Devon Allman, son of Southern rock royalty Gregg Allman, has been making a name for himself as a solo artist with his “ragged and dirty” style of blues/rock fusion. We sat down for a bit before his performance at the Waterfront Blues Fest in Portland, OR and talked about his approach to making music, his solo career and the Chicago sound that resonates throughout his work.
AMK: There’s a sense of place that permeates through your music-your song “Midnight Lake Michigan” in particular is so raw and evocative-how did that song come about, and why Lake Michigan?
DA: You know, the record was done, and I said “man...can you give me just like a low, jazzy, spooky, b minor where I just talk with the guitar and take the listeners on a trip?”...The cool thing about “Midnight Lake Michigan” is that it wasn’t written, it was just played. It was all improv and it was all recorded live. That was never, ever played before, or after, that recording. That was it. We played it one time. It’s a proud moment because it’s one of those things where everything worked. Now the place itself, I made the record in Chicago, and I made a joke, something like “You know, this music sounds like the soundtrack to somebody dumping a body in Lake Michigan at midnight, and I was like Midnight Lake Michigan! So, it just came together.
AMK: You’re opening for your dad tonight. What’s that like? Are you two on the same wavelength musically?
DA: I think we have a lot of similar, common threads in our music but at the same time, our approach is different. His is very relaxed, very jazzy, and mine’s certainly much more urgent and in the moment and high energy. There’s some threads that connect it-soulful singing, arrangements that are true to our genre of music. Stylistically, the core is very much the same; I’d say the peripheral is just a bit different.
AMK: As a musician, and a performer, what do you look for when you’re writing a song, and how do you know when you’ve really got something?
DA:That’s one of the best questions I’ve ever been asked. I think it’s gotta make you feel something, and not make you overthink it. Like if you just instantly feel like “Oh, that just feels good” you know? Like you might get a little hair on the back of your neck or your arms stand up a little bit. Like you know you just did something kind of special. That would be a telltale sign. I don’t know, that’s such a good question because it’s so subjective to people’s tastes and what they’re looking for when they create art. How does a painter know when he got it right? How does a painter know when he’s done? Think about that! That is, the movement with the brush, with the paint, on the canvas, multiple colors, multiple dippings...how does he know when it’s done? He looks back and he just goes, “I feel like it’s done” so it’s a feel. I think it’s all a feel.
AMK: You’ve been on the road for awhile now. What’s next?
DA: More on the road. More records, more touring. Luckily now that I’m a little bit older, I get to be home more. I don’t have to go and take every crappy gig. I can be a bit choosier and spend some time at home with my fiancee and my son. I really, really love my family life, my home life. It’s a balancing act but it keeps me sane, and so does the music.
AMK: What is your message as an artist? What do you hope people take away from your shows?
DA: Man it’s a crazy world. I just hope it makes people feel good. There’s a lot of stuff out there making people feel bad, and as an artist I think it’s our job to balance that equation.
AMK: There’s a sense of place that permeates through your music-your song “Midnight Lake Michigan” in particular is so raw and evocative-how did that song come about, and why Lake Michigan?
DA: You know, the record was done, and I said “man...can you give me just like a low, jazzy, spooky, b minor where I just talk with the guitar and take the listeners on a trip?”...The cool thing about “Midnight Lake Michigan” is that it wasn’t written, it was just played. It was all improv and it was all recorded live. That was never, ever played before, or after, that recording. That was it. We played it one time. It’s a proud moment because it’s one of those things where everything worked. Now the place itself, I made the record in Chicago, and I made a joke, something like “You know, this music sounds like the soundtrack to somebody dumping a body in Lake Michigan at midnight, and I was like Midnight Lake Michigan! So, it just came together.
AMK: You’re opening for your dad tonight. What’s that like? Are you two on the same wavelength musically?
DA: I think we have a lot of similar, common threads in our music but at the same time, our approach is different. His is very relaxed, very jazzy, and mine’s certainly much more urgent and in the moment and high energy. There’s some threads that connect it-soulful singing, arrangements that are true to our genre of music. Stylistically, the core is very much the same; I’d say the peripheral is just a bit different.
AMK: As a musician, and a performer, what do you look for when you’re writing a song, and how do you know when you’ve really got something?
DA:That’s one of the best questions I’ve ever been asked. I think it’s gotta make you feel something, and not make you overthink it. Like if you just instantly feel like “Oh, that just feels good” you know? Like you might get a little hair on the back of your neck or your arms stand up a little bit. Like you know you just did something kind of special. That would be a telltale sign. I don’t know, that’s such a good question because it’s so subjective to people’s tastes and what they’re looking for when they create art. How does a painter know when he got it right? How does a painter know when he’s done? Think about that! That is, the movement with the brush, with the paint, on the canvas, multiple colors, multiple dippings...how does he know when it’s done? He looks back and he just goes, “I feel like it’s done” so it’s a feel. I think it’s all a feel.
AMK: You’ve been on the road for awhile now. What’s next?
DA: More on the road. More records, more touring. Luckily now that I’m a little bit older, I get to be home more. I don’t have to go and take every crappy gig. I can be a bit choosier and spend some time at home with my fiancee and my son. I really, really love my family life, my home life. It’s a balancing act but it keeps me sane, and so does the music.
AMK: What is your message as an artist? What do you hope people take away from your shows?
DA: Man it’s a crazy world. I just hope it makes people feel good. There’s a lot of stuff out there making people feel bad, and as an artist I think it’s our job to balance that equation.