Photo by: Kory Luke
We caught up with multi-talented LA-based artist Devin Kennedy who recently launched his debut album, California Rain, on June 8th. It features his previously released singles, “Fine Wine,” “As Is” and “Love You Anymore.” With a hybrid sound of pop, R&B and alt, the album received 2.4 million streams on day one alone. Along with the album release, Devin dropped a brand-new music video for the title track, “California Rain.”
A rising force in the indie-pop scene, Devin has currently amassed over 100 million Spotify streams and over 3 million monthly listeners. His music has also been making waves across TikTok in viral videos with Charli D’Amelio using his song “Follow Through” in her TikTok video last summer promoting her perfume, Born Dreamer.
Check our out conversation below.
Congratulations on the release of your debut album! How does it feel to have California Rain out in the world?
Devin Kennedy (DK): Thank you! It feels great to have the album out. I’ve been working on it since last year and it’s been really nice seeing everyone’s reactions to the new songs.
What was your creative process like for this album?
DK: For this album I did a few writing trips to Joshua Tree and Nashville with some friends to write a lot of the songs. It allowed us to isolate and focus on the music which was very creatively fulfilling. After we wrote the songs I came back to LA and finished the production over a few months.
How would you describe the overall sound of California Rain?
DK: California Rain is a project that has a feeling/emotion/song for everyone. Though the album is a reflection of what I’ve been feeling these last few years, I always love to see when listeners are able to relate their own life to the music. That’s what it’s all about really.
Is there a particular theme or underlying message to the album?
DK: Yes, love is rare and fleeting…just like California rain. It’s amazing while it’s happening, but somehow it always leaves you wanting more.
You also released a music video for the title track, “California Rain,” which has a very cinematic feel to it. Can you tell us about filming the video and some of the aesthetics behind it?
DK: Yes! This is one of my favorite videos I’ve ever done. In the video we cut between inside shots in a retro diner and outside shots where I’m getting completely soaked by California rain. We had to bring in a massive rain truck and shoot the rain scenes between 1-3am, so it was a long and cold shoot, but seeing the final product made it all worth it.
_
Stream California Rain here.
Follow Devin Kennedy: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter