DE’WAYNE uses his unique blend of rock ‘n’ roll, funk, R&B, alternative music, and enigmatic personality to win over listeners and bring new audiences to rock ‘n’ roll. Hailing from Texas, he moved out to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams and never looked back. The singer hopped on the phone to talk to NYOTA about transitioning from hip-hop to rock, writing songs from the heart, and his upcoming album, “june.”
Growing up in Texas, what was the creative environment like there? Were you surrounded by a lot of music and art, or did it take time to discover that passion?
As I’ve been reflecting a lot, I think part of my childhood was musical because of the church background I came up in. So as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how much of an inspiration, a drive, and a big impact it made on me watching pastors get the crowd excited and the choirs sing these beautiful melodies and words. Music wasn’t all around. I discovered it more when I got a little older and was in high school, but it kind of started in the church for me.
You moved to Los Angeles to pursue your music career, which surely had its ups and downs as you had to work to support yourself while pursuing your dreams. In those early days, what did you learn about yourself, and did you have a glamorized idea of what life would be like when you first landed in California?
For sure. I don’t want to say it was glamorized, but it was like, ‘Well, it’s gonna take me six months, and then I’m gonna get signed and get my start.’ Especially coming from where I come from. LA is still so beautiful and amazing, but I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But I understood even at 19, 20 that I would be okay if I put myself out there. But it was pain, it was hell, it was so much struggle. I grew up in a pretty decent family, and I am learning that we had times when we didn’t have money, but my mom never let us know that; we always had food. When I got to LA, I survived for five or six years off of 20 dollars a week on cereal, ramen, and snacks, and it really helped me get to where I am now because now, being in the industry, none of this stuff is as hard as that, you know? There’s nothing I can’t get over now that I haven’t already gotten over, just living life and experiencing the human condition of trying to be an artist, and I’m extremely grateful for it.
In 2021, with “Perfume,” you transitioned from hip-hop and rap to rock music. Were you nervous about making a genre switch, or did it feel natural as you evolved as an artist?
It felt like the next logical thing for me. Growing up in Houston, my dad showed me hip-hop, and I grew up with gospel and R&B music. When I got to LA, I heard David Bowie, Arcade Fire, and Iggy Pop for the first time. The energy of the music and their voices felt like I was discovering my music and my voice, how they would make these beautiful, poetic lyrics with decent voices. I always knew I could sing, but I was like, I don’t have the most beautiful voice, but you’ll believe every word that I’m saying, so it felt like a natural progression for me to step into rock music because it was the first music that felt like mine. But going to this era that I’m in now feels complete, and it feels like something is coming from my bones and heart. In the past, in the first couple of records, I was still doing what my friends were doing and doing what I thought would be cool, and I didn’t know what I was doing. That’s why I’m so happy I got to develop and learn; what does DE’WAYNE like? I’m so happy to be in this new era and showing these kids that I can make vulnerable, beautiful rock ‘n’ roll and have it be funky, and inspired by Black rock ‘n’ roll artists, mixed with some of the beautiful, white rock ‘n’ roll artists who I love, like Bruce Springsteen and Brandon Flowers. Like, top five white guys for me. Blending some of that feels so real and raw to me, and it’s just right, you know?
As you’ve found your sound in the indie-rock/alternative space, you’ve taken on a very unique visual identity. That can be seen through your clothing, single art, and music videos. How did you settle on your aesthetic as an artist?
By being a student and exploring. That’s the thing about LA, too. I’ve tried everything here, and I’m so proud of that. From clothes to music to the people I’m hanging out with to what I’m reading to watching, I’m always studying. Over the last two years, I noticed that I like to wear blouses, sparkly clothes, flares, six-inch heels, makeup, and no clothes and all those things. Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Sly and the Family Stone, and Jimmy Hendrix – seeing these beautiful Black people dressed however they wanted to dress was inspiring for me, and that was really it. It felt like the right thing to me, and even in my day-to-day life, I love feeling beautiful and gorgeous, and when I’m in these clothes I’m wearing now, that’s what I feel. So it’s more natural. Sometimes I’m just like, yeah, a crop top with some flares, a little skirt, whatever. I want to feel beautiful, so that’s my main inspiration.
With “Highway Robbery,” you entered a new chapter as a musician and got an overwhelmingly positive response. For this next chapter, which musicians or artists are you looking to for inspiration?
Oh, man. I’ve been on a steady train of Earth, Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, Lenny, Prince, and Marvin Gaye. I went to school for the past two years, and we really tried to crank out some beautiful, soulful rock songs with this anthemic and iconic sound. It’s something that’s really important to me. With the new music that’s out now, everything gets so quick and fast, and I want to be an artist who will be here for a long time and have that longevity. So this music was really important for me to put my stamp on. When I’m listening to artists, I want to see icons and heroes, so I’m really trying to present what I love and everything that I love about music. So those were my big inspirations for that. I got a call from Lenny Kravitz, too, telling me that he was a big fan and wanted to do some stuff in the future, and that was letting me know that I was right where I needed to be. And he was just like, ‘Be iconic, man. I’m tired of seeing all this bullshit.’ And I’m like, ‘Fuck, yeah, me too.’ I want icons and heroes because music is so powerful, and we can give people something to be inspired by.
Your single “biological” is such a fun song about love and finding your person. I love the lines “If love calls / Then I’ll testify.” Are you often pulling inspiration from events in your own life when writing songs?
I’m such a personal artist. I find it fascinating how some artists can write other people’s stories. I think it’s really cool, but for me, all these lyrics are coming straight from my heart. From stories that I’ve been experiencing, living life, and discovering who I am. So it’s all very personal, and I love that lyric too, ‘If love calls / Then I’ll testify.’ It just shows exactly who I am.
In July, you’re set to release your full-length album, june. Tell our readers a bit about what inspired the title and what listeners can expect from this new record.
They can expect some beautiful, vulnerable, amazing songs. When I started this world, I dove into doing some plant medicine work, so if you’ve heard of ayahuasca, peyote, or huachuma. I’ve never done therapy, but it’s a form of therapy, and I got really close with this character in my mind, and I decided to name her June, and she’s kind of at the forefront of this record. Not even kind of, she’s at the forefront of this record and a person in my life that I’m constantly trying to impress and love and show them that I am the one for them. But I really got inspired by this divine feminine energy that I kept seeing throughout my work with the medicine. But as far as the music goes, it’s some iconic songs, really. It’s the start of a whole new chapter of what rock ‘n’ roll will look like for the next 10 years with this music. It’s a really strong start to the new DE’WAYNE.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
I would tell them to study and be consistent with it. Be consistent in that it will take a while, but if you love it, you’ll find your voice and be okay. My real advice is never stop. Never stop because we hear about our favorite artists right before they are about to stop, that next album or that next year everything changes for them, and the only time it doesn’t happen is when artists stop. So I would tell the new artists and the new people coming up, just don’t stop, just believe in yourself and seem delusional and a fool, make people think you’re crazy because you’re so about it and so about the work. Once you break through, they’ll love you, so just don’t stop.
This story first ran in NYOTA’s Art is Life Issue. Read more from the Issue here and purchase a print copy here
