De’Wayne is bringing the heat this summer, with his third album june set to take us on a spiritual journey of self-celebration and submission to romance. Ahead of its release, he tells K! how surrendering to your softer side is the most rock’n’roll thing you can do…
We challenge you to listen to De’Wayne and not feel, well, sexy as hell. Often leather-clad and wielding a Stratocaster, he knots classic, cool instrumentals with modern day tales of love, lust and expansive dreams.
His new album june will arrive on July 23, and it’s swaggering with vibrant colour and a confidence that ignites a similar life-affirming boost in its listener. It delves into the divine feminine energy that motivates him to never stop loving himself, all while pushing him to evolve artistically, too. Not only does it mark his third full-length release, but here, the Houston-born creative feels more like the musician he was destined to become than ever before.
Calling from his LA home, he quickly excuses himself to grab some tea for a cosy morning catch-up with Kerrang! about his journey to connecting with june, and what it (or she) means…
When did you get the main idea for june? Was it around the same time as you were working on your last EP, I WANT YOU MORE THAN ANYBODY WANTS YOU?
“It was kind of around the same time. At the end of the EP cycle, I started to work on this music. It was hard for me not to talk about this music in interviews [then] because I was like, ‘Oh, man, I think I just cracked the De’Wayne code!’ I was really getting into a great groove with this new era. I have a whole new team for this album… It [feels] like a step up.”
june heavily explores the ‘divine feminine’. What does it mean to you?
“I hope that I have the right vocabulary to speak on it being a man, but I’ve been inspired by all of the women that have come into my life. I was raised by women – my grandmothers, my aunties, my mom. I feel like we come from the woman spirit. That’s why, especially as a man, we’re doing everything to get back to them – if it’s being talented or cute, or trying to have a nice car or a nice home. I think the divine feminine person in my life comes in all forms. It’s really this guiding light that is like, ‘I love you as you are,’ but I’m still trying to impress her… Divine masculinity is something that’s really beautiful, but I kind of float on both sides.”
There’s a confidence that exudes through this album. What is your relationship with confidence like?
“It’s something that I’ve worked on over time. I always knew I could perform, that I like to feel sexy and I like to make my music that way, you know? So with this new record, I felt the music was getting sexy and I felt really good. Really, the confidence thing is me trying to be like, ‘This is who I am’, and hoping that people feel that, then put it into themselves. When I listen to Prince and to Lenny Kravitz, to Sly & The Family Stone, though the messages are really deep, it’s kind of sweaty and sexy. I kind of want to live in that space. Growing up, my mom always let me know that I was cute. I didn’t need a girl or a guy to tell me that I was attractive, so I kind of walk with that and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I feel beautiful today.’ I want people to kind of take it that the sun is shining on us.”
june also has a theme of love running through it. How do you balance the two – the confidence with the softer side? Or do you think that, in fact, they’re actually coupled up?
“For sure! That’s the big thing with this album. I think romance and confidence go hand in hand. Surrendering to the person that’s in your life, I think, is the sexiest thing that you can do. If we can look into our partner’s eyes – if it’s a woman, if it’s a guy, whoever it is – when you can be your most vulnerable, I think it is sexy as hell. Especially growing up in Texas, that wasn’t a thing for us. But having love is a superpower. The bigger your heart is, it’s a superpower. It’s not a weakness.”
This record shows that rock doesn’t always have to be angry to be valued. Do you think that’s why some people get you confused in regards to what genre you sit in, because it has a soft side?
“It’s the most rock’n’roll thing ever. I’m trying to get the people that are hearing me now to just be okay with that concept, because it looks and sounds a little bit different from maybe what you know. I hope to be a light in the midst of all the chaos that all of us are going through. I got a call from Lenny Kravitz last week, which blew my mind. He was like, ‘I see what you’re doing. I love you, I want to do something with you.’ I’m really excited about that. That let me know that I’m on my path. Lenny has been like a North Star for me.”
The fact you’re already on your third album is quite an achievement. Do you feel like you’ve had much time to reflect on all of your progress so far?
“Last week I really did – I was kind of in a ceremonial meditation. I’m really just grateful that I’ve been able to develop, you know? A lot of my friends are artists that we love, and [they had] great music from the jump, so you kind of get thrown into the beast of the industry. For the past four years I’ve been able to be right on the outside, but still have people care enough to where I can make my music. I’m thankful to be at the point now where I’m really proud of the music that I’m making.”
With such big visions for your art, it seems like you could go on to do something extravagant, like a double album or something cinematic. What is your wildest career dream?
“I mean, I really want to call this album a concept album on the divine feminine. This June character is someone that I think will be in my life forever. I think that concept will continue to grow where maybe there is an album where there’s a family involved with this character. I think there could be a June movie.
“Trying to get people to understand who I am as a person goes way beyond the music, interviews, and posts on Instagram. I think that work will take 20 years. But as far as my wildest dreams… [I want] my mom [to] be okay in life. My real goal, other than being the biggest rock artist in the world, I just want to be happy. I have eight brothers and sisters, I want them to not need for anything. I want my parents to not need for anything.”
What has your artistry taught you so far?
“I really love that question. I think it’s taught me to trust myself, to love myself, to not be so hard on myself. There were years where I was like, ‘Man, I need it to happen tomorrow.’ Now I understand that slow is pro.”
june is due out on July 30 via Fearless Records
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