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Devan is no stranger to the rockstar lifestyle. Between touring with Noah Kahan (!) and jamming out with her bandmates in folk-pop group Wild Rivers, the singer-songwriter has already had plenty of practice commanding a crowd and baring her soul onstage. 

But with this latest release, her solo mixtape, Channel Surfing, Devan's showing off a new side of herself. She describes Channel Surfing as "chaos"—but, let us assure you, it's in the best way possible. "It's a lot of sensory overload, it's cathartic, it's crunchy guitars," she says. "I wanted it to feel raw, so lyrically, I'm kind of just saying exactly how I'm feeling." 

Saying ~exactly how you feel~ can be pretty daunting, we know, but Devan makes it sound (and look!) sooo good. Not only do the songs on Channel Surfing pulse with electric energy and vulnerability, but the tape's vibrant, vibe-y visuals (thanks to the help of Devan's creative director, Gabe Simone) teach us an important lesson about feeling hard feelings. 

Devan sat down to talk lost love, life-changing tour moments and, ofc, her obsession with nostalgic pop divas. 

Girls' Life Magazine: How did it feel to finally release your mixtape, Channel Surfing?

Devan: I actually wrote most of the songs a year or two ago, so putting them out felt like a big sigh, like such a relief. It's a weird feeling to sit on songs for a long time, especially when they're so tied to a specific moment in time. Seeing them now on Spotify and on the internet is really cathartic and exciting. 

GL: Why did you choose the title Channel Surfing?

Devan: I was listening to the songs, and I realized it's a breakup album. It's a very personal and real account of what happened. When I was going through this breakup, it felt like I was watching it happen to somebody else. It allowed me to keep a distance and get through that hard time, but it felt like I was watching it happen. I'd catch myself sitting there and cycling through all our memories, like I was flicking through channels on the TV.

@devan

GL: Do you have any advice for girls who feel like they're stuck in that "channel surfing" mindset? 

Devan: Unfortunately, you can't outrun hard feelings. You have to get through bad times by sitting with the emotions, journaling, talking to your friends or your family and allowing yourself to cry. It's the only way. Otherwise it sits inside of you, and it's going to come out at a random, inappropriate time when you're in the grocery store or something. Be prepared to feel your way through it, and then you'll actually come out the other side.

GL: When did you first start making music?

Devan: Since I was young, I was drawn to singing. My dad sings, and we're that obnoxious family where there's a CD on in the car, and everybody's harmonizing. And I was obsessed with pop divas—I wanted to be Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé. I would learn every single vocal run that they did and stand in the mirror and try and perfect the way that they sang.

GL: And what's the story behind the formation of your band, Wild Rivers?

Devan: I ended up meeting my bandmate in Wild Rivers, Khal, when I was at college. I was playing in coffee houses and open mics, trying to meet people who also did music. The first time we sang together, we were like: This feels pretty good. You want to just keep doing this? And now we're still doing it today.

GL: Anything on the horizon that you're super pumped about?

Devan: I have two more mixtapes coming out! They're in the same world as Channel Surfing lyrically, but they're pretty different sonically. With the band, we're rolling out a bunch of singles that'll eventually lead to an album. Typically we do a lot of breakup songs, but this record is a little bit more light. It feels like a summer album, and we've never really had one of those.

Devan's fast faves...

Fave tour moment: "We have a song called "Amsterdam", and we had a show in Amsterdam. When we played it and everybody was singing it back to us, it was just the craziest feeling (especially because English is not their first language there)."

Fave pre-show ritual: "Playing card games in the green room, followed by a big huddle and a hype-up speech."

Fave onstage 'fit: "Recently, I've been into really big skirts because I like how they flow on the stage. I love patterns that don't necessarily go together but somehow work. I think I'm trying to just have more color in my life."

Fave girl band: "There was a group in the UK called Girls Aloud. I always wanted to be on stage with them with a little headset mic of my own."

Check out Devan's new music HERE!

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Parts of this interview have been edited or condensed for clarity. 

by Madelon Basil | 3/19/2024