Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Devin Kowl

Singer-songwriter Devin Kowl fully believes everyone should step outside of their comfort zone. It’s how the talented up-and-comer discovered his innate ability to put pen to paper and craft words that have resonated with listeners around the world. We caught up with Devin to learn more about him, his journey in music, and his latest single, “You.”

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Devin: I actually started in sixth grade. I grew up in Maryland. I had a music teacher who heard me singing during choir one day and she decided that she was going to make me sing lead for one of the songs at our sixth grade graduation, unbeknownst to me. [laughs] So I started rehearsing with her. That’s where I got a little taste of what it was like to be on a stage and sing in front of people. I saw how it made people feel. I loved the attention and I got to do something that I liked. It took off from there.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career, either personally or professionally?
Devin: Personally, I would say my mom, just watching her perseverance and tenacity. She’s taught me to fight that much harder for what I want, especially with my music. In this industry, you hear no about ninety percent of the time. You hear no more than you hear yes. My mom has been an entrepreneur for twenty-plus years. So as a kid, I got to watch her fight for and get everything she needs to get done.

Professionally, I’ve had some really big aha moments. The record that came out actually is one of the first records that I wrote completely by myself. I had a friend when I started the process of me working on this new material that I’m in the process of putting out. We were supposed to write all of my records together. She decided that she did not want to do music anymore. When that happened, I was at a standstill because I had never written records completely by myself. I was very nervous about it, even though I had had several people tell me that I was a good songwriter: “You can stick with it. You need to try it.” I was forced into writing my own records, which was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.

Throughout that process, I figured out that I was a pretty damn good songwriter. I think that’s probably one of the most recent and biggest aha moments of realizing how talented you really are when you take a chance and step outside of your comfort zone. The best things come when you step outside your comfort zone. That’s exactly what I did. I discovered a whole new talent that I’m actually really great at and I enjoy.

PC: You’ve been performing since sixth grade. What’s been the biggest lesson that you’ve learned on your journey thus far?
Devin: Trust your gut, always. It’ll never steer you wrong. Follow that and stay with it. Take your time. It’s an uphill journey. It never gets easier; we just get stronger. We learn how to deal with things. You navigate and figure out how to move forward with things and not letting things discourage you.

Lastly, take your time. Enjoy the process. I just turned twenty-five. I’ve been doing music since I was fifteen. I put out my first EP. As much as I wish I was a lot further along and I wish that certain things had happened already, I’m excited that I don’t feel like ten years have flown by. I feel like I really got to take my time and experience each and every one of those milestones that happened, whether good or bad. I’ve taken my time and enjoyed each step on that journey.

PC: You’re also an artist who loves to give back, and you’ve used your platform for social good. When did you discover your passion for philanthropy? When did you realize that you wanted to pair that with your other passion, music?
Devin: I was taught that as a kid. I was raised that way. Even now, my mom, my brother, and I own a consulting firm where we help people start nonprofits. We own our own nonprofit as a family as well that gives back to our community. My philanthropy started at a very, very young age. I started at the age of eight or nine when we started doing clothing drives every year and Thanksgiving baskets, Christmas giveaways, and toy drives. That was all stuff that I watched my mom put together and plan. I can’t remember a time when that wasn’t part of my life.

PC: Tell us about “You” and the inspiration behind the song.
Devin: I’ve wanted to create a really fun record. I wanted something lighthearted and a feel-good fun record to vibe to. I was hanging out with a friend of mine, Lorine Chia, and we had a couple of drinks and started writing. Before we knew it, we had written a whole record about going out, having the time of your life, and not worrying about tomorrow. It’s about being in that moment with your friends.

PC: As we look ahead to the rest of 2020, what does the year hold for you?
Devin: It’s open ended. It’s been a crazy year with everything going on. It’s been a very eye-opening year. It’s made a lot of us reassess, reevaluate, and really understand who we are as a person.

I think that what you do forward depends on how and what you want to do. Just because the year started this way doesn’t mean it has to end this way. You have the power to change the narrative at any time you want in your entire life. You have the power to do that because you wake up and say you’re going to change it. It’s not over. I’m also going to put out another record by the time the year is out.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Devin: Rascal Flatts

PC: First concert you attended?
Devin: Jennifer Hudson

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Devin: That’s a good one. The Hill by Travis Greene. That album changed my life because the songs on the record got me through a really tough era in my life. Before I got back into music and before I became a full-time entrepreneur, I was at a really rough state. But that record got me through a lot of twelve-hour overnight shifts. It changed my trajectory, honestly.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Devin: The O2 Arena in London.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Devin: Oh, I’m so basic. Wheat Thins, cranberry juice, and water. It’s so simple.

To keep up with Devin, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up or stream “You” today.