Devon Williams



If you haven't listened to anything Devon Williams has been associated with, then your ears are very deprived. Not that my opinion is of much value, but to me, Devon is definitley one of the greatest song-writers of recent memory. His words and vocals are mesmerizing.

If you know him for anything, then it's probably for the late and great, Osker. There is something about that band that i cnanot put to words. Before breaking up in early, 2002, Osker released two records, Treatment 5 in 2000, and Idle Will Kill in 2001. I don't want to ramble about perosnal stories, but Idle Will Kill is seriously a record that I hold close to my heart. I'd definitely put it on my imaginary list of top ten favorites.

Fans were left dazed and confused when the band suddenly called it quits. I remember asking myself, "What's next?" Lung Fa Tang is the answer to that question.

After some time out of the spotlight, Devon has returned with a new band, which is obviously titled Lung Fa Tang. Devon has also been playing guitar off and on in Roscoe, a hardcore band featuring former members of Osker. Roscoe is definitely an interesting project, but Lung Fa Tang is Devon. After only hearing a song, I can honestly say, this is Devon at his best.

So, here we are months later, and I was able to ask Devon a few questions via email about the new band. Don't even bother comparing Lung Fa Tang to Osker. The two bands are in a completely separate world. However, the song-writing is still extremely personal (even if Devon wishes it wasn't), in the same vein that Osker was.

I felt so thrilled to hear back from Devon when I asked him to do this interview. It's not everyday you get to ask random questoins to one of your favorite musicians. I kinda felt like a nerd though. It was almost as if I was one of those annoying kids at a show dying to ask, "Can I have your autograph?" Anyway, a big thanks to Devon. I'm tired of typing, let's get to the interview...

Huey: Ok, so the new band is Lung Fa Tang. You have a site up at http://www.lungfatang.com and there is an mp3 available for download. I downloaded the song (Testament), and I really enjoyed it. I was wondering, will all of the band's songs be acoustic?

Devon: I don't really know what all thesongs will be like, but as of now I really enjoy playing my acoustic guitar and how they sound. It's a richer texture.

Huey: Would you describe Lung Fa Tang as a solo project? Who's playing drums?

Devon: I don't really like hte idea of a solo "project." I want ot be in a band, but it's hard to meet people that you "gel" with. That's also a plus about the songs being acoustic is that I don't have to wait for anyone, I can go do shows by myself.

Huey: I read that there is supposed to be a compilatoin on Bankshot Records coming out, with a Lung Fa Tang song on it. Do you know the status on that release, as in, when it will come out?

Devon: Bankshot Records is supposed to put the comp out in October. Our sing will be "prove me wrong." Their website will have updates on it, I'm sure.

Huey: In general, what are your favorite bands and musical influences?

Devon: Influences? Favorite bands? I dunno. Maybe that's a little personal, or maybe I'm just being dumb, but I think it's irrelevant. Interesting music: Storm And Stress, Arab On Radar, Talking Heads. Completely different, however from what I'm doing.

Huey: Is "Testament" the only song recorded so far, or are there more? When can we expect a release of a demo or something along the lines of that?

Devon: Testament is not the only song recorded. I have a bunch of demos. We will be releasing a CDEP maybe in September (hopefully) with 5 songs on it.

Huey: If you haven't been signed yet, have you approached any labels, or do you have any idea of how big of a label you would want ot sign to?

Devon: The cool thing about Epitaph was that it was huge. It has the credibility (to some people) as an indie, with a lot of the pull of a major. I don't think they are all too interested in what I'm doing. Maybe it's for the best. Right now I need to work on getting my shit together.

Huey: How would you describe yourself one year ago, and how would you describe yourself today?

Devon: A year ago, I was in San Francisco waiting to go on tour. Osker was kind of a cloud hanging over my head of something that I wasn't completely happy with. On the other hand it was a vehicle that a lot of people believed in that allowed my really good friends (Dave, Matt and Ryan) the opportunity to do shit we couldn't other wise have been able to do. Today, I'm excited about having complete control over the musical output. I want to do all the band things, but on the other hand I need to not have an ulcer about it.

Huey: The thing that has always hit me hardest about oyur music is your wriitng. Your song-writing is incredible, and has definitely inspired my own writing. Is your writing autobiographical in a way? Also, I kind of feel that writing is a form of self-therapy, would you agree with that?

Devon: I resent that my writing is so pe rosnal. I realy don't have the ability to be vague I guess. I'm stuck at a place where I don't want other people to know how I'm feeling, and even more importantly I'm not that important in the larger picture. My mom used to say that music was self-therapy, but I wouldn't know cuz I've never not played guitar.

Huey: What exactly does Lung Fa Tang mean?

Devon: The main point of Lung Fa Tang is that people need to educate themselves and make their own opinions rather than compromising themselves by using pre-existing terms. Anyway, Lung Fa Tang is a place that I thought was interesting.

Huey: What are your hopes and expectations for Lung Fa Tang?

Devon: I just hope that this band will be successful so I don't have to hate my life for the rest of my life.

Special thanks to Aggravated Music for the picture.