The Sit Down with Janet Devlin
Born and raised in Gortin, County Tyrone, the musical journey of Janet Devlin took off after she secured fifth place on The X Factor in 2011 and now fifteen years later she has established herself as one of the most beloved country artists on this side of the Atlantic both on and off stage.
A regular at all of this country’s premier music festivals including appearances at C2C: Country to Country, BST Hyde Park, Country Calling and The Long Road festival where she returned this year to host the highly coveted Homegrown Talent Contest. With her latest single “Move A Muscle” being released last month and a new album looming on the horizon, Jamie spent some time with Janet between the rain showers and thunderstorms at The Long Road festival.
It’s good to see you.
“Lovely to see you too.”
It's a nice little change because last time I saw you, I was doing what I don't normally do and you were doing what you do, but this weekend it’s the opposite.
“Yeah, we’ve flipped over ha-ha.”
How was hosting for you today?
I don't know but what I do know is that the babysitter, you know, like the side stuff person that tells you when to go on, they left me ha-ha so I went up and introduced them way too early, but it's fine. I went back up and did it again. I was like, I don't know what I'm doing but it's fine, I got free tickets for us so it’s good.”
Anyway, you played here last year, so it's obviously a fun festival that you're very glad to be back at.
“Dude, when I went last year, I was like, one, I'd love to come back and play next year, but they don't always let you do two years in a row, that's fine but then I was like, I really just want to go as a punter because you don't really get to see that much of it if you're performing, so I just was like, can I get some tickets? They said yes if you host, so I was like, oh yeah, of course.”
So, you've been around for a couple of the other days as well.
“I came on Friday and then on Saturday, I just moved house so we're doing like twenty thousand steps a day lifting heaven furniture which is great. I woke up on Saturday, packed the car, did everything, put everything in the boot, you know, camping gear and everything, stopped off at LIDL to get some snacks and I got back in the car and was like, I can't do it. I'm actually so tired. I can't do it because I was running on four hours sleep with moving and the release campaign, so I just stayed at home and ordered a fat Chinese and it was lovely.”
What's the default Chinese order?
“I normally don't have Chinese food over here, but I found a really good one because I do love a salt and chilli chicken, so I just get a normal chicken curry with egg fried rice plus salt and chilli chips.”
A regular at all of this country’s premier music festivals including appearances at C2C: Country to Country, BST Hyde Park, Country Calling and The Long Road festival where she returned this year to host the highly coveted Homegrown Talent Contest. With her latest single “Move A Muscle” being released last month and a new album looming on the horizon, Jamie spent some time with Janet between the rain showers and thunderstorms at The Long Road festival.
It’s good to see you.
“Lovely to see you too.”
It's a nice little change because last time I saw you, I was doing what I don't normally do and you were doing what you do, but this weekend it’s the opposite.
“Yeah, we’ve flipped over ha-ha.”
How was hosting for you today?
I don't know but what I do know is that the babysitter, you know, like the side stuff person that tells you when to go on, they left me ha-ha so I went up and introduced them way too early, but it's fine. I went back up and did it again. I was like, I don't know what I'm doing but it's fine, I got free tickets for us so it’s good.”
Anyway, you played here last year, so it's obviously a fun festival that you're very glad to be back at.
“Dude, when I went last year, I was like, one, I'd love to come back and play next year, but they don't always let you do two years in a row, that's fine but then I was like, I really just want to go as a punter because you don't really get to see that much of it if you're performing, so I just was like, can I get some tickets? They said yes if you host, so I was like, oh yeah, of course.”
So, you've been around for a couple of the other days as well.
“I came on Friday and then on Saturday, I just moved house so we're doing like twenty thousand steps a day lifting heaven furniture which is great. I woke up on Saturday, packed the car, did everything, put everything in the boot, you know, camping gear and everything, stopped off at LIDL to get some snacks and I got back in the car and was like, I can't do it. I'm actually so tired. I can't do it because I was running on four hours sleep with moving and the release campaign, so I just stayed at home and ordered a fat Chinese and it was lovely.”
What's the default Chinese order?
“I normally don't have Chinese food over here, but I found a really good one because I do love a salt and chilli chicken, so I just get a normal chicken curry with egg fried rice plus salt and chilli chips.”
Where are we with new music? We had a song last month and we’ve had a couple of other new ones this year since the deluxe, so have we got more stuff in a can that's going to be coming?
“I dropped “Move A Muscle” about two weeks ago and the music video for that should be out right now, but I'm galivanting at a festival. Then I've got more singles coming out and the album's going to come out early next year, so probably like March time and up until then I'll be just releasing stuff and chuck a whole bunch of clips on the internet.”
But it's all done where it’s just a case of strategy and all of that kind of thing now.
“Yes, I think I have like two songs to finish, but the album should have been done and then I wrote these two songs, which are too good to not release, so I’ve just got to send them to mix and master.”
That's how it is, like the new song is the shiny one but it’s always just beat something out.
“Yeah, it does and I did twenty-three the last time I was in Nashville, then I went on holiday with my mum and took her to Nashville. where I recorded another six songs, so we have twenty-nine songs with this album and I don’t know what I’m doing ha-ha.”
Looking back to a couple of weeks back where it bizarrely was the first time we first met, how was Country Calling for you? What was your experience with everything? Obviously having an amazing backstage team there helps.
“Everyone in our tent was talking about how amazing you were because I feel like I actually got a welcome and it was really nice. I loved Country Calling, I went the year before as a punter, just potted about and had a good time, so it was really nice to go from punter to ending up on the main stage which was a very surreal feeling. I spent the whole day there, a bunch of us artists and influencer people all hopped on the bumper cars and beat the living daylights out of each other.”
Awh that’s cool that you got involved with all that as well?
“Honestly, being in the music industry, you don't make a lot of money, obviously, unless you make it really big, right? So, anytime it's like a free ticket for any festival, I'm going to go and make the most of it, I get there early, I’ll perform and I'll go have a nose.”
You’ve played plenty of festivals, you’ve obviously played here before and you're back again but the overall vibe in Chelmsford the other week, that felt really cool to you.
“It was and I like that festival a lot because it's busy, but you never feel like you're on top of people. You have your own space and as a neurodivergent person, I really like my own space.”
“I dropped “Move A Muscle” about two weeks ago and the music video for that should be out right now, but I'm galivanting at a festival. Then I've got more singles coming out and the album's going to come out early next year, so probably like March time and up until then I'll be just releasing stuff and chuck a whole bunch of clips on the internet.”
But it's all done where it’s just a case of strategy and all of that kind of thing now.
“Yes, I think I have like two songs to finish, but the album should have been done and then I wrote these two songs, which are too good to not release, so I’ve just got to send them to mix and master.”
That's how it is, like the new song is the shiny one but it’s always just beat something out.
“Yeah, it does and I did twenty-three the last time I was in Nashville, then I went on holiday with my mum and took her to Nashville. where I recorded another six songs, so we have twenty-nine songs with this album and I don’t know what I’m doing ha-ha.”
Looking back to a couple of weeks back where it bizarrely was the first time we first met, how was Country Calling for you? What was your experience with everything? Obviously having an amazing backstage team there helps.
“Everyone in our tent was talking about how amazing you were because I feel like I actually got a welcome and it was really nice. I loved Country Calling, I went the year before as a punter, just potted about and had a good time, so it was really nice to go from punter to ending up on the main stage which was a very surreal feeling. I spent the whole day there, a bunch of us artists and influencer people all hopped on the bumper cars and beat the living daylights out of each other.”
Awh that’s cool that you got involved with all that as well?
“Honestly, being in the music industry, you don't make a lot of money, obviously, unless you make it really big, right? So, anytime it's like a free ticket for any festival, I'm going to go and make the most of it, I get there early, I’ll perform and I'll go have a nose.”
You’ve played plenty of festivals, you’ve obviously played here before and you're back again but the overall vibe in Chelmsford the other week, that felt really cool to you.
“It was and I like that festival a lot because it's busy, but you never feel like you're on top of people. You have your own space and as a neurodivergent person, I really like my own space.”
Any more shows or tour plans for the rest of the year, or is it just case of getting the house sorted?
“I would love to go on tour, but it's too expensive right now. It's just impossible because you're relying on the general public having money, you know, disposable income and they don't have that, so if you're going on tour, you're not going to really guarantee that people can afford to go. That's just the way it is and I have a few solutions for that, which I'm going to pursue, which could be fun, so keep your eyes peeled, but I probably will do a London show or something before the end of the year.”
Oh, nice, that's always good when you live in London as well.
“People can fly in, when I do gigs in London, you get people from all over Europe and even America coming in. It’s a solid base, whereas if I did it in my home town, it wouldn't really make much sense, would it? Not only to fly to Ireland but to get to the middle of nowhere.”
Awesome and you're gonna stick around for the rest of the day?
“I am, indeed. My bass player is playing later with another band, so I'm gonna go watch Sam do his thing because I never get to see it. I'm always there and I can't see it, so that's gonna be fun.”
Awesome, well thanks for the hang.
“No, thank you, appreciate you taking the time.”
The new single “Move A Muscle” from Janet Devlin is out now and available HERE. To keep up to date with all that Janet is up to you can find more details on her WEBSITE or following along with her socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK or FACEBOOK.
The Long Road Festival will return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire in 2027 between Thursday 26th and Sunday 29th August, with early bird tickets on sale now. You can find ticket details and further information on their WEBSITE and you can be the first to know all updates ahead of next year’s event as well as looking back on this years by checking out their socials on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.
“I would love to go on tour, but it's too expensive right now. It's just impossible because you're relying on the general public having money, you know, disposable income and they don't have that, so if you're going on tour, you're not going to really guarantee that people can afford to go. That's just the way it is and I have a few solutions for that, which I'm going to pursue, which could be fun, so keep your eyes peeled, but I probably will do a London show or something before the end of the year.”
Oh, nice, that's always good when you live in London as well.
“People can fly in, when I do gigs in London, you get people from all over Europe and even America coming in. It’s a solid base, whereas if I did it in my home town, it wouldn't really make much sense, would it? Not only to fly to Ireland but to get to the middle of nowhere.”
Awesome and you're gonna stick around for the rest of the day?
“I am, indeed. My bass player is playing later with another band, so I'm gonna go watch Sam do his thing because I never get to see it. I'm always there and I can't see it, so that's gonna be fun.”
Awesome, well thanks for the hang.
“No, thank you, appreciate you taking the time.”
The new single “Move A Muscle” from Janet Devlin is out now and available HERE. To keep up to date with all that Janet is up to you can find more details on her WEBSITE or following along with her socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK or FACEBOOK.
The Long Road Festival will return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire in 2027 between Thursday 26th and Sunday 29th August, with early bird tickets on sale now. You can find ticket details and further information on their WEBSITE and you can be the first to know all updates ahead of next year’s event as well as looking back on this years by checking out their socials on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.