different. It’s a lot more… It’s still coming from me, but it’s like… I think it’s less silly. I think there’s a lot of silly in the music that I have right now, which I love and I think is so fun, but I don’t know, that kind of just stopped happening. I think I’m just becoming more honest in my writing. Which is so scary.
Patti: Yeah, every time you put something out it has some sort of, like, piece of you.
Devon: Yeah. But I feel like the silly has always been like, ‘I’m learning’ and a coping thing. But I think I just wasn’t taking myself seriously which is okay, because you don’t have to and you should never [take yourself seriously] all the time. It just has been interesting… I don’t know, I’m excited. I’m really nervous. The most recent single is like, writing wise, more similar to stuff that’s coming.
Personally, I think this fresh voice on the scene has nothing to worry about.
With a renewed sense of honesty in her music, Devon is continuing to make waves among the indie pop scene. Check out her most recent single, “still can’t dress myself” now!
Photo by Jacqueline Kulla. Article and interview by Patti Doud. If reposting, please credit @almostfamouszine and @piecesbypatti.