Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon Thompson.
Hi Devon, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started singing around 7-8 years old, doing musical theater, and recording cover songs at 9, 10, and 11 years old. I started writing music at 12, and released professional music videos with original music all at the same time. My parents were very supportive of me, something that many people don’t experience. I was bullied alot for doing music and having a YouTube channel so when I got to high school, I quit and tried to be “normal”. I ended up finding the underground indie music scene in LA when I was 16 and just knew that was where I wanted to be. At that point, I picked my guitar back up and started a band. Around 2020, I wanted to do my own solo music and really explore my own sound so that is exactly what I did. Without playing shows with my band for years, I don’t think I would be here now. As these last few years progressed, I kept releasing music, teaming up with more people, and finally discovering more about my artist self every day. I also grew up skateboarding and snowboarding, so it became a massive part of my life and a big influence on my music. The LA skate scene is heavily based on music. Even though I don’t skate anymore, it still impacts the kind of music I make.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has NOT been smooth. The biggest issue I have had is bullying. What’s weird is, at first, I was bullied for not being pretty enough, being weird, playing guitar/singing, having a YouTube channel, etc… but then when I got to high school it flipped. When I started a band, I dealt with a lot of jealous people who made it their mission to paint me as a bad person. I have also always struggled with feeling like what I do will never be good enough to really solidify what I am doing. It’s a bad feeling to have, but I try to work around those feelings of discouragement. I also have struggled from depression and anxiety for most of my life. Grade school put me in the darkest headspace of my life, and it took me years to pull myself out of that dark mindset that it made me feel. Not feeling like my music was good enough like I was good enough, was very discouraging. While I still feel like this sometimes, I have overcome the majority of my self-negativity and started a healing journey.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My music’s identity has actually only really shown itself very recently. To sum it up, I make alternative rock music, with a soft, ethereal edge. The style of my music has influenced my fashion, something that is very important to me. I have always been into the dark things, the unexplainable feelings, the lust for raw music. I rely heavily on fictional storytelling in my music. My last single, “So Close” is a nightmarish fairytale about a woman who goes crazy and kills her lover just because she thought his headstone would look so lovely. I specialize in raw, guttural, intense material that has an ethereal, soft side. I am definitely most proud of “So Close” and the concept behind it. It really has helped me discover how I want to portray my music. I want all of my songs and music videos to have rich, almost otherworldly storylines that transport you into a different universe. I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to craft these murder/mystery fairytale-like original song and video concepts. What’s important to me, mostly, is honesty in the music. When I play live and record, we never use autotune never use pre-recordings. Everything is raw, live, unpolished. Certain imagery and things like Tim Burton’s work, Beatrix Potter’s artwork, and Gothic/Victorian-style clothing, are all things that influence not only my writing but my visual concepts.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
-My personality has really attached itself to my music now. I am starting to be known for my engaging talks in between songs and on radio shows/ my TikTok. But my ability to connect with the audience is the most important thing when it comes to my success. That particularity means staying as humble as possible. So to answer the question, being humble and also being nothing other than myself is the most important thing to my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.devonthompsonmusic.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/devonthompsonmusic
Image Credits
Nate Gray Jaxon Whittington Jacob Mackinn Hannah Laney Jary Quixchan
