That Restless, Broken Heart: An Interview with Devin James Fry of Salesman
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Dear music lover, it’s important to note that in Devin James Fry, there is a wanderer, an explorer, an anxious spirit materializing dreams, questioning mysteries and mysticism that most only dare to barely glimpse at, then quickly run away from. The songwriter and vocalist for local band Salesman nurtures a creativity fueled by the desire to do away with paralyzing fears preventing individuals from expressing themselves.
And you don’t merely hear that in his lyrics – you feel it within the very marrow of your bones.
It’s a challenge to pin any sort of song structure or particular genre on Salesman, which is made immediately apparent upon hearing the band’s latest EP, Wasp, the first in a series of three EPs they will release this year. And it’s undeniable in their live performances – crowds often reduced to a mesmerized hush as a sort of suspenseful assemblage of unsettling sounds build into a climactic frenzy. It’s poetry. It’s theater. But on paper, there would be no sensible way to wrap the entity into a safe genre package. “I’m not any of them,” Fry says. “I don’t know how to be.”
In this exclusive KUT interview, Fry talks about meeting drummer/percussionist Clayton Lillard, band members pushing each other out of comfort zones, and the freeing sensation of expressing feelings you didn’t even know you had – even if those feelings scare you. You may recognize Fry’s other bandmates from various musical projects: Guitarist and vocalist Danny Pruitt (Lord Buffalo), who did an interview for KUT in April, Patrick Patterson (formerly of Hotel Hotel), and bassist Grant Himmler (Little Radar).
Make plans to join Salesman for their EP release show Saturday night at The Swan Dive, 615 Red River. This is one phenomenal bill that also features SORNE, brother band Lord Buffalo (of which Fry is also a member), and the always-brilliant Shakey Graves. Doors open at 8 p.m.
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