Colin Devlin is an Irish Grammy nominated artist, who recently released his album High Point.
CelebMix was very lucky to get the opportunity to interview him recently. Read on to find out more about his incredible music career.
Would you please introduce yourself to the readers of CelebMix?
I’m Colin Devlin and I’m a Grammy nominated singer songwriter. I play with my band The Devlins and also record records under my own name.
What genre of music do you consider yourself to make?
Atmospheric, cinematic folk / rock I guess, at least somewhere in that area.
Is it hard balancing music (work) and having time with your family?
Yes it is, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, having kids isn’t easy but really is so worth it. Time management is the key apparently!
Who’s usually the first to listen to your new tracks before you release them? Or do you release them first before people like the members of your family get to listen to them?
My wife Sonya is usually the first person I lay them for, she’s a music fan and I respect her opinion. Then I usually send them to my brother Peter, who plays in the band with me and also plays with me on solo stuff.
What is your favourite song you made?
That’s a hard one. Possibly WAITING by The Devlins or The Heart Won’t Be Denied from Democracy Of One, my first solo record.
Do you have any favourite lyrics that you wrote?
I’ll let you chose some that you perhaps like Ariana, if you want.
Where and how do you find inspirations to write such beautiful lyrics?
Thank you. I guess I try to avoid cliche and also leave them open ended for the listener but try to attach at least some element of personal truth into each song!
Is there any specific reason or event that made you decide to start making music?
It was just something that came very naturally to me, I actually didn’t start playing the guitar until I was about 16. As a teenager I was just so moved by music on so many levels that I knew it was what I wanted to do for there on.
What do you hope to achieve, let be it in music or having fun in life?
I just would like for as many people as possible to be able to enjoy my music I guess, and hope they might like to come and see me play live!
What do you think is the biggest difference in your first album, Democracy of One, and High Point?
High Point is possibly more cinematic and less acoustic in terms of sonics. Also High Point was recorded in ten days. Democracy Of One took quite a few months.
Who or what, is the biggest inspiration in music for you?
Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Brian Eno.
I’ve read the story of you and a couple other of musicians being in Los Feliz and recording music, would you mind describing how that experience must have felt?
Well we were very lucky to be able to rent a cool house to stay in while we were making High Point. Myself and all of the musicians stayed there during the recording so it was a really family vibe and feeling to it.
It’s not something you get to do every day, but nice when you’re able to make it work, and yes there was a pool surrounded by palm trees, which makes a change from a Holiday Inn on tour.
Colin’s daughter had once accidentally deleted his production notes while on his phone,
Also I’m really curious on how you first reacted when your daughter accidentally deleted all the production notes from your iPhone!
Well, it was at the tail end of the recording for the record and I’d kind of used up all he good ideas anyway, so in a way I should really thank her. She wiped the slate clean!
What’s the difference between being in a duo and being a solo artist?
I think I perhaps approach the songwriting process from a slightly more personal perspective when I’m writing for myself, as opposed to when I’m writing for the band. It’s hard to put it into words really.
Which one’s more enjoyable?
I enjoy both equally.
Have you considered going on a tour?
Yes, I’m planning dates for the new year in the UK and Ireland, hopefully some European dates also.
Will you please explain how getting nominated for the Grammy’s felt like?
Well it came a great surprise , a very welcome one though. It’s a nice club to be included in.
And also how you felt when your songs were used in films?
Well I’ve been lucky enough to have my music used in many film and TV projects. It’s always great when it’s used in a scene where you feel the music has really enhanced the scene.
What’s a message you would like to give to your fans?
Thank you for keeping the faith and supporting the music.
Is there any advice from you for people who would like to make music as amazing as yours?
Well all you can really do is be true to yourself. Each person sees the world from a unique perspective, so it’s important to realise that when you are creating. Whether people react to it or not is a different thing, but at least you know what you are doing is true to who you are.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Nothing in particular, I hope that this interview perhaps might pique the interest of one or two
people out there who haven’t hear my music and motivate them to check it out. And also to say thank you Ariana for the questions and for doing this interview, I appreciate it.
Thank you so much Colin!
You’re welcome.
Colin is a very lovely and interesting person to talk to, and seeing that he’s also an incredibly talented artist just adds to the list of why he’s an admirable person.
You can check out more of his music via his Spotify.
Let us know your thoughts on Colin Devlin on Twitter @CelebMix