Spotlight – Janet Devlin
Irish singer-songwriter Janet Devlin brings rural roots and fearless honesty to country music with a career defined by resilience, reinvention, and emotional truth, and hints at what is to come.
Janet Devlin’s connection to country music runs deep – passed down through generations and shaped by lived experience, embedded in the rhythms of rural life and the quiet persistence of personal storytelling.
With a background as textured as her lyrics, Devlin brings a unique sensibility to the genre. From her first songwriting efforts to her more recent studio work, there’s been a consistent thread of emotional honesty and melodic warmth that defines her sound.
Her artistic journey hasn’t followed a linear path, but rather one marked by introspection and creative risk-taking. Devlin’s early start in the music industry, shaped by personal challenges and public scrutiny, forged a resilience that now informs her every project.
With her 2024 album, Emotional Rodeo, Devlin delved deep into her roots, blending personal narratives with the rich tapestry of country music. She also hints at new music that is set to surprise fans later this year…
Reflecting on how it all began, Devlin acknowledges that her path into country music was less a decision and more a natural evolution. “How did I get into it? It’s really bizarre. I mean, I’ve always listened to country music. It’s the biggest genre in Ireland.”
That formative environment shaped her musical instincts from the start. Growing up in Gortin, a small village in Northern Ireland, country melodies were the soundtrack of her daily life. “You would go into the shop, there’s country music playing. You go to the petrol station, there’s country music playing. It’s just everywhere.”
She recalls how that omnipresent soundscape wasn’t confined to public spaces. This pervasive presence of country tunes was more than background noise – it was a unifying force in her household. “I was exposed to a lot of genres growing up because of babysitters, my brothers and whatnot. But the one genre that we all agreed on was country.”
Even before she officially entered the music industry, country music shaped her early artistic direction. She was writing her own songs as a teenager, and her instinctive pull toward the genre was unmistakable. “I was going to take a year out when I was 16 to do an EP, to go write an EP, and the music I was writing at the time when I was 15, 16 was all country. It wasn’t even a question. It was just what you did.”
This early connection wasn’t only about the sound – it was about place and identity. Devlin’s surroundings offered a constant source of inspiration, both visually and emotionally. She vividly remembers the kind of solitary freedom that defined her childhood. “Even as a little girl, I would take my pony up into the mountains behind our house.”
Years later, that rural spirit found a new expression in Emotional Rodeo, a record that stands as a testament to Devlin’s growth. Recorded at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio, the album showcases a blend of traditional country elements with modern sensibilities. Collaborating with industry stalwarts like Charlie McCoy and Rob McNelley, Devlin crafted a sound that’s both nostalgic and fresh.
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