Tag: Devon Gilfillian

The Show On The Road – Devon Gilfillian

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

This week, we feature a talk with genre-leaping singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian who is back with a remarkable new LP, Love You Anyway. Shapeshifting between danceable southern soul, hip-hop, silky R&B, and AM gold rock ‘n’ roll, the record isn’t afraid to confront the thorny politics of voting rights and wrongful incarceration while still celebrating a newly revolutionary Black joy.

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Raised in Philadelphia and now based in Nashville, Gilfillian was so inspired by socially-conscious soul icons like Marvin Gaye that he used his time in the darkness of 2020 to release two albums: first the fiery Black Hole Rainbow which became a critical hit, and then a new take on What’s Going On, which raised funds for low-income communities of color, and provided resources and education around the democratic process.

Taking a cue from the lush production of 1970’s Stax and Motown, the new LP leads with the joyous “All I Really Wanna Do,” inviting us onto a cosmic journey of discovery and continues with the playful, sultry “Brown Sugar Queen,” a Prince x Anderson Paak super-sized jam that features rising Swedish pop star Janice.

Photo credit: Emmanuel Afolabi

3×3: Devon Gilfillian on Led Zeppelin, Lori McKenna, and Losing Teeth

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Devon Gilfillian
Hometown: Morton, PA 19070 (Delco)
Latest Album: Devon Gilfillian EP
Personal Nicknames: Dev, D

If you could go back (or forward) to live in any decade, when would you choose?

I would love to live my 20s from 1965-1975. That era of music has shaped my core as a musician. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles … the list goes on and on. It was just a classic era of music for me. The times were rough. The civil rights era was a trying time for our country, but out of that came some really inspired music.

Who would be your dream co-writer?

Lori McKenna

If a song started playing every time you entered the room, what would you want it to be?

Isaac Hayes — “Walk on By”

 

I’m dead. #redrocks

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What is the one thing you can’t survive without on tour?

Sadly, as a millennial, I guess I’d have to say my phone. I usually try and work from the road, if I didn’t have that, I’d be pretty screwed.

What are you most afraid of?

I always have a nightmare where all my teeth fall out. That’s pretty terrifying.

Who is your celebrity crush?

I think it’s between Janelle Monae or Monica Martin, from the band PHOX.

Pickles or olives?

Pickles for sure.

Plane, train, or automobile?

Automobile — I like to be in control. Unless it’s one of those trains that you can sit down and eat dinner on … that’d be cool.

Which is worse — rainy days or Mondays?

I guess rainy days. My schedule doesn’t abide by the normal off-on-the-weekends rule, so Mondays are cool with me.

Photo credit: Lindsey Patkos