by martina rexrode
photo by emma-jane lewis
On her latest single “Red Flag,” Northern Irish artist Janet Devlin taps into her country music roots that extend all the way to her childhood. Her country-rock style shines through in her clever songwriting and humorous personal voice. The single is one of several released in the months leading up to her full-length album Emotional Rodeo, out November 15th, a project that covers a wide range of emotions and specific circumstances that still somehow feel relatable. We talked to Janet about each of these releases, her creative process, and the popularity of country music in Ireland.
You recently released your single “Red Flag,” which does a clever job of turning what is typically seen as a negative term into a positive. Can you tell us a little about where the inspiration for this song came from?
Janet: “I dated too many dudes that were walking red flags. I got out of a three year relationship that was littered with red flags… but I still stayed. I always blamed myself and my BPD (borderline personality disorder) for our issues. That I was the red flag for my reactions. Even though that wasn't the case. But I still carried the safe blame around for quite some time. But when that ended I decided to manifest a ‘good guy’ for a change [laughs]. So this was just me writing my itemized list for the universe to give me one!”
What was the writing process for “Red Flag” like?
Janet: “It was easy but it was long! Katie [Rae, producer], Jamie [Sellers, producer] and I only managed to write a verse, pre and chorus on the writing day. We cycled through so many ideas on the day before we landed on this one. But we ran out of time. In Australia I wrote the second verse and pre. Plus wrote a bunch of different ideas and melodies for the middle 8. When I came back I hopped in the studio with Jamie to lay it all down in a demo.”
How does “Red Flag” and your other pre-release singles lay the foundation for the album as a whole?
Janet: “I would say the songs I choose have done a good job so far at showing how varied the sound is on this album. The song ‘Emotional Rodeo’ is very different sonically from ‘Red Flag.’ The album is a melting pot of all my favorite styles of country.”
Which singer-songwriters in the country music industry and beyond inspire you the most?
Janet: “This is so tough because I've been listening to the genre my whole life. My early influences were Hal Ketchum, Alan Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Brooks and Dunn, etc. Not country but bluegrass, I would say the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? shaped me as an artist as well. My modern influences would be Chris Stapleton (though I originally discovered him through The Steel Drivers in around 2015), Jackson Dean, Brothers Osborne, Cory Marks, Dierks Bentley, Ashley McBryde etc.”
You were born and raised in Northern Ireland, which is quite far from Nashville. Where did your love for country music stem from?
Janet: “Country music is the biggest genre of music in Ireland. Unsurprisingly so, when you look at the history of Irish (and Scottish) folks immigrating to the South/the Appalachian mountain range. I even have a bunch of distant relatives on both sides that live not only in the South but in Nashville as well. With country being the genre everyone in my house agreed on, it meant it’s what I grew up listening to the most.”
How has your creative journey through the last decade or so prepared you for where you are today? What is one memory or piece of advice that still guides you?
Janet: “It’s been a learning curve for sure! Through playing around with genres and writing styles over the last 13 years I’ve learnt my strengths and weaknesses — sometimes the hard way [laughs]. I always go with what excites me. At the end of the day, I’m the one who has to talk about the tracks in interviews and in streams, etc. It also means if it doesn’t do as well as I’d hoped, it's fine because I love it. Something that sticks out to me is a phrase my managers use. ‘We’re making music, not saving lives.’ It’s so good at putting my feet back on the ground and zooming out of the current stress.”
How would you describe your forthcoming album Emotional Rodeo in three words?
Janet: “Giddy, stirring and honest.”
What do you hope listeners take away from not only “Red Flag” but the album as well?
Janet: “I hope they take what they need from it. If they need a dose of silly, goofy, fun, uptempo tracks, hopefully it’ll bring them that. If they need an aid in feeling their feelings, I hope the deeper tracks will help them access those.”