HOLD ON: IT'S TIME FOR DEVON GILFILLIAN
- By Alan Richard
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Devon Gilfillian is one of the most accomplished rock and soul artists in Nashville that many roots music listeners still may not know about. A self-described melting pot of music, the Philadelphia native is deeply inspired by the too often unheralded impact of Black music in Nashville and its influences on country and rock ‘n’ roll.
Gilfillian’s hero, Jimi Hendrix, expanded the genres – and Hendrix’s connections to Nashville aren’t lost on him.
The amiable, passionate Gilfillian released Time Will Tell, his third major-label album, largely recorded at historic RCA Studio A in Nashville, on June 26. The new album is inspired in part by the eclectic soundtracks of Quentin Tarantino’s movies, the oft-sampled David Axelrod music of the 1960s, the Shaft soundtrack by Isaac Hayes, and Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street.”
On “Hold On (Hourglass),” the project’s first single, Gilfillian sings over a galloping beat, spaghetti western guitar, and a choir about the passage of time and the uncertainty ahead.
“I like that kind of swaying, or that western sound that is coming from a kind of cinematic place,” Gilfillian said from his home in Nashville. “I wanted to mix that country-western sound into that cinematic kind of world.”
In that post-genre spirit, Gilfillian co-produced his new album with longtime drummer Jonathan Smalt. The duo had major-league assists from Neil H Pogue (Tyler, The Creator and OutKast, among others) who contributed to the mix, along with sound engineers Michael Harris and Reid Leslie.
Read my full interview with Gilfillian at the Bluegrass Situation, one of the best roots music publications online. I'm honored to be writing for them, as I have for No Depression and others in the roots-music journalism family.
Also check out my earlier piece on Gilfillian and his wonderful, ambitious remake of Marvin Gaye's classic album What's Going On.
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