Devon Gilfillian ~ New Soul and R&B

Devon Gilfillian
Grove Plaza, Boise, Idaho, 6/28/23
https://devongilfillian.com
A day without music is like a day without light

A soulful singer/songwriter with a genre-encompassing vibe that touches on gritty blues, warm R&B, and bits of hip-hop and rock heft, Devon Gilfillian rose quickly through Nashville's ranks. His reputation as a live performer grew quickly, and his self-released 2016 EP earned him a major-label deal. After several international tours, he debuted with 2020's vivid, genre-blending Black Hole Rainbow. That same year, he delivered a song-by-song cover of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On to support local charities, then set about making his follow-up album. Switching from Capitol to Fantasy Records, Gilfillian doubled down on both his swagger and positive social commentary for 2023's Love You Anyway.

The son of a wedding singer, Gilfillian grew up in Philadelphia surrounded by music and he took inspiration from a range of styles -- from vintage Motown and soul to classic rock and hip-hop. He began playing guitar at 14 and regularly led bands throughout his college days at Pennsylvania's West Chester University, where he earned a psychology degree. Though a placement through AmeriCorps was what brought Gilfillian to Nashville, his desire to live in a musical setting bore equal weight to his altruistic intentions, and he quickly immersed himself in Music City's gigging culture.

He put together a tight band to punch up his rootsy musical fusion of styles and built up a reputation around town as a gifted songwriter and dynamic frontman. A self-released, self-titled 2016 EP put Gilfillian on the map, leading to critical accolades, increased touring opportunities, and most significantly, a deal with Capitol Records. Additional singles like "Troublemaker" and "High" followed in 2018, along with tours supporting major acts as diverse as Keith Urban, Mavis Staples, and the Fray. 2019 brought a trip to Africa and a Scandinavian tour with Brothers Osborne, as well as "Get Out and Get It," the first single from his debut album. Gilfillian's next two singles, "Even Though It Hurts" and "Unchained," each cracked the Top Ten of Billboard's AAA chart ahead of the full-length Black Hole Rainbow, released in January 2020.

Produced in Los Angeles by Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, the War on Drugs), the album accentuated Gilfillian's rangy stylistic blend and earned a technical Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Later that year, he honored one of his biggest influences by covering Marvin Gaye's classic What's Going On in its entirety and donating its proceeds to organizations fighting for democratic justice and voter's rights. For his next project, Gilfillian stayed in Nashville and continued working with producer Jeremy Lutito (Joy Oladokun, Needtobreathe), who co-wrote "Stay a Little Longer" for Black Hole Rainbow. The two put together a fiery and dynamic soul set that moved through themes of equity, representation, and, more than anything, the power of love in all its forms. The sultry "All I Really Wanna Do," the first single from Love You Anyway, appeared in early 2023. A handful of additional songs preceded the album's April release.
Source, allmusic.com