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10 Questions with ... Devon Gilfillian
November 30, 2020
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1. What prompted you to want make music – did it begin at an early age?
The second I picked up the guitar at age 14 I knew that music was absolutely my path, but I had an inkling early on, when I was eight that I wanted to be a music producer. I wanted to be Pharell. I was obsessed with the idea of making “beats.” Then I picked up the guitar and fell in love with Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
2. I assume your first steps into performing took place in Philadelphia.
Yea, the Philly area in general. I really didn’t start getting my live music chops till college. I started playing out at bars in West Chester, PA around the university. Then at Grape Street Pub in Manayunk.
3. When did you decide that moving to Nashville was the right move for you?
In 2013, when I was just about to graduate from West Chester University, I knew that I wanted to play music, but didn’t know where to go to learn more about live music and the music business. I was either going to New Orleans, Austin or Nashville. I decided to do AmeriCorps in Nashville and that was the vehicle that got me down here.
4. What was the process of putting your band together and did they all play on your debut album, Black Hole Rainbow?
I met Jon (my manager/drummer) at City Winery and Taylor Thompson (my bass player) just so happen to be a package deal with Jon. They had been best friends for seven years by the time I met them, not to mention they were a rock solid rhythm section.
I actually worked with Jon for six months before I even showed him my music. As soon as he heard my soundcloud he made it his mission to get my music out into the world and he’s been my manager and drummer ever since. Carson Cody then came down from Virginia to Nashville and quickly hopped on for our live show. This was the crew that would track on Black Hole Rainbow.
5. You are quoted as saying you were on the way to a protest when the deep meaning of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On” really hit you. Tell us about that.
“Father father, we dont need to escalate. War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate. You know we got find some way to bring some understanding here today.”
While I was learning the song on acoustic, as I sang those lines, that's when I broke down. It was at that moment that I realized 50 years later history was just repeating itself; 50 years later we had this message already placed on vinyl and no one listened. The inequality, trigger happy policing and injustice that was happening back then is still happening to this day, and it blew my mind how Marvin was singing about times back then that mirrored today so vividly.
6. Was doing your own recording of the album the next logical step?
I thought about just doing a couple of the songs, but as I listened to the entire album over and over again. I fell in love with each and every song. Then I thought, “How can I get my friends to help me cover this album, and how can I do while raising awareness of the injustices in this country?” Then I decided to team up with Equity Alliance here in Nashville, they fight voter suppression in black and brown communities in Tennessee which is the real battle we have at this moment in this country.
7. The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for you. How do you keep yourself grounded?
I go for walks, hikes, runs, cook, do yoga. Staying active and moving keeps me from getting depressed. If I stop moving my energy levels sink. That’s when the whirlwind picks me up and throws me wherever it wants. As long as I put the things in the day that make me me, then that keeps me on that ground. Also, learning new things.
8. What are your plans for the future?
Gonna put out a Christmas song. Writing for album two. I really wanna make some more music videos. We might put out some demos I did for Black Hole Rainbow, too.
9. You have worked hard to get where you are today in terms of radio support – with lots of touring and many station visits. What advice would you give aspiring artists?
Show up on time to the station, know the DJ, know the station, be present. These are the people who are making your music get to the ears of the people you want as your fans. Be real, be kind, and come in curious.
10. If you wanted to completely change careers, what would you like to do?
I would be a music therapist. I know either way music has to be incorporated in whatever I do, and I’ve always wanted to help people with their mental health.
Bonus Questions
What are your favorite philanthropic or humanitarian causes?
Equity Alliance here in Nashville, they fight voter suppression and educate brown and black communities on the democratic process.
Equal Justice Initiative, they help find justice for wrongly accused men and women of color sent to prison.
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