DEVAURA’s brand new (so far) unreleased single ‘Clintons’ opens with police sirens, heavy bass and her signature hard-hitting flow. Her charisma practically oozing off the track, the Eora/Sydney rapper, singer, and songwriter’s vocals switch up from breathy and seductive to a commanding growl in a second. She truly makes it look easy.
Speaking with the Up For It crew as FBi’s Independent Artist of the Week, DEVAURA demonstrates the same effortless humour and insight off the cuff, talking everything from her experience in the Eora/Sydney music scene to her plans to break into Michael Jackson’s unreleased song vault.
“I feel like a new kid at school… I feel like a little new girl that just came through and everybody’s just like ‘Do you know where your classes are? Let me show you how to open a locker’…Everyone’s been so encouraging and very vocal on what they’d like to see from me.”
Born in Aeoteroa/New Zealand, now based in Eora/Sydney, DEVAURA has been using music as a lifeline, whether building community or continuing her practice as an artist and storyteller.
“I found myself really isolated and needing to build my own version of family. Music just happened to arrive in my life as a tool to be able to communicate the things that I was going through. It also allowed me to meet the most beautiful people and that’s become my family now.”
Since first stepping onto the scene mid-last year with the lush and melodic ‘Deeper Waters’, DEVAURA continues to show us new sides to her artistry including a memorable verse on Yawdoesitall’s ‘DOOFENSHMIRTZ,’ as well as her latest dark and villain-y banger ‘KETAMINE’. With an ever-expanding array of tools on her belt, DEVAURA promises to continue surprising anyone who shows up to listen.
“If somebody’s paying to see you, whether that’s with their time or their money or attention to see you – it is a privilege to make art. Nobody has to listen to what you have to say, it’s a privilege to be able to have the capacity and the funds to make music. It’s your responsibility to present said art in a way that is engaging and make it worth people’s while.”
Words by Louisa Christie