devlinpierce

There may be no two things in life Devlin Pierce loves more than music and a long road trip, and through the years his devotion to music has led him on the longest, most meandering road trip imaginable. From the crisp colors of the Carolinas to the burnt-sienna landscape of Mexico, from Boston's brimming songwriter scene to the nascent one in Springfield, Missouri, Pierce has always let music be his compass, writing his next song about where it lands him. Pierce first picked up guitar at ag...

There may be no two things in life Devlin Pierce loves more than music and a long road trip, and through the years his devotion to music has led him on the longest, most meandering road trip imaginable. From the crisp colors of the Carolinas to the burnt-sienna landscape of Mexico, from Boston's brimming songwriter scene to the nascent one in Springfield, Missouri, Pierce has always let music be his compass, writing his next song about where it lands him. Pierce first picked up guitar at age 13, teaching himself to play writing his own songs from the beginning. He found a place to perform for an audience in his family church in Charlotte, North Carolina. His formative years saw music and church intertwine even more in his life, taking him on missionary trips through South America and Russia and to Texas for a one-year internship. His time away had a profound effect on his songwriting, altering his worldview and exposing him to new sounds. Pierce returned to Charlotte in 2001 a different man; praise music was no longer his calling, and when he met Julius Yoder of The Stiltskins he co-founded the band Izzy Star and embraced rock 'n' roll. Pierce’s time with Izzy Star saw him pack area clubs and draw major-label attention, but the band imploded in 2003, leaving him to seek the next road to travel down. It turned out to be one leading to Boston; he went to the city for a wedding and came back with the keys to an apartment. With an apartment full of musicians, baby grand piano in the living room, an organ in one bedroom and three Berklee students as roommates, it was in Boston where Pierce blossomed as a songwriter. He entrenched himself in the city's songwriter scene, playing open mic nights, rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Click5, Rachel Loy, Nate Campany, Sondre Lerche, and Dave Bazan, as well as collaborating with Mister Sister's Amelia Emmet, Winter Took His Life's Susanna Brandin, and Cedarwell's Eric Neave. Marriage took him down the highways of the Midwest, first to St. Louis and later Springfield, alternately breaking his heart and mending it along the way. His music tells the stories of every stop--the hurt, the confusion and the hope that a good song or a fresh start can provide. There is always another trip ahead for Devlin Pierce, and you and he can rest assured it will be music that leads him there... and that he'll be back to tell you about what he finds.