Growing up in Essex, England, Dev Hynes felt like an outsider. He played soccer, but also cello. He liked hip-hop, but also Bach. He didn’t quite fit in and he got bullied a lot.
But now, as a singer-songwriter and producer, Hynes has transformed that sense of otherness into some of the most acclaimed and interesting music of the last decade. Under his musical moniker Blood Orange, he’s released five studio albums, including his latest, Essex Honey, which explores his grief over the loss of his mother and what it was like going back home.
“I couldn’t help but be a bit more reflective and looking back at growing up, and honestly, looking at music in general,” he tells Q‘s Tom Power in an interview. “As much as the album is walking through grief and family and the town that one is from, a large portion of it is also this love letter to listening to music.”
WATCH | Full interview with Dev Hynes:
For Hynes, being a fan of music is as central to his artistry as being an outsider. He’s produced for and collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the world, including Solange, Lorde, Kylie Minogue, FKA Twigs, Sky Ferreira, Mustafa, Daniel Caesar and Caroline Polachek.
What he and his collaborators all have in common, according to him, is that they’re all fans of music as well as creators of music.
“They’re all very, very, very big fans of things,” Hynes says. “Beyond music, I think it’s people that are just genuinely fans. And I think that, to me, that leads to incredible conversation, incredible friendships and incredible creative experiences.”
WATCH | Official video for The Field:
The full interview with Dev Hynes is available on our YouTube channel and on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Dev Hynes produced by Vanessa Nigro.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.cbc.ca ’
