Devin, an up and coming vintage rock and roll trio comprised of lead singer Devin Therriault, bassist Steve and drummer Angus opened for Heartless Bastards last Thursday at the Middle East in Cambridge. Before the show I was able to grab a quick interview with the man behind the name.
How did the band come together? Well Steve and I were together and we auditioned for a drummerfor months. We went through like 20 different drummers before we finally found Angus and he’s from Australia. We had to go across the world to find a good drummer.
How do you like working with Frenchkiss? I like working with Frenchkiss a lot. I’ve known them fora long time and they’re really supportive. They come to every show in New York, and they’re reallyeverything you would need in a record label.
Is this the first time you’ve played shows out of New York? Yeah, this week is the first time we’ve beenout of New York. Heartless Bastards picked us up and we started in Covington, Kentucky. It’s been agreat tour so far. We’ve now played in Kentucky, Pittsburgh, and Toronto.
Are you taking the tour overseas? Yeah, we’re playing every day for a week in London, and theneventually making our way to South by Southwest.
Who’s your biggest musical influence? Iggy Pop. I love everything he does. I love the energy. Can’t gowrong.
What’s your favorite song you’ve written? Thing on My Mind is my favorite song I’ve written. It’spersonal and I just know it better, but You’re Mine is the best song on the EP. But there are moreawesome songs on the CD that’s coming out in April.
What is there to expect from your show tonight? We try to play with a lot of energy. Expect a prettyenergetic show.
And just as he said in the interview, I was not disappointed by the show. Lead singer, Devin’s hipthrusting accompanied by the driving bass line and drums you can definitely tap your foot to pulled ina crowd that was skeptical at first. You can see the Iggy Pop influence Devin mentioned, but the bandis definitely creating its own path. After hearing both “You’re Mine” and “Thing on My Mind,” I believeThing on My Mind to be the best song on the EP based on live performance. We were also given apeak into what is to come from the album coming in April with the song “New Horrors” which slowedthings down a bit with a Rolling Stones-like flare, but the energy remained. At the end of the set, Devinreceived a great round of applause from a crowd that was as impressed by the energy as I was. It wasone of the best opening performances I have seen, and I cannot wait to see where the band goes afterthe album is released. This band is definitely one to watch for.
By: Eric Deadmon