Devan's voice instantly put me at ease. "Night Drives" is this stunning blend of genres to create exactly the song I would associate with its namesake.
Cool breeze buffeting past your window, the road mostly empty in front of you, the lights of buildings a bit hazed in your periphery, and, ideally, someone riding in the passenger seat next to you...that is the same ambiance that this song captures. I love Devan's almost RnB style vocals which perfectly blend into this electro-pop track.
Devan has been pursuing a music career since she was a kid; the brazen 10-year-old dropped off a homemade demo – to no avail – at the iconic Olympic Studio, home to Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder and David Bowie. Now, the Toronto-born/London-raised singer-songwriter is gearing up to release her debut solo project.
Leaning into her wildly diverse musical influences thanks to a transatlantic childhood, Devan is creating her own voice by melding together her heroes, including the poetic songwriting of Stevie Nicks, James Taylor and Neil Young; and the pop vocal production of Florence + The Machine, Adele and Amy Winehouse. Her solo debut tracks, which have garnered more than 500,000 global streams, have been described as “mesmerizing” (Wonderland), “catchy hooks… spellbinding” (Earmilk) and “a magnetic tune that understands the gravitational weight of its pull” (Vanyaland).
Written and produced between Toronto and Los Angeles, Devan’s crew of collaborators include Adam Boukis (Timbaland, Saweetie, and Bruno Martini), Quin Kiu (Lil Mosey, J Ember), Tyler Shamy (Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Taeyeon), and features singer-songwriter Corey Harper on “Almost.”
On a debut EP release, Devan set out to create an honest introduction of who she is as an artist and producer, and a commitment to being honest as she reflected on the uncertainty that comes with navigating your 20s.
“Pink Noise is about insecurity, but it’s also about being able to breathe out and feel a sense of relief towards my revelation that my reality is formed by my own perceptions,” explains Devan. “Writing songs for me is a way to uncover my underlying feelings about something – putting elusive emotions into tangible sentences, and coming to terms with them. My only guideline for writing these songs was to try to be as honest with myself as possible, and follow my instincts without all the self-inflicted barriers that I usually let get in the way.”
While distinct, Devan’s voice may sound familiar. She has spent the last 6 years honing her talents as a songwriter and live performer with Wild Rivers; the folk-pop band that she co-found and co-fronts, boasts over 140 million global streams and sells out venues across North America. The band’s 2019 release, “I Do,” scored Devan the top prize at the International Songwriting Competition placing her in front of judges Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Tom Waits and Bebe Rexha.
Devan’s solo project has been percolating since the moment she hit ‘record’ on her first homemade demo, and all these years later, she remains equally as brazen and ready to share her songs.
