IN CONVERSATION WITH DEVON GABRIELLA
interview by JANA LETONJA
Bay Area-born singer-songwriter Devon Gabriella is quickly carving out her place as one of pop’s rising voices. After building an early audience through singing covers online, she has translated that connection into a fast-growing career of her own, opening for sombr on his Late Nights & Young Romance Tour, embarking on her first headline run, and selling out her debut Los Angeles headline show at the Moroccan Lounge in under a minute. With emotionally candid singles like Old Time’s Sake and the bittersweet Miss Us, Devon is turning the complicated aftermath of relationships into intimate, relatable pop.
photography by CHRIS LLERINS
You’ve had a huge amount happen over the past year. When you look back at where you were a year ago versus where you are now, what feels the most surreal?
It’s all a dream come true. Because so much of building my career has been online, it’s been so surreal to meet and talk to the people who exist behind the screen. I still can’t believe I’ve gotten to travel the country doing what I love most. I’m so lucky.
Your single Miss Us explores something that doesn’t always get talked about after a breakup—the friendship you lose along with the relationship. What made you want to write about that particular kind of grief?
My relationship of five years ended last November. At the foundation of our connection had always been friendship, we cared so deeply about one another on a human-to-human level. In Miss Us, I wanted to highlight that dynamic in hopes of providing comfort to others who may feel the same way.
When you’re writing about something deeply personal, how do you decide what you’re comfortable putting into a song and what you want to keep for yourself?
I’ve always been a very open person. When I’m writing, I try to keep in mind that the hardest things to say are usually the most important things to say. I’m willing to bare my soul in my songs if it means impacting just one person who needs to hear that it's okay to feel what they’re feeling.
Do you find songwriting helps you understand what you’re feeling, or do you usually need to understand an experience first before you can write about it?
Writing songs is what makes me feel human. I’ve made sense of so much of what I feel through the songwriting process. I’ve written songs about ending a relationship before I even recognized I needed to end it.
You first built an audience by posting covers online. What did making those early videos teach you about your voice and the kind of artist you wanted to become?
I love looking back on those videos. I was so inspired by the artists I would cover and still am. Learning their songs and studying their writing definitely shaped my own artistic journey.
You now have hundreds of thousands of people following your journey across social media. How has your relationship with posting changed now that people are coming to hear your songs rather than just your covers?
Because it's more personal, it’s definitely a bit more daunting. I remember how nervous I was posting my first original songs and letting people in. I’m so grateful that people connected with what I was putting out there and I wish I could give little me a big hug for being brave enough to do so.
You joined sombr on the Late Nights & Young Romance Tour and found yourself performing in front of arena-sized crowds. What was going through your mind the first time you walked onto a stage in front of more than 10.000 people?
My brain was operating at 100mph. Before each show, I’d talk to myself in the mirror, take a deep breath, and commit to doing my absolute best. When I finally got on stage, it hit me that I was finally doing what I’ve wanted to do my whole life. I was just filled with gratitude. I’ll never forget staring out at all the lights from the audience. I was awestruck.
Your debut headline show at the Moroccan Lounge sold out in under a minute. What did that moment mean to you, especially after spending years connecting with many of those listeners through a screen
It’s impossible for me to look back on that moment without smiling. I cried so much. Being an opener for my whole live career, it meant the world that people bought tickets to see me as a headliner. It was the best night ever.
How does performing for your own headline crowd feel different from winning over an audience as an opening act?
It’s wildly different. Watching people scream my songs back to me will always be a “pinch me” moment. The energy in the room is palpable and I feel right at home.
You’ve been described as part of a new generation of singer-songwriters whose careers exist both online and onstage. Do you ever feel pressure to constantly create content while also trying to protect the space you need to actually make music?
I like to think both can exist at once in a somewhat natural way. I definitely feel pressure to make content, but the pressure is often counteracted by the excitement I feel of getting to share what I love most with people who want to engage.
You’re preparing to release your new EP All At Once. What does this project reveal about Devon Gabriella that listeners haven’t gotten to see from the singles yet?
The stories I tell in this project feel more complex than what I’ve written about in the past. My life this past year has been a rollercoaster, and I think that translates well through each track. I stopped taking myself so seriously and allowed myself to have fun. I allowed myself to feel whatever I feel.
As your audiences and opportunities get bigger, what part of your career do you most want to make sure stays intimate or personal?
There is no me or my music without the community that surrounds it. I never want my connection with my fans to change and can’t wait to grow into this new era together. I’m eternally grateful.
