Q&A: Janet Devlin Channels Years of Defiance on “Working For The Man”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Photo Credit: Airy Something
WORTH THE WAIT — Irish singer-songwriter Janet Devlin makes a defiant return with her newest single, “Working For The Man,” a long-awaited fan favorite that pulses with a restless desire for independence that feels just as urgent today as when it was first written over a decade ago. Born from reflections on the relentless “rat race” and the pressure to preserve one’s identity within an unforgiving system, the song was written over a decade ago and now finally steps into the light.
Sonically, the track captures Devlin at her most assured and unrestrained.
Lyrically, “Working For The Man” is rooted in a disquiet that has only deepened with time. Devlin reflects on the pressures that first inspired the song, tracing them back not only to her own experiences but to the lived realities of her parents. Raised watching them juggle full-time work with raising four young children, she absorbed both their resilience and their exhaustion. Her early admiration entwined with anger became the emotional foundation of the track.
“Honestly, I think that’s why I fought so hard and chose the path that I did - of being an independent artist,” Devlin says. “Even though many years on, it’s still tough, and I’m by no means rich, I’m living and dying by my own sword. I by no means am trying to say that working a nine-to-five is a bad thing. It’s not. I think I was just influenced by my parents’ experiences, too… I saw how hard they worked for what we had in life and just how exhausted they were from it.”
Even now, Devlin admits, the anger remains. “Obviously, that system hasn’t changed since I wrote it. It still angers me,” she says. And in that continuity lies the song’s power.
With “Working For The Man” finally stepping out of its long-held limbo, Devlin strengthens the song’s impact, proving that some ideas don’t expire, they wait for the right moment to land with full force.
Photo Credit: Airy Something
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires your artistic style and sound?
JANET: My life and my experiences, really. I’m Irish so I love telling a good yarn and a wee joke. Sonically, I just love all the colors of the country genre, so it’s fun to put my own spin on it all.
LUNA: “Working For The Man” has finally arrived more than a decade after it was written. What emotions came up for you hearing this song resurface after so many years?
JANET: It’s a little emotional honestly. I was so proud of the song after I wrote it and was so excited to put it out. For reasons out of my control, it never made it onto the first album. I still played it at shows and things because it was a fan favorite. When I recorded it again in Nashville, I was selfishly recording it solely for myself with no expectations of it making the album, so when asked if I’d like for it to be the first single — because my teams loved it — I was taken aback. I don't think baby Jan would believe me if I told her.
LUNA: You’ve described the track as born from reflections on the “rat race.” What inspired the single and what themes or emotions did you feel compelled to explore?
JANET: It was inspired by growing up poor, really. I remember once my mother apologising to me because we couldn’t go on foreign holidays like a lot of my friends did. Though, I never once expected us to. It broke my heart because they did such a great job of making the most of what we had. They both worked full time jobs and everything but the recession hit us and everyone hard, except the banks, which confused and angered me as a kid. It still does. Also as a teen, my awareness of politics, capitalism, and social issues was coming into bloom, so naturally it poured into my writing.
LUNA: What did the creative process for “Working For The Man” look like? How did the song evolve from its initial idea to the final version?
JANET: I’d only ever written songs by myself. Jack was one of my first ever co-writes, so I wasn’t familiar with the etiquette of it all. Essentially, I got Jack to loop some chords we’d both agreed on. Then instead of singing my ideas out loud, like you’re supposed to, I just didn’t make a peep. I just had my head down writing and singing it in my head. An hour or two later I finally sang my verses and chorus to him, I didn’t find out till we went for lunch with his manager that he actually thought it was a dead session. Thankfully we both liked it and I did learn a lot in a day. Mainly, sing your ideas out loud.
LUNA: You’ve spoken about choosing the path of an independent artist. What does independence mean to you now, in this current stage of your career?
JANET: Independent music releasing is much more of the norm now than it was 14 years ago when I started which is great to see, because back then, the labels had all the power. I love that artists have more options now — it’s a win for everyone in my opinion. I’m blessed to work with a great independent label, OK!good, out in America. We’ve worked together for 12 years and we have a great relationship. They feel like family now so that does make me even more grateful for choosing independence all those years ago.
LUNA: As an artist building your brand entirely independently, what advice would you give to emerging musicians trying to take full control of their creative output?
JANET: Trust your gut! Accept that you’ll make mistakes but you get to live and die by your own sword.
LUNA: What is fueling your fire right now that’s pushing you into this new chapter in your career?
JANET: Honestly just my love of the game! It’s a blessing to live a creative existence so I never want to take it for granted. Also, you might only be one song away from a big hit so I’ll keep trying until I can’t anymore.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
JANET: I’m feeling positive. I’m so so proud of this album to come and I genuinely can’t wait to get it out there. I’ve got a whole bunch of gigs/festivals coming up. I’m heading to Nashville in May to record some more and also to take my wee mummy on holidays too. More music, more shows, more content!
Photo Credit: Airy Something
