Meet Devin Shamel | Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devin Shamel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devin, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I think that consistency is one of the greatest habits that anyone can have. It’s rare that you’re great or even good at something the very first time you try it. A lot of people see that they aren’t as good as the guys who put in years of practice within the first few days/weeks/months and give up because they view that sort of progression as unattainable.

Becoming successful & skilled at your craft just takes time, and consistent effort. Then you’ll notice that a lot of the seemingly unattainable aspects look a lot more realistic.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a multi-instrumentalist, as well as a singer and songwriter. I started learning music theory by learning to play piano at 13, and just studying my favorite artists and learning their techniques.

For example, I love how Stevie Wonder plays piano on his songs I love the chord progressions and would wonder exactly what he was doing. I studied and discovered that in many of his songs, he favored the use of Secondary Dominants and Tritone Substitutions.

It was less about learning how to play his music note for note, and more about learning what he was doing so that I could apply it to my own music.

It was not easy to reach the point that I’m at today in music, and I still have a long way to go. There were lots of ups and downs and rejections, but you’ve just got to push through those things and remember the “why” behind what you’re doing. I had been making music since I was 13, but didn’t make a dime off of it until I was around 19.

I just recently signed a distribution deal with a major label, and it’s something that 13 year old me always dreamed of. It just takes time. Had I given up at 15, 16 or 18, I never would’ve accomplished something that I’ve wanted for so long.

That isn’t the end of it though. I’m actually most excited about continuing to make music and write songs and just improve in my craft. I’m always learning, I don’t think I’ll ever know enough. That’s the amazing part. I currently only have about 36 songs out, which is a relatively small amount compared to the guys I look up to within the music world. I want to get to 100 songs released, then 500, then 1000 eventually.

It’s a personal goal. I can’t control how many people become fans or listen to the songs, but I can control how many I write and release. Focus on what you can control and if the rest follows? Great. Don’t let the things you can’t control determine your self worth though.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I was a homebody for a huge portion of my life as I’d rather focus on the music and getting better at my craft while others don’t want to, but recently have started going out more and going to various events and unique places.

It’s important to set aside time to actually live life because you’ll find inspiration in the places you least expect it.

If someone was visiting the area, I’d try to frame the trip around different things going on downtown. There’s various food festivals, music festivals, etc. happening every weekend, so we’d probably go to one of those. As far as specific food places, there’s way too many to name. My brother and I have recently been trying a ton of random restaurants we’ve never been to, so maybe I’d suggest going somewhere like Ponce City Market & just taking your pick depending on what you had a taste for. There’s just so much to do in Atlanta, you go downtown for one thing, and a few hours later end up at a completely random event you found out about from random people haha!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout my religion for keeping me grounded and on a solid path. I am Christian (churches of Christ) and strive to live my life by the scripture. Lots of people don’t know this, but there is so much practical knowledge and advice within the texts. It’s the greatest self-help book ever written.

My religion has helped me stay focused on the things that really matter, and not waste time on things that aren’t good for me. When your life is distraction free, it makes reaching your goals a lot easier.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinshamel/

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4g6vC6ZRpjXy4YUdt2enzx?si=qICfvtMOS3OqsVmD45fTCw

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/devin-shamel/1070485299