From the resilience of an experienced woman come poignant and sometimes uncomfortable lyrics of strength, love, and humor that have taken a lifetime to unveil.
WILMINGTON, NC, UNITED STATES, January 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Devon Drake admits she’s over the hill. But she’s already been over a few hills in her life. So she didn’t hesitate to start climbing again as a songwriter. Seldom does a middle-aged person have the chance to reinvent themselves. First-time singer-songwriter Devon Drake explained that reinventing herself was essential. The middle-aged mother of two from the suburbs didn’t just change her name; she started a new identity. After raising her family in the coastal suburbs of Wilmington, NC, she shed her domesticated persona and all the societal expectations that came with it. She chose her name, Devon, from the root of “deviant.”
“I’ve always thought a deviant was someone who went the wrong way. Or someone who’s lost and doesn’t belong. But when I started songwriting, I embraced what made me different. I was new and old. I needed to deviate from the path I had been on for decades.”
For twenty years, recording artist Devon Drake focused on managing her household, raising her two children, and building her portfolio of rental properties. When her children left for college, Drake turned her attention to songwriting. She’s a lifelong writer and music lover, but only started writing songs in May 2023. She wants to share her stories and connect with her audience through similar experiences. She wants to “sing to you.”
“As a young woman, I didn’t have my voice yet. Now I have so many thoughts, feelings, memories, and regrets tangled in my mind that writing songs is more gratifying than journaling or writing essays. And it doesn’t take as long. They are little packages of my feelings.”
With her first album, “Tongue and Groove”, Drake stays true to a woman’s voice. She says performing to appease a male audience is antiquated and even detrimental to unifying genders. Instead, her focus is on commonality. She never wants her appearance to be a factor in how well-received her songs are. So she seldom has photos taken of her. She firmly states that if people need to see what she looks like, they’ll have to come out and watch her perform IRL.
“It’s not on me to make anyone comfortable. Men are more complicated than we give them credit for. Pretending to be the woman of their dreams won’t make them remember me. But being my authentic self might make them see themselves differently. That’s unforgettable; maybe even life-changing.”
She calls her genre indie folk or contemporary folk, but often incorporates Western and rock tones with help from Wilmington musician, Adam Carswell, on steel guitar for three tracks. Brent Harrell from Wilmington jazz-fusion band, Tone-def, plays lead guitar as well as co-produced the album. Veteran musician, songwriter, and recording artist, Wes Sayer, lent his one-of-a-kind guitar leads to three tracks on Drake’s debut album.
The album’s first song, “He and She,” is the all-too-familiar story of inadvertently slipping into lack luster marriage with children. One of her mentors, Keith Karman from Modest Mouse, added a mellotron line, lending a dramatic soap-opera sound to the song’s story. With complete vulnerability, Devon guides us through adult themes of love, compassion, acceptance, and resolution. Her tracks are layered in an array of her vocal tones, harmonies, and nostalgic backing vocals. The last song, “Skater Wannabe,” is Tongue and Groove’s album release single. She says it’s a “Generation X love story” beginning with two kids in the 80s.
“If my stories resonate with women, men will follow. What makes us cry? What makes us laugh? What inspires us to take a chance? Men and women often have the same thoughts, feelings, experiences, and fears. What we lack is communication, trust, and understanding.”
When asked about the obstacles she faces as an older songwriter, Devon says that it’s difficult for younger, yet established, artists to understand that she had a life and career before becoming an artist. Her professional experience in business administration and management, combined with her education, enables her to excel in the essential behind-the-scenes tasks of an artist.
When asked about the advantages she has as an older songwriter, she explains that being self-employed gives her time and availability to fully commit to her songwriting and her North Carolina record label, Aviation Records. Also worth mentioning is her military service in the Air Force during Desert Storm.
“My professional resume doesn’t help me as a new artist. But my confidence is invaluable. Every day I tell myself, ‘Take your shot,’ and it usually pays off. Sure, it’s smoke and mirrors. But it’s my smoke and mirrors. Every good show needs smoke and mirrors.”
Devon Drake released her first single, “Fast Track,” from her debut album, Tongue and Groove, on January 8, 2026, on her label, Aviation Records. It’s been distributed to all streaming services and is available on vinyl. The “Tongue and Groove album release party will be held at 8 pm, Thursday, 02/26/2026, at Brass Tacks on Grace Street, downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Devon Drake is working on her next album, “Timbre,” which she says will be more “rock and roll.”
Devon Drake
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Fast Track at the Harp, Wilmington NC, with Wes Sayer
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