Reva Devito @ Mississippi Studios | Interview w/ Northwest Soul Singer

By Nathalie Weinstein
Take a good look at (and listen to) Reva Devito, because Portland’s experiemental soul darling may be leaving soon for record deals in sunnier Los Angeles. The Northwest native started out playing guitar around campfires in the foothills of Southern Washington. With the release of her new album, Cloudshine, with hip-hop DJ Roane Namuh (pronounced naw-moo), Devito is poised become the next big thing in music, even if it means leaving the home she loves.

“Coming from Portland, its great here but not the best market for soul and boogie and the music I would like to make,” said Devito. “If you want to succeed you have to remove yourself from the safety net.”

Devito spoke to PDX Pipeline recently about her new record, favorite PDX spots and why soul is the hottest trend in music. She performs and drops her new album this Wednesday, May 9 at 8 p.m. at Mississippi Studios.

———————-

PDX Pipeline: How would you describe your sound?

Reva Devito:  I like to be experimental as long as the backbone has some soul to it. I like a nice heavy beat with some pretty sounds somewhere in there.

PDX: There seems to be a lot of younger artists pursuing soul music currently. Why do you think there has been such a resurgence?

RD: Its good music and it speaks to the heart. It picks you up in hard times and we've been having some hard times. People are losing their  jobs. It feels good to listen to music you can identify with. Also it's a trend and you know how trends go.

PDX: What artists have you been listening to the most lately?

RD: I love Little Dragon, Quadron, and Electric Wire Hustle. I’m a big fan of the Foreign Exchange. I like some Jazzanova on a sunny Sunday.

PDX: What's your new album going to be like?

RD: The first record I did, I was anxious to put some music out there and I wanted it to be able to speak to several demographics. I ended up making a collection of indie pop and R&B music that’s kind of a generic brand of indie-pop-soul. Cloudshine is more music I personally love to listen to, like future beat, boogie, and jazz. When I heard (Roane Namuh), I wanted to make music with him, and nine months later, here we are.

PDX: What are some of your favorite spots in Portland?

RD: If I'm going out for drinks with friends, I like Moloko in North Portland, and for snacks, Tasty and Sons. I like Screen Door for brunch. For happy hour, I like E-San Thai. For music venues, my top favorites are Doug Fir, Mississippi Studios and Someday Lounge. I've played all three.

———————————

Reva Devito & Roane Namuh ‘Cloudshine’ Release Party w/ TXE, DJ Kez
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
8 p.m. | $5 | 21+

Mississippi Studios
3939 North Mississippi Avenue Portland, OR 97227
(503) 288-3895
More Info: www.mississippistudios.com