By Eleanor Davies
With band The Streets seeming to have taken a break from the music business for a while, they had better watch their backs as there is a new, younger, fresher MC on the scene, and he’s about to take the music world by storm!
Hailed as Mike Skinner when he was at his best - although he modestly declines the resemblance - James Devlin from Dagenham is already receiving critical acclaim for his debut single, Brainwashed, and earlier this year made the BBC sound of 2010 list, which was topped by Ellie Goulding.
“It’s a really nice compliment,” he tells me. “And Lady Gaga won it last year so to get support from the BBC is really nice.”
But it’s not just the BBC who are supporting this rising star. After signing with Island records earlier this year, he appeared on the OneExtra stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Wales in June and supported Chase and Status on their recent tour.
“The Radio 1 Big Weekend was such a buzz, it was the first festival I’ve done and I saw Chris Moyles and Tim Westwood backstage,” says 21-year-old Devlin. “And touring with Chase and Status was amazing too, they’ve got such high energy and the crowd are crazy, they actually asked me to do it as well which was nice.”
Nice indeed, for an ordinary boy from Dagenham! And Essex is where it started for Devlin, who came to make a name for himself as a grime MC on the underground garage scene at a very young age.
“I started writing tracks when I was 13 and they started showing me love on pirate radio station and it just went from there, I don’t know where I get my inspiration from, I often ask myself that!” he laughs. “I just try to be street and in depth with my lyrics.”
Well he is certainly doing something right, and after supporting Chase and Status on tour and performing at Underage festival, he’s taking to the stage alongside Example, and all of this comes just before the release of his debut album.
“My album, Bud, Sweat and Beers, is out in the autumn and is me just doing what I do with better music and stepped up.
“I write all of my own lyrics and get inspiration from so many different people, such as, Bob Marley, Bruce Springstein and a lot of drum and bass.”
So things are just getting exciting for this budding star, but where would he like to be in 10 years time?
“Hopefully minted!” he jokes, before correcting himself. “Just to sell as many records as possible and be successful.”
Well he’s certainly going the right way about it!
For more information on Devlin, go to: www.myspace.com/officialdevlin.