Name: Devon James
Nationality: American
Occupation: Producer, DJ
Current release: Devon James's Love Reach is out via RVDIOVCTIVE.
Recommendations: The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo (book) and Future Days by Can
 (album).

If you enjoyed this Devon James interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud.  



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects, and colors. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

When I listen to music that I connect with, I often get goosebumps.

Sometimes I feel completely overwhelmed with emotions and feel like I could scream or cry. My girlfriend recently told me this is called “frisson” and I believe it is one of the most remarkable feelings a human being can experience.


What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

My first step at playing music was when I was about 9 years old. My dad bought me a guitar. I quit after a few months because I had a terrible teacher. I tried to learn a few on my own but after a few years, I started taking lessons again. I had a great, younger teacher who kept me engaged and excited about learning how to play, read, and understand music.

I don’t have regrets about my past and try not to think about what I’d do differently if I could because it's all out of my control now, but I do wish I had learned how to play piano much earlier in life. My dad was a keyboard player but never taught me and I only started teaching myself in high school.  


According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

This was the time when I feel like music impacted the most. I started playing guitar around 13 after a brief hiatus and fell back in love with making music. I started a band when I was 13 and dove into the world of songwriting. I started digging deeper and found some of my favorite bands and artists during that time who still influence me to this day.

I think the biggest thing that has changed since then is that I stopped trying to copy my favorite songs and artists. I think that’s something you need to do to learn the structure and get things going but I think it’s important to find your voice and pursue that. For me, music is a conversation and you want to have something unique and original to say rather than just trying to regurgitate what’s already been said so many times before.

So many people try to do what’s hype and trendy, but my success formula is just consistency / time. Make the music you were meant to make, not the music you want to make. Do that for long enough and you will find your stride and your place in this wild world. 


Over the course of your development, what has been your most important instruments and tools, and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

My first and favorite instrument is the guitar. It’s something that I know so well and when I play I’m definitely feeling, and listening to the music more so than I am on any other instrument.

I used to think I was bound to the sounds of my guitar and other instruments of my bands but I quickly learned that you could use a computer to create and manipulate so many different kinds of things to come up with super creative and different sounds.

Most of the music I make these days are sounds from soft synths, sequenced within Ableton, using my computer keyboard or MIDI controllers. Some of my favorite production tools include Arturia’s whole collection - their Prophet, MiniV, Piano, ARP2600, and Wurlitzer models are some of my most used. I also really love Native Instruments stuff - Maschine, Kontakt, and Reaktor.

There’s so much creative freedom with all this, you can really find and create super unique sounds and textures pretty easily but gotta focus on how you use specific sounds and once you find things that fit the tone of what you are trying to say musically, you need to keep exploring that sound and let it evolve naturally. Don’t worry about trying to bounce around with all the trends and hype.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

I think it’s important to experience all the beautiful things life has to offer. Travel, eat good food, go clubbing, take drugs, get drunk, fall in love, get your heart broken, and follow your heart to any adventures it may take you on, while still keeping a bit of wit and reasonability about you.

I like to make music that is personal to me and the things I’ve been through. I don’t just make music to make music. I make music because this is how I communicate when I can’t put words to my feelings.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

I think what Paul Simon means here is that he’s trying to feel get a vibe of the music, to feel the soul of the music and understand what kind of emotional reaction the song gives rather than being focused on the theoretic composition of the chords or the specific words being snug.

I very much resonate with this idea and think it’s super important to develop a sound that helps guide your audience to what you are generally trying to say with your music, but also allows for some personal interpretation as well.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

Well at the end of the day, most of life can be understood as vibrations. Sound, color, light - all of these things are frequencies so I think it’s only natural that everything is connected and we hear so much music in nature.

Personally, my strongest connection to music in nature is the early morning birds chirping waking me up in the morning. Whether it was in my own home, camping in the woods, or leaving the club after a late night - the early morning bird songs have always left a deep imprint in my mind.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?

I think dynamics in music are super important and it’s important to use all of these things in creative ways to make a dramatic statement. Using sound to make emotional connections only further strengthens the experience for the audience. I think humans tend to have a more visceral response to lower, deeper sounds that can be felt more in the body for this exact reason.

However, I think it’s the idea of contrast that generally makes things so effective.

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriad ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

I tend to go back and forth between more traditional verse / chorus structures and more evolving, dancefloor-friendly tracks.

I come from a live music background and used to play in bands and also did musicals my whole life. I love using vocals to tell a story. That’s the vibe of the album.

But now that I’ve been so focused on vocal tracks that are meant more to be listened to chilling at home or on a car ride, I want to make some more dance floor-focused tracks with fewer vocals.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances, or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

“Brighter Day” from my upcoming Love Reach album - that was such a fun record to make.



I have always loved the track “Love Train” by Soul Clap and Pillowtalk. That is a record I instantly had a super strong connection to and was inspirited to make something with a similar vibe.



I put a beat together and asked my dad to play piano on it. Once I had everything laid out I reached out to my friend Daniel Santrella who has a project called Pretty Heavy. We met in Nashville a few years ago and did an impromptu session where we recorded 3 tracks together. He has nailed every track we’ve done together but what he delivered on this occasion was next level.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

Honestly, not too much. Some keys are more emotionally friendly to certain moods or feelings, so that’s something I like to think about.

But I tend to rely more on my emotional side of the brain than my more reasonable / scientific one when making music.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

I talked about this a bit before too but almost all of the music these days is very much inspired by my personal life and things I’ve experienced or things I’m dealing with.

Although, I do also love writing more grimy songs about throwing ass, which is also something I enjoy.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I think both making music and making coffee can be similar, so long as both are done with passion. I also don’t just think the mere act of writing music is inherently passionate. Some people approach music and music-making in an extremely formulaic way. However, some people do this by making coffee of course as well.

I think anything can be done artfully, or expressive so long as it's done with thought, perspective, and passion.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

The score for Requiem for a Dream by Clint Mansell.



If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

I referred to this earlier, but I think it’s important that young artists think more about the music they are meant to make versus making the music they are supposed to make.

Meaning, don’t try to just follow trends and rise with popular sounds that come and go briefly. I want to hear new and unique music from people who have a story to tell.