After establishing herself with a wealth of bold and impressive efforts these last few years, Californian rapper Devin Sunshine is now looking to cement her legacy to date as she drops her long-awaited debut album 'Everything Melts In The End'.
Featuring the previously shared tracks 'Picture This', 'Rather Date Your Ex', 'Like That' and many more, this whopping 21-track collection makes for a brilliantly varied listen. Filled with bold and bouncing aesthetics, a pulsing atmosphere, and her own mesmerising lyrical flow at the helm, she is certainly looking to make a strong impact with this new full-length.
So with the new LP available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I really fell in love with was the guitar. My dad taught me how to play at around 13 years old. I was very much into Taylor Swift at the time (still am!) and was very inspired by her ability to pick up a guitar and create whatever song she wanted to.
I wrote my first many, many songs on guitar as a young teenager. I don’t play as much anymore, as I’ve gotten more into digital sounds and production myself. But it’s definitely an instrument and a core memory I still cherish and attribute a lot of my musical inclination to. Thanks, Dad!
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I was a fairly reserved and sheltered child, and grew up doing a lot of musical theatre, so I didn’t have a lot of my own personal music taste as a young child. I remember listening to Britney Spears, and playing her CD on my Hello Kitty CD player. I had Hannah Montana and Cheetah Girls CDs. You know, the usual early 2000s young girl idols.
I also grew up listening to a lot of country music with my family. That’s where my love of Taylor Swift initials stemmed from! I LOVED Taylor Swift for many years, and still do. Though my style and music taste has evolved since then.
It wasn’t until I was about 14 when I got my first iPod that I started exploring the world of music and discovering what I really liked for myself. That’s when I discovered and fell in love with hip hop. I also really got into pop punk music. I would download songs from Limewire, like we all used to back in the day, and fill my iPod with new music to listen to on the way to school and block out my parents radio stations.
And all of those songs and genres really built my music preferences and still carry through to today! I would still say hip hop and rap is my favorite genre of music, but I love a good alternative pop song, pop punk or punk rock song, or even a good country song!
What was the first album you remember owning?
I think the Britney Spears “Baby One More Time” album is the first album I remember owning. I had a really cute pink Hello Kitty CD player - very y2k, lol - and would play her album in my room and feel so cool.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I’ve been asked this question in a couple of different interviews, and I always find it interesting. I don’t wish I wrote anyone else’s song myself! I think other people’s unique perspectives are so intriguing, and I think that’s what’s always allowed me to find so much value in my own music as well, even when it wasn’t the best. I’ve always known and held value in the fact that no one else can be ME like I can be me. and that my songs are unique and special in that way, just as everyone else’s are. Maybe that’s a cliche answer, but it’s true!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I don’t have any super intentional habits or rituals… I’m really big on allowing inspiration to strike as it may. If I’m ever struggling too hard with a lyric or a song, I just step away and come back to it later. Nothing forced ever sounds good, and I’ve always written my best music when I’ve allowed divine inspiration to simply flow through me.
I do write a lot of lyrics on my hikes! I hike frequently, and will often listen to beats or brainstorm lyric ideas during that time. Nature is super inspiring and really allows a clear mind for ideas to flow through. So if anything, maybe that’s a ritual or habit of mine, in a way!
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of King Princess, Melanie Martinez, Machine Gun Kelly, and Wynne (super dope female rapper from PDX)
I definitely form “current obsessions” over albums and artists, but in general I like listening to a wide range of music to grab inspiration from all different genres and sources.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Ooo… this is a tough one. There are so many dope artists I’d love to open for or collaborate with! It’s also a tough question because my own music is so versatile. It’s not JUST rap or JUST pop or JUST punk. But it has all of those genre’s vibes and inspirations.
I think opening for Wynne would be super dope. She’s a super inspirational as a female rapper, and I feel like she’s most “reachable” per say, since she’s still on the come up herself.
I’d also love to open up for/work with Qveen Herby. She’s a really dope alternative pop rapper with such a colorful and retro visual style. I take a lot of inso from her brand and music, and think we would mesh well!
Flyana Boss would also be a DOPE collaboration or duo I’d love to open for. I think our sounds and audiences also mesh really well together, and I think they’re super fun and have been killing the game recently!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
For me, it’s the ability to express myself and whatever I’m feeling through music. There’s nothing better than the high I feel after finishing a song, or even just a demo of a song sometimes. I often get finished working on music late at night, so I’ll go for a late night bike ride and listen to the mix I just finished. It’s the best feeling! Knowing people will eventually get to hear it and enjoy it too makes it even better.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most frustrating part is probably keeping my mental game on lock. It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game, especially with social media. So I’m forever finding a balance in enjoying the social media aspect of it, and distancing myself from any numbers, results, or what other people are doing and posting. It’s always best to stay in your own lane most of the time, and simply look to others for inspiration when you’re mentally in a place for that.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
CONSISTENCY! By far the best piece of advice I’ve been given, time and time again. I’ve seen plenty of musician and artist friends fall off after a certain amount of time, for various reasons, and trying to get back into the swing of things or regain the attention of your audience is tricky. And even more so - feels shitty to let yourself down!
So even if you’ve got to take a break from socials here and there, or slow down on your releases, stay consistent! Because even if everything just feels like the smallest step… in 5 years you’ll look back and be SO much farther along than you were at the time, and sometimes farther along than you ever thought you’d be.
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Devin Sunshine's debut album 'Everything Melts In The End' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.