Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Teghan Devon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Teghan, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My EP, “Little Lion”, is without a doubt the most meaningful, most personal, project I’ve ever worked on, and it was one of the hardest to finish.

When I was 5 years old, I told my parents whenever we adopted a dog, I was going to name him Sarge. 2 years later, when we were looking at puppies, a tiny yellow lab peed on me. I decided he had picked me and we were meant to be together. I was right.

Sarge (along with his soon-to-be furry brother, Petey, who sadly passed away in 2021), was my best friend for 13 years. After a long battle with arthritis, we said goodbye to him in November of 2018. I wrote the “Little Lion” EP, about dealing with the grief of losing him. I love and miss my big pup with all my heart.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a songwriter and acoustic/folk pop artist based in the DMV area. I have been writing songs since I was 10 years old. I loved singing, but when I started having guitar lessons, I found it really boring, so I wrote songs to make learning more fun. I fell in love with it and have never been able to see myself doing anything else. My senior year of high school, I transferred to Interlochen Arts Academy and graduated from their Songwriting program. I started off college at McNally Smith College of Music, in Saint Paul, MN. When it suddenly shut down in 2017, I transferred to Berklee College of Music. I graduated in 2021 with a Professional Music Degree, with a Songwriting Concentration.

I always say that The Beatles started me off, but as I got older I was inspired by the brilliance of Taylor Swift. My style is heavily influenced by her and Phoebe Bridgers. I love raw, honest, and personal, (and often sad) songs. For the past 6 years, I have been heavily involved in the singer-songwriter/folk world. I was a New Folk Finalist in the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2017 and 2018, and my song “Our Garden” won gold in the Folk-Acoustic category and Grand Prize in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest in 2022. However, this year, I did something completely different.

I just graduated from Lillehammer Institute of Music Production and Industries (LIMPI), as a songwriter. LIMPI is a 9 month contemporary music industry intensive, based in Lillehammer, Norway. I have spent the last 9 months in constant sessions in the studio, writing not only acoustic songs, but also pop, dancehall, rock, and drum and bass.

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved thinking and writing outside the box. I will write about anything. I especially enjoy writing about characters from movies and books. Whether I’m writing on guitar or piano, I love being creative with my chord choices. I believe that we are never done learning, and through my experience at LIMPI, I have learned and grown so much. This was my first time in Europe, and I got to see so many amazing things. I love being a (respectful) tourist, and I apply that mindset when it comes to composing and collaboration.

I spent the majority of the year writing with, and for, other artists, but I did have a few opportunities to write for myself. I’m so excited about the singles I have up my sleeve, and I hope to start releasing more music late summer/early fall.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My college journey started at a small contemporary music school in Saint Paul, MN, called McNally Smith College of Music. I loved this school so much. My teachers were intelligent and passionate and made me love learning about music. The students were so talented and supportive. It wasn’t perfect, but we were a family. I used to perform all the time with a band made up of some of my closest friends.

In December of 2017, right before Christmas break, we got an email telling us that the school was shutting down because it was going bankrupt. This was devastating. We all had about a week to get out of the dorms, the teachers were suddenly unemployed, and the international students had to go back to their home countries. It was one of the hardest things I have ever been through.

I had attended McNally for a year and a half. I had taken multiple songwriting classes from incredible professors and had a lot of songs ready to be released. After losing McNally, it was really hard to stay motivated and inspired. However, I stayed positive, and took the semester I would have been in school to record my debut album, “Fingers Crossed”. This album means so much to me, not only because it is my first, but because I got to make it with my friends. Most of the musicians backing me up (including my mentor and main producer, Jeff Harrington), were from McNally.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that I get to genuinely connect with people. Whether I’m writing a sad song about dealing with grief or a sweet song about falling in love, I have the power to make people feel like they’re not alone. Originally, I wrote my song “Our Garden”, to cheer up a friend of mine and tell her not to settle for less than she deserves. Years later, I realized that this message is universal and that it might help people.   

Contact Info:

• Website: teghandevonmusic.com
• Instagram: @teghandevon
• Facebook: Facebook.com/teghandevonmusic
• TikTok: @teghandevonmusic

Image Credits
queen.sleepyhead Alice Frishkorn