In Conversation With Colin: The Devlins

“When you have four people in a room together and they’re playing, there are a million things happening in space and time that we don’t really understand”, declares Colin Devlin describing the recording of The Devlins latest album, All The Days.

Colin and Peter Devlin earned themselves a four-star review in Rolling Stone magazine thirty one years ago with their debut album Drift. The Irish brother’s music leans toward the subtle and atmospheric side of rock, with Colin Devlin’s rich guitar textures at the fore.

The acclaimed Irish alternative rock band, have been a staple in the music scene since the early 1990s. Known for their evocative lyrics and atmospheric melodic rock soundscapes, they have carved out a niche that resonates deeply with fans worldwide. Their song ‘Someone to Talk To’ from their 1993 album Drift still remains a popular classic, capturing the essence of longing and connection. Another notable track, ‘Waiting’ featured in the 2002 Six Feet Under film soundtrack and showcases their ability to blend haunting melodies with poignant lyrics.

After a rather ambiguous hiatus, The Devlins have finally returned with a brand new, long awaited eleven song album called All The Days with the classic line-up of Colin Devlin, Peter Devlin, Mark Murphy and Guy Rickarby. The new album was recorded in Camden Studios in Dublin with producer Rob Kirwan who has worked with artists like Hozier, PJ Harvey, Local Natives, U2, Depeche Mode, and Brian Eno.

In a three-way zoom call with Peter in Dublin and Colin in Pasadena, the brothers talked to Newport City Radio’s Colin Palmer about the new album.

“Both of our parents died in the last few years so I think there’s definitely a theme of loss and trying to accept that as well” explains Colin about the title track on the new album. “For me song-writing will always be about healing yourself, I write for myself to work through things. For example the song ‘All The Days’ is about somebody feeling lost but it’s also very resilient and when you listen to it it’s very uplifting and it’s a real emotion that could relate to anybody that feels a little bit on the outside, and I think there’s a lot of determination in that song.”

Another song ‘Slipping Through Your Hands’ contains the lyrics ‘I was not the master of your fate, I was not the author of your dreams’. “That may not be me” admits Colin. “It’s about a person, it’s a look back at time passing and the consequences of that and what you did with your life, lyrically I think it’s a strong song that has an emotional hit to it as well. But that song came to me really quick, but some are really hard, it’s really hard to write a good song.”

For the new album the four musicians recorded in Dublin and tracked live in the recording studio. “What you’re hearing for the most part are songs I started in my home studio in Pasadena, California and I really wanted to come with the songs complete in terms of lyrics and structure for the most part, then have the guys come in and collaborate on how it’s going to sound from there. It was a conscious decision to make it in a studio right in the centre of Dublin.”

Peter describes his choice of bass guitar “My favourite and the one that features most on the new record is a Fender Jazz, it’s got a beautiful tone and I think it suits the vibe of the album, I moved over from a Precision a few years ago. I run it through a small vintage valve Ampeg amplifier and a couple of pedals to give it overdrive and a bit of distortion.

“When we’re playing together in the studio if something works and everybody’s nodding such as ‘Slipping Through Your Hands’ it’s got a groove that suits the mood of the song, it’s quite dark and heavy but then when the chorus hits it just releases.”

Colin enthusiastically adds, “There’s a reason why I don’t start singing until around a minute at the start of that song, because the bass and drums is so great and I thought I’m not going to sing over this, I just wanted to roll with it and that’s a perfect example of Peter and I getting an amazing vibe together.” That vibe stands equal to anything this inventive band have done thus far.

COLIN PALMER