Devon Sproule

Devon Sproule
Hockhocking Festival, Nelsonville, Ohio May 19, 2007 Image by Jonas Hart
Background information
Birth name	Devon Sproule
Born	23rd April 1982
Origin	Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Folk, Blues
Occupations	Vocalist, Guitarist, Musician
Instruments	guitar, vocals
Years active	2000 - present
Labels	Waterbug Records
Associated acts	Paul Curreri, Matt Curreri, Carsie Blanton
Notable instruments
1954 Gibson ES-125

Devon Sproule (born 23 April 1982, in Kingston, Ontario) is a musician based for many years in Charlottesville, Virginia. She married musician and singer-songwriter Paul Curreri in 2005. She shared the prestigious ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award for 2009 with Oren Lavie.^[1] She and her husband moved to Berlin, Germany in September of 2011.^[2]

History

Born to hippie parents on a commune named Dandelion in Kingston, Ontario, Sproule claims dual citizenship with both Canada and the United States. She spent her childhood on the 465-acre (1.88 km²), 100-member Twin Oaks Community^[3] founded in 1967 as an intentional community and ecovillage in Louisa County, Virginia. Asked about how the experience has affected her musical career, she said:

". . growing up with 80+ adults (many of whom I was very close to and spent lots of one-on-one time with) creates a need for versatile communication. That's what I see in people who have lived at Twin Oaks -- a desire to communicate and a willingness to do it not only on their own terms, or in their own personal language, but in whatever manner will get the job done . . growing up in an income-free environment, the lack of money never bothers me much . . So yes, on the whole, I'm proud of my alternative upbringing."^[4]

After moving between private, public and home schooling, she eventually left high school, recorded her first record, and began touring nationally—all before the age of eighteen.^[5]

She is married to musician Paul Curreri and currently resides with him in Charlottesville, Virginia. They often perform together locally, but also on tours across the United States and United Kingdom. They were both regular favorites at the now-defunct Gravity Lounge, a major platform for new talent in their hometown.

In September 2011 Sproule and Curreri moved to Berlin, Germany citing professional and economic reasons. "It felt like a good career move, to not just grow careers, but to make money, which is hard when you're going back and forth," says Sproule. "It's really fun to play over there where you can play the folk shows, but you can also play a little theater of 20-year-olds who are sitting on the floor and they're blogging about it the next day."^[6]

Recordings

She released her first album when she was 16. Her second album, Long Sleeve Story was released in 2001 with praise from The Village Voice. Upstate Songs, released in 2003, made it in Rolling Stone's Critics Top Albums of the year, followed by Keep Your Silver Shined in March 2007. ¡Don't Hurry for Heaven! was released in April 2009. Live in London was released in 2010.

Devon's 1954 Gibson ES-125
Image by Timothy Caldwell

"Of course, I love playing guitar -- especially now that my husband and friends have given me, for my birthday, the perfect addition to my collection: a 1954 Gibson ES-125. It's a jazz guitar and while I'm certainly not a jazz guitarist, I steal absolutely as much as I can from the genre!”^[7]

Devon Sproule

Style and sound

Sproule's music shares elements of folk, country, and jazz, delivered in an affecting, personal style.

"Vintage country...with jazzy sophistication...beautifully sparse arrangements and melodies that surprise the ear when you first hear them, but which then get under your skin much more than anything more obvious would."

—BBC

"Keep Your Silver Shined rings with a sweet, heartbreaking majesty; these songs are beautiful, timeless and transporting."

—Davy Rothbart, This American Life

Discography

• Devon (1999) Devon Records - ASIN: B00000JKPC
• Long Sleeve Story (2001) Three Word – ASIN: B00005QY5Z
• Upstate Songs (2003) City Salvage – ASIN: B000CAGHY6
• Keep Your Silver Shined (2007) Waterbug – ASIN: B000N69OV2
• Don't Hurry for Heaven (2009) Tin Angel records – ASIN: B00381BXVS
• Live in London (2010) Tin Angel records — ASIN: B003Y7U8VM
• I Love You, Go Easy (2011) Tin Angel records (Europe/UK release) — ASIN: B004RJZ9JW

Distinctions and awards

Neighborhood Theater
Charlotte, North Carolina
August 20, 2006
Image by Andy Ciordia

• She shared the prestigious ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award for 2009 with Oren Lavie. She joins previous winners such as: John Mayer, Josh Ritter, Lori McKenna, Nicole Atkins, and John Francis.^[8]
• She was one of six 2008 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk winning songwriters picked from 32 finalists who performed during the 2008 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Concerts May 24 & 25.
• She was nominated in the Emerging Artist category of the third annual Folk Alliance awards show broadcast February 20, 2008 from Memphis, Tennessee (simulcast on XM).^[9]
• Best Solo Music Act "Sweet, breathy vocals; a fetching, gentle stage presence; local roots with a capital 'L'; talent that just won't quit. You love Belmont-based songstress Devon Sproule the best, but with the success of her second record, Keep Your Silver Shined (she calls it her "getting married" album), she sure does travel a lot, so keep your calendars shined for her next local gig."^[10] -- Best of C-Ville 2007.
• She taught songwriting at the Third Annual NewSong Academy in August 2007 Shepherdstown, WV.^[11]
• Upstate Songs (City Salvage Records) was included in Rolling Stone's Critics Top Albums of 2003. Julie Gerstein called the record, "perhaps the sweetest and most honest folk-pop album recorded this year," and added, "Sproule's vocal and lyrical beauty is unmatched."^[12]
• Her future husband, singer-songwriter Paul Curreri dedicated his 2003 Songs for Devon Sproule CD (Tin Angel / City Salvage — ASIN: B0015HQGLE) to her.

Articles, reviews, interviews

• "Folk Couples, Covered: Sproule & Curreri, Schmidt & Elkin, and Ritter & Landes" Cover Lay Down June 27, 2010.
• "Buzz-Hooray! Devon Sproule’s ¡Hurry! a sensual feast" by Stephanie Garcia, April 29, 2010, in The Hook.
• "Paul Curreri And Devon Sproule: A Couple Of Solo Artists" interviewed by Liane Hansen, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, April 4, 2010.
• "Music Review: Devon Sproule - Don't Hurry For Heaven" by David Bowling, April 1, 2010 in BC* *blogcritics.
• "LATER...with Jools Holland (29/02/08 - Show 5)" Monday, 3 March 2008 on Underwurld Music.
• "'I'd always been the kid that sang': From strumming in a hippy commune to swinging with 1940s jazz, Devon Sproule has done it all - and she's only 25." interview with Nige Tassell, August 24, 2007, in The Guardian.
• "Devon Sproule: Easygoing Folk and a Splash of Jazz" by David Dye, July 24, 2007 World Cafe, NPR.
• "Devon Sproule: Back to Roots" by David Dye, June 4, 2007 World Cafe, NPR.
• Devon Sproule in December 2007 Acoustic Guitar.
• "Best of C-ville 2007" C-Ville Weekly.
• "The Lux Lotus Interview: Devon Sproule" by Laura Cerand, appearing April 27, 2006 in ART section Lux Lotus.
• "An Interview with Devon Sproule" by Bret Holmes Lucid Arts and Culture.

See also

Guitar portal

• Paul Curreri
• Folk music
• Charlottesville, Virginia
• Twin Oaks Community
• Kingston, Ontario
• Singer-songwriter
• Gibson ES-125

References

1. ^ "Two ASCAP Lyricists Named Recipients of the 2009 ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award" reported by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), October 30, 2009
2. ^ "Berlin bound: Sproule and Curreri head for Europe" by Justin Cober-Lake, August 22, 2011 in The Hook: MUSIC FEATURES.
3. ^ "An Interview with Devon Sproule" by Bret Holmes Lucid Arts and Culture.
4. ^ "The Lux Lotus Interview: Devon Sproule" by Laura Cerand, appearing April 27, 2006 in ART section Lux Lotus.
5. ^ Official Website biography
6. ^ "Berlin bound: Sproule and Curreri head for Europe" by Justin Cober-Lake, August 22, 2011 in The Hook: MUSIC FEATURES.
7. ^ "The Lux Lotus Interview: Devon Sproule" by Laura Cerand, appearing April 27, 2006 in ART section Lux Lotus.
8. ^ "Two ASCAP Lyricists Named Recipients of the 2009 ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award" reported by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), October 30, 2009
9. ^ "Ellen Jewell, Uncle Earl highlight Folk Alliance award nominees" News You Should Note posted February 4, 2008 No Depression.
10. ^ "Best of C-Ville" 2007 C-Ville Weekly.
11. ^ Third Annual NewSong Academy: Thur Aug 9 – Sat Aug 11 • 2007 // Shepherdstown, WV NewSong Festival.
12. ^ "Our Critics Top Albums of 2003: Strokes, Shins and a whole lot of OutKast" posted Dec 31, 2003 Rolling Stone Magazine.

External links

• Official Website Devon Sproule.
• MySpace page Devon Sproule.
• Waterbug Records Devon Sproule recordings.
• Artist Direct Devon Sproule.

Persondata
Name	Sproule, Devon
Alternative names
Short description	Female Canadian-American singer-songwriter.
Date of birth	April 23, 1982
Place of birth	Kingston, Ontario
Date of death
Place of death