In the ever evolving pop landscape, artists must remain distinctive yet recognisable to stand out from your contemporaries. This is an attribute that emerging pop star L Devine seems to acquire seamlessly. Her sound branches across pop and indie tendencies, but borders the styles in such a way that it feels familiar, yet unique, with Devine showing herself to be lyrically witty and vocally dazzling across her confident discography to date.

Recently, Devine announced the news of a hotly anticipated debut album, Digital Heartifacts, set for release next February. The forthcoming LP promises to be a concise, conceptual and captivating body of work, with the singer-songwriter truly coming into her own across the teaser singles from the album so far, “Push It Down”, “Miscommunikaty” and most recently “Laundry Day”. The latter offering oozes nostalgia and wistful retrospective, with the subtly anthemic hook flaunting Devine’s conceptual songwriting nuance.

As she rises the alt pop ranks and builds hype for the ensuing record, we spoke to L Devine, discussing her musical beginnings, coping with emotion through humour, and what to expect from Digital Heartifacts.

Take in “Laundry Day”…

Read the exclusive interview…

Hey! How are you? What does a day in the life look like for you at the moment?
Hello! I’m doing good just on a train to London right now, I spend a lot of time on the train between London and Newcastle at the minute! I’ve just started writing again, for what will eventually be the next project, so I’m mostly in my studio at my home in Newcastle. 
 
Talk to us about your early days within music. How did you find your sound?
I think finding your sound is a never ending,  a constantly evolving journey. I’ll find it, let go of it, keep the parts that still feel true to me, and start the search again. I first got into music when I was little, I got a guitar for Christmas and was too impatient to sit and learn other people’s songs and that’s when I got the bug for writing. Initially I wanted to just write songs for other artists so chucked myself into hundreds of different writing sessions with various producers and writers which is where I really learned how to write a pop song. There’s a real craft to it, and you’re expected to get a song written within a day. It taught me so much about structure and how to set up for the hook to be as satisfying as it can be. I’ve had a few years where I’ve sort of tried to unlearn all of that and approach things differently, in a more freeing way but I’m really glad that’s where I started because those tricks will always be in me now! 
 
Who have been major inspirations to you both in your personal life and music career? 
My family, my friends especially Jay Flew who I made this album with. And I guess myself? That sounds stupid to say but I’ve definitely spent a lot of time in my own head trying to figure out how I’m wired to write these songs. I may have possibly been inspired by a girl as well lol. 
 
Could you tell us about the process of creating your upcoming debut album, Digital Heartifacts?
We made almost the whole album in my flat in Newcastle over 2021/2022. Jay would come up to Newcastle for a week at a time every few months to write with me. I think at least three of the songs written on each writing trip made it onto the album! We did quite a few sessions at The Premises in Hackney as well. What I love about working with Jay is he’s so great at communicating in sessions which is so important for a producer. I think every artist has their own bespoke musical language and he truly makes the effort to understand, he’s a musical multi linguist! It was also the first time I’d worked with a producer that really championed me weaving my own production into the project which I think helped carve out the sound. You can hear a lot of my vocal manipulation, chops and glitchy arpeggiators throughout the album and combined with jay’s guitar parts, I’d say those are the really defining moments of the album sonically. 

Digital Heartifacts, delves into complex emotions and themes. Can you elaborate on this and how they manifest in your music? 
When I wrote this record I wasn’t with a label or management, so I had no outsider opinions, which at first was a daunting place to be. I’d been so used to someone over my shoulder saying ‘oh we need another one of these songs’ as there was always pressure to be writing a single with a message that would resonate on a global scale. But that’s actually such a creatively confining thing to be constantly told and I think that’s when a lot of artists end up stuck in their head and uninspired. The songs on this album aren’t exactly in your face empowerment anthems but I think honesty and real vulnerability can be genuinely so empowering. I wanted the lyrics and themes to truly represent me as a person so I definitely challenged myself to write as intimately as possible. I think in turn, writing about really specific situations and feelings allowed for way more relatable lyrics. 

Moving back to Newcastle from London must have been a pivotal moment. How has your creative process evolved since then, and how has it impacted your sound?
Things definitely go at a slower pace up here, looking back at my time in London I was on a bit of a hamster wheel of writing sessions often just for the sake of staying busy and working. Whereas up here writing feels much more intentional and creatively free. There’s a lot less pressure and being in my hometown has massively impacted who I am as an artist. Being surrounded by people who really know me and that have known me my whole life again is definitely reflected in this record. I feel like little Liv again. I’m way more sure of who I am and comfortable expressing who I am now and that’s genuinely down to the family and friends I’ve been able to surround myself with over the past few years. 
 
Your song “Miscommunikaty” has been described as capturing the essence of the album. Could you share more about the inspiration behind this song and how it ties into the overarching themes of Digital Heartifacts?
The song started just as a stream of consciousness, I didn’t really know where it was going to end up, neither does the listener until the last two lines. Eventually it’s revealed that I’m explaining to my love interest or anyone I guess, why I am the way I am and asking if they’ll excuse me for my patterns and to understand me. The idea of the online pseudonym “Miscommunikaty” is what really inspired me. I started to imagine this world where I become a social recluse who stays wired into the online world, longing for genuine connection. You can see that in the music video too. I liked that it drew a parallel between over-connectivity and loneliness. That’s a really strong theme throughout the album, connect versus disconnect and the need to feel understood by someone. I think sonically as well this was where we really realised what the sound was, the blend of really raw, live elements like the acoustic guitars, soft vocals and heartfelt lyrics combined with all the electronic elements. The digital artefacts within the vocal samples made me think about the whole digital and nature juxtaposition visually and that’s what led me to the title Digital Heartifacts. 
 
You’ve mentioned that humour is an important coping mechanism for you. How do you balance addressing serious subjects with a touch of humour in your music?
I’ve always been like that since I was little, it was definitely a survival skill in high school. Take the piss out of yourself before anyone else can. I think realised I could disarm people with self-deprecating humour and be more likeable that way. I think I’d cringe if I started taking myself really seriously, it just feels really natural for me to talk about stuff in a bit of a tongue and cheek way. I guess it’s also a bit of a creative challenge, some songwriters are always looking for a deep metaphor whereas I’m often just looking for a joke! 
 
“Push It Down” touches on mental anguish and prioritising others over yourself. How has your own journey with mental health influenced your music and your perspective on pop songwriting?
Digital Heartifacts is my debut album so I was determined for it to give people an actual sense of who I am and how I think and feel. I think you have to become pretty self aware and be okay with picking yourself apart a bit, I wouldn’t have been able to write in that way without exploring my struggles with mental health. It’s also made me realise that I value honesty over coming across right and good. I find that lyrics that are black and white or there’s a good person, there’s a bad person type of thing just isn’t a realistic narrative. I’m flawed, people I’ve been with are flawed, everyone is but I think that humanness makes for much more interesting and moving writing. I think that’s why it’s a unique pop record, and just because I’m talking about some heavier stuff that doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice catchy melodies and pop structure. 
 
Digital Heartifacts marks a significant shift in your artistic identity. How do you envision this album resonating with your audience?
I think although it’s a shift in a lot of ways it’ll still feel familiar to people who are into my music because of the songwriting. I’d say the song, people seem to resonate with the most is ‘Daughter’ and that’s got to be my most personal song from my previous releases. There’s more of that kind of songwriting on this album. Also, you should always expect artists to want to explore their sound and be up for growing with them. I’ve been playing a bunch of the songs live recently and they’ve been getting such a sick response so I’m absolutely buzzing for people to actually be able to listen to them all on record.
 
Can you share any exciting upcoming projects or aspirations you have in the pipeline? 
I guess I’m just going to get cracking on the next one now! And I want to tour the fuck out of Digital Heartifacts. I feel like it really lends itself to my live show, so I really wanna earn my stripes and properly establish myself as a live artist with these tunes. I’ve proper enjoyed getting stuck into visuals as well, I’d love to do some more work around creative direction and music videos outside of my own projects.