I met Debra a long time ago when she started taking my hip hop classes pre-chicpeajc; Debra is small, spunky and energetic so obviously I loved her right away. Debra is also the lead singer of “Devi” a classic rock band based here in Jersey City. She reminds me so much of Joan Jett! It’s kind of uncanny!
For months I’ve been wanting to see them perform live but due to scheduling conflicts I haven’t been able to go… so finally, I reached out to Debra and begged her to invite me to one of their jam sessions so I could get the “Devi” experience and meet her band mates bassist Max Feinstein and drummer John Hummel.
I went to check them out on a weekday afternoon at their studio space, The Tantrum Room, in Hoboken… I had so much fun getting a private concert!! I am so lucky you guys!! “Devi” played a few of their songs and I absolutely loved it. I am sure they kick even more butt on stage with a crowd.
Debra is so bad ass, I was just in awe of her when she was singing and playing the electric guitar. I really enjoyed listening to them jam and see them do their thing. Next concert, I am going to be front and center.
What are your names? Max Feinstein, Debra Devi, John Hummel.
How long have you been a band? (Debra) Since 2008, and then Max just joined us this last year.
How did it start? (Debra) I was asked by a friend of mine, Jill Morley to write a song for her film, it’s called “Stripped, Exposing the Business of Baring it All” and so I wrote the song “Take it off” and we recorded it. I knew John so we got together… it went well and then we started working on an album, we did the “Get Free” album and it was like I think this might be a band!
Can you tell me about the projects you are working on? We are doing a 5 song EP. We’ve already mastered and released our first single, which is called “Butterfly”. We are looking at a release date of mid-April. Our song “All That I Need” is in Jill’s new film – Fight Like a Girl – http://www.
What’s your creative process? (Debra) I usually pick up the guitar if I have some intense emotion that I want to express. I just start playing until I hit on something that expresses what I can’t express in words. I usually always write the music first and then I have sketchpads and I work on the lyrics. For me what is key is coming to rehearsals… I am always incredibly nervous to come and play a new song for these guys, I know by their reaction if its worth pursuing or not. I really trust John’s and Max’s judgement on that…
Do you guys all do music full time? (Debra) I am also a writer. (John) I am a full time musician (Max) I am close to being also a full time musician.
Debra, what kind of writing do you do? I write books, I have a book called “The Language of the Blues” and I do journalism and freelance work. I also freelance a bit as a guitar player.
When did you all start making music? (Max) I started when I was 12. I played a few instruments in school but nothing really stuck. When I was about 15, I picked up the guitar and here I am, 14 years later… no one expected to stick.
What are your musical influences? (Max) Everything. Not to be cliche about it but I feel that if I am going to be doing this full time, I have to be able to look at and dissect just about anything from any genre of music to the melodicism of the way people talk even… there is a rhythm and a melody to all of that. There is something that I may not have the words for but find captivating all the same…
Do you ever listen to Beyonce haha? (Max) Sometimes! I don’t go out of my way for it but I will listen to her.
Anyone you look up to in particular? (Max) My absolute favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s been like that since I was in High School.
(Debra) But you made me listen to Masta Don on our drive back from the Baltimore show (Max) I did make you listen to “Mastadon”… I am very into them right now. I find them to be fascinating. Yes they are a metal band but they have a very a typical approach… as a bass player I find metal very appealing.
What about you Debra, when did music start for you? Well, being a woman I have a different story. I wanted to pick up the electric guitar when I was a teenager, I used to sing the guitar solos of the songs playing on the radio instead of the lyrics. When I approached my mom about it she was horrified she was like “That would be un lady like” haha… so that was that. I just put it aside…
Then in my senior year in college. Bonnie Raitt came to play and I just stood up and started shrieking! she was playing electric guitar and I was like “thats it” and I got one the next day. I got a $125 Fender Mustang from this pawn shop.
6 months later, I moved to New York and I started auditioning for bands and I got into this hardcore punk band in the East Village. I basically taught myself how to play. Sometimes I felt like at a disadvantage because I didn’t have the high school experience of playing lots of covers and in garage bands… but I had the opportunity of finding out what I was going to sound like and what I wanted to play.
What are your musical influences? (Debra) I am a huge blues fan, when I was exploring the guitar I felt very intimidated by the really fast players on the radio. When I was 17, a friend of mine snuck me into a blues club and I saw Koko Taylor and Son Seals. I didn’t know what blues was but I was so freaked out about it…. What it showed me… they played one note and people were screaming and falling on the floor so it was not about how many notes you play, its about the right note and hitting that emotion… so I was like maybe I can try and do that. It was a huge influence….
How is it being a woman in rock? It’s a unique experience, it’s become less unique now that there are a lot more great woman players coming out. I’ve been really lucky, finding very supportive men to play with like these guys. Where I feel supported and encouraged… I’ve had negative experiences too…. people tried to punch me…. just for being a woman. When I was in the punk scene people tried to take me down, but I just would fight back!
Did you ever play at CBGB’s? Yeah, many many times! It was great. I felt like I grew up there.
What about you John? I started when I was 10 years old. My best friend, let me hear KISS “Destroyer” when it came out… That’s when I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Is that when you started drumming? It was the typical, banging on pots and pans… and then I was riding my bike one day, and I came across a toy drum set that was on the curb. I convinced my dad to put it in the car and bring it home. I used it for a while and then my parents eventually got me a real drum set. By the time I was 11 I was playing in my first band!
That’s so young!! I love it.
What are your future plans for the band? (Debra) More gigs! Booking shows on the east coast area… we are going to release this E.P and take it from there.We have an upcoming show at The Dopeness Friday April 10. The lineup is Drum and a Tantrum, The Fave, Karyn Kuhl Band, Devi. $10 cover BYOB!
Are you all from Jersey City? (Debra) I live here. (Max) Me too (John) I live in Morris County.
Do you guys have a favorite hangout spot? (Debra) Well we did play at the Lamp Post a lot which was really fun but I think The Dopeness is going to be our new spot.
(Max) The Lamp Post was pretty special. That was my first show with this band… I tried and failed at the comfort zone challenge…. it was a great place.
(Debra) I love the food at The Dopeness. I just had the gluten free vegan pizza at Two Boots and it was really good.
What is “Get Free” about? (Debra) Get Free is about the author of the book “Zen Guitar” who was a guy named Phil Sudo. I spent time with him before he passed away from stomach cancer and he was a brilliant guy and had a lot to say about the philosophy behind playing guitar and the idea of not playing as many notes as you can but trying to connect with your soul and express strong emotion and get it across to people.
His death was a tragedy and when I came home from his memorial I wrote that song. I met with him 10 days before he died and he was incredibly gaunt from his cancer and he had been on the zen Buddhist path for a long time… and he said to me “When something like this happens, you realize you are not your body, because my body is falling apart but I am still here…” If you listen to the lyrics of the song it tells you his story.
Wow. As a band we are ultimately seeking to be musically free. We want to experience total freedom and connection in those moments live on stage, while we’re jamming together, however we can, and we hope we can inspire the audience to get free, too!
Anything else you want people to know about Devi? Stay Tuned for our E.P Party. We are trying to bring back the lost art of jamming. To rock! We love song craft and writing great songs, but we also love to stretch them out and jam and have the experience of freedom. Our album is called “Get Free” and I practice yoga, and it comes from the idea of becoming liberated while you are still in your body. Free of your neuroses and to be yourself…
Devi has made their first album, Get Free, available as a free download at www.devi-rock.com. You can check out the just-released first single, “Butterfly,” from their upcoming EP Every Story Has a Song there, too!
You must be logged in to post a comment.