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A little more than six years ago, we were a heartbeat away from crossing paths with Devon Gilfillian. The soulful singer-songwriter had just released debut album Black Hole Rainbow and was slated to perform on the Public Radio Day Stage at SXSW … in March of 2020.
One global pandemic and two albums later, our moment with Gilfillian finally came during a Studio Milwaukee Session just a few weeks after the release of a record whose title fits our situation pretty nicely: Time Will Tell.
That phrase and others like it are handy to lean on when facing situations beyond your control. So while we didn’t get to hear Gilfillian up close and personal in Austin, we had nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to do so after he shared such a remarkable new album. HYFIN’s Anthony Foster, who quickly snapped up hosting duties for this session, had some glowing words for Time Will Tell when it hit at the end of June:
Recorded in the hallowed halls of Nashville, Gilfillian wraps his warm, buttery vocals around psych-soul grooves that tackle everything from deeply personal love to social optimism. The live instrumentation is crisp, organic and incredibly rich, letting every bass groove and horn swell breathe.
Something Foster didn’t mention? Dude absolutely shreds on guitar. Across the three songs you’ll hear in the broadcast version of his set, Gilfillian wields his axe like a warrior without missing a trick behind the mic. It’s a fierce, fiery performance that will stick in our memories for a long time to come.
Studio MKE: Devon Gilfillian set list
- “IRL”
- “Hold On (Hourglass)
- “Black Dog Rabbit Hole”
- “Glad to Be Here” (non-broadcast performance)
