Devon O’Connor (W '17) is cooler than you could ever hope to be. And it’s not just because she knows how to breakdance. When she's not studying in Huntsman, Devon drops her last name and becomes singer–songwriter Devon. She recently released her debut album "Love and Haight" and spent last summer touring across the country with The Nearly Deads and Rivers Monroe
Street: First, we have to ask the obvious question – what’s it like being an artist in Wharton?
Devon O'Connor: It always catches people off guard. When my friends realize I’m in Wharton, they’re always very confused. Being an artist in Wharton is actually awesome, because when you tell professors what you’re doing, they’re really eager to help you tailor your education towards what you actually want to be doing in life. They’re actually excited that you’re not doing the normal Wharton path. Right now, I’m in the process of trying to make my own individualized concentration with a focus in music business. It’s awesome.
Street: How has your Wharton background helped you so far in your music career?
DO: When I meet with my record label, they’re really excited about the fact that I’m a business student. They’re a lot more willing to work with me. They don’t just see me as the artist. They see me as a partner.
Street: How did you start FLAM (For Lyricists And Musicians)?
DO: When I came to Penn, I wanted to join the song–writing club, so I asked Jessica [Lowenthal] at the Kelly Writers House how I could join and she said that there wasn’t one, but that I could start one. So that’s how I got paired up with her and she was super helpful with helping me start FLAM. I love that I get to meet all of Penn’s musicians. There are a lot of us here on campus, but we are each under the assumption that there are no other Penn musicians. So we all perform secretly with our friends, but we never realize that there are more of us. We have our first recording session in the new Wexler Studio at the Kelly Writers House in a few weeks.
Street: How did you decide to start performing and writing your own music?
DO: I’ve been singing, songwriting and playing guitar and piano all my life. Somewhere in high school, I hit a point where I realized that music is a career and I can do that if I want...I realized that I love music too much to not do it full-time.
Street: What was it like going from being a student at Penn to being on a tour over the summer?
DO: Well, the other people on the tour didn’t know what to think of me. I was coming on by myself, living on the bus with one of the other bands and all they knew was that there’s this little Penn girl coming on the tour with her acoustic guitar. The reason I got on the tour was because I agreed to sell merch for them and they let me be the opening act. It was weird at first because they were like, 'We want to do music full-time with our lives,' but they didn’t realize that’s also what I want and that I’m going to Penn to help [myself] with that. But we ended up getting along really well after that.
Street: What was the process of recording your album?
DO: I have a studio set up in my basement, so I recorded all of the acoustic guitar there. I even cut vocals there. I wrote and produced all my songs, and then I took it to MorningStar studios, where I worked with Glenn Barratt, six-time Grammy-nominated engineer and mixer. Jef Lee Johnson played bass and lead guitar on all my songs. He’s crazy talented. He passed away shortly after recording my album, actually. And I play one of his guitars live now. He’s amazing.
Street: If your music were a location at Penn, where would it be?
DO: It would probably be that field that no one knows what it’s called. It’s on 40th, like right across from Qdoba, with the weird benches. The weird benches represent the gospel choir… You know, just this white girl at Wharton producing this funk, alternative, soul record. It’s a field, a free-spirit, just running around, chilling.
