Dev talks about his upbringing, goals, recent EP and much more.
Dev has been putting in a lot of work into his craft. From his latest project SUNBURN to his upcoming single "Painting Pictures", keep an eye out for this up-and-coming talent on the rise across the state.
I just want my name to be the first to come up on Apple Music man haha. I didn't really set expectations for myself yet, but i would like my music to be heard by the world. I don't do any of it for money really. I just want my art to be listened to.
Boston Culture: Where you grow up? Dev: I'm from Salem, MA. I grew up with the same people I'm friends with now. I wasn't the best kid in class, so I learned discipline at a young age. I looked up to artists growing up. Greenday, Blink 182, Weezer, etc... a lot of rock. Like I said, I wasn't the most well behaved kid so I resorted to rebel music to feel like I wasn't alone.
Boston Culture: How old were you when you first explored your creativity? was writing everyday in middle school after Mac Miller dropped his Jukebox tape. That was my idol when I was a pre teen. I stopped writing in high school because everything got so overwhelming. I ended up getting put on house arrest in 2018 so i thought "i have nothing better to do and i have a whole lot on my mind" so i starting writing again.
Boston Culture: Talk to us about your creative process.
Dev: Honestly it hits at random times. I don't force my music, it has to come out of pure motivation. A lot of my music stems from my past. Things that I was never really vocal about. But once you go public with your art you have to force yourself to be vulnerable.
Boston Culture: What you been working on? Who's on your dream project? Dev: I have a producer, Tyler Leger. Best producer I could've asked for. I give him complete freedom when working on my mixes. He also did all the mixes on SUNBURN, which is out now. I also have a song on the EP with this kid Luke Kiernan. His voice is amazing and he comes up with these perplex melodies and understands how to fill pockets in production. For my dream project I would need to get Rivers Cuomo, Billy Jo Armstrong and probably Omar Apollo. Their ability to make music that people scream is unmatched. The last song I made for my EP was "No More Sun" and its probably my favorite. It all clicked one day and Tyler, my producer, and I shared the same brain that day. We knew what we wanted out of the song and achieved it. Boston Culture: Was there ever a studio session when you thought. "Yo this is crazy" ? Dev: When I made Falling I thought it would be the biggest song in the world. Something about the way everything came out with the vocals and production made me confident in that song. That was probably the longest I've been in the studio too. It was like a 12 hour day trying to get everything perfect. Boston Culture: What made you want to create your first song and how old were you? Dev: My first song was "Yardsale" and looking back at it, it was honestly a great start. I hate that song though. I wanted to make a song that sounded completely different from anything out. I recorded it in my friends apartment. This was probably 2 years ago. It got released last year. The next project will probably have hip hop inspired sounds. Boston Culture: What has been an amazing moment you've experienced as an artist?
Dev: Being able to connect with artists is a lot easier when they already know your name. And the fact that the people I've been able to work with knew who i was is unbelievable.
Boston Culture: What was the best advice you got early in your career? Dev:"Don't listen to these people telling you to push out music every month. Go at a pace you're comfortable with and make sure you put stuff out that you believe in." - Latrell James, another amazing Boston based artist. Boston Culture: What do you dislike about the industry? Dev: The thing I hate the most is the thing artists need the most. The Media. Not in the sense of it truly being a bad thing, but most media outlets use their power for bad instead of good. I love independent media outlets because they post what they want, when they want, while supporting smaller artists. Boston Culture: Who are your biggest influences? Dev: John Mayer, J Cole, Billy Jo Armstrong, anyone who tells stories from perspectives that I can't see. Boston Culture: What inspires you stay focused? Dev: Understanding that I have things that I want the world to know about is what keeps me going. If I had that pop music money I could change so many peoples lives. Boston Culture: What brands should sponsor you? Dev: Converse. It'll happen one day.
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