Devin Williams
Pour It Out - Press Release
Devin Williams, the lead singer and founding member of rising Christian rock group Mouthpiece, pushes the edge of praise and worship with his solo release Pour It Out. February 17th at Pie in the Sky, this rock based new outlook on worship music will be premiered with a special connection to the date chosen. "Pour It Out was inspired on the messages defined in Acts 2:17," says Devin. "Every artist wants to produce an album that sounds well, but ultimately I wanted this album to spread the spirit of Christ within its music."
Devin has been touring, leading youth worships and encouraging people to discover the word of God for years throughout the Nashville area. His impact in the music scene has left a lasting impression on its genre's leading artists. "I have been sincerely blessed to watch Devin grow as a musician, singer, writer and worship leader," says Jeff Deyo (former member of SonicFlood). "His voice is amazing, his talent is very evident and his heart and commitment to seeing God work through him is steadfast and contagious. Many have been and will continue to be touched by his music and heart, and he will always be a huge blessing to all who encounter his ministry." Mac Powell, lead singer of Third Day, continues saying, "I'm not only impressed by his music, but his desire to spread the message of God's love and grace through it. I recommend taking a listen. You won't be disappointed. I believe God has something special for him."
Devin will be premiering the new album Tuesday, February 17th at Pie In the Sky at 5 PM. "I hope to see everyone come out to the show," says Devin. "I’m excited to see how old and new fans experience the new sound. Free food and free music ---it doesn’t get much cooler than that!” Pie In the Sky is located at 110 Lyle Avenue in Nashville in the old Longhorn building.
To stay updated on Devin, visit www.devinw.com.
Mouthpiece, Where Do I Begin?
Jeff Russell 12.JUN.08
Rating: 4 Pulses
With the recent re-release of Where Do I Begin? and another album due in the fall, Devin Williams has bridged the gap between alternative rock and the Christian music scene.
With his band, Mouthpiece, Williams has managed to delve into a deep world of twisted aggression and frustration where people have turned to find their faith in a world where politics and pop culture are the ruling majority. Williams’ words depict the evangelical fight for faith and the never-ending struggle to attain peace within the soul. Although the basis of the album’s lyrical content has a strong Christian religious basis, Williams’ writing covers the trials of everyday life without using the overused clichés of the typical Christian rock band.
Although the lyrical content identifies with struggles of spirituality and faith, the album boasts strong influences from the early ‘90s underground to mainstream grunge scene, ranging from Mudhoney to Soundgarden, while still tipping its hat to bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.
Overall, the musical content is brilliant and driven, displaying the rough, bluesy vocals of Williams, and the fat, distortion-grinding rhythmic leads from his excellent guitar work. The music is straight-ahead and determined, full of complex rhythm and intensity. With songs such as “Cover Me” and “Coming Home,” Williams weaves hypnotic sound and driving rhythm while his vocals twist and turn with emotional intensity, placing no neglect upon the evocative, uplifting feel. The tempo ranges from song to song, taking the listener to euphoric highs while Williams describes the disillusionment of life, confessing his own fears of enlightenment with words such as “the rays don’t fall in this room like they used to--what’s left here is the Winter Chill.”
The web of intricate music with the epic nature of the lyrics presents a unique parallel by presenting a Christian background, yet still allowing the average listener to identify with the struggles placed upon the common man in today’s world.
Mouthpiece’s music may not be particularly original, but this does not compromise the overall effect of the album. The driving, straight-ahead guitar work, rhythmic bass thumping and intense drumming prove to be top-notch, never straying to a mainstream pop ideal. Every verse has purpose, and the music takes the lyrics to high crescendos, leaving the listener hanging on every line.
Recorded at The Velvet Elvis in Nashville and Backbone Studios in Goodletsville, Williams has put an album out that’s honest and true. With the help of Chuck Butler on the engineering side, Mouthpiece’s effort has become not only a well-recorded rock album, but it is a voice of truth for the listeners who are looking to find some hope, some spiritual guidance, and friendly advice for their tough journey in life. With a new lineup featuring Biff Kitti on bass and Zak Shumate on drums, Mouthpiece will begin an aggressive new fall tour and a new album due sometime in September.
Williams has put his heart and soul into this work, and his infectious, straightforward sound will be promising for the road ahead. This album may take you to a new level in spirituality, or it may just let you know you are not alone.
Then again, it just may save you. Check out myspace.com/mouthpiece1 for more info
An article about us from Devin’s hometown, Ashland Kentucky before the Star Tomorrow television program.
Native’s band aims for big time
By LEE WARD
The Independent
NASHVILLE— An Ashland native’s rock band has been selected to compete against 99 other bands in an online vote that should lead to a television show on NBC.
Devin Williams, 27, a graduate of Fairview High School, is the lead singer, lead guitarist and songwriter for the band Mouthpiece. Williams’ wife, Amanda, said based on a live recording submitted to NBC, the band was one of 100 chosen to compete on the Internet.
Three weeks ago, NBC aired footage from auditions for “Star Tomorrow.” Amanda Williams said NBC offered open auditions in New York and Los Angeles. Mouthpiece was chosen based on the submitted tape.
Two weeks ago, members of Mouthpiece went to Los Angeles and performed two cover songs and two original songs in front of judges and recorded a 45-minute interview.
Last week, on the Web site startomorrow.com, NBC posted music from 20 bands and those who visited the Web site could register and vote for their favorite. Starting today, Mouthpiece will be among the 10 bands posted to the site. Voting will continue until the following Monday.
Amanda Williams said NBC has not elaborated on plans for the program other than to say online voting will narrow the 100 bands down to 10.
It is likely that those 10 bands will compete on a television program until a winner is chosen.
The Williams’, both graduates of FHS, moved to Nashville five years ago so Devin Williams could pursue a musical career.
Mouthpiece is a rock band. Amanda Williams said while band members are Christian, the band does not play Christian music, rather music with a positive message and is comparable to the band Creed.
Go to www.startomorrow.com to find more information about the band and to vote for the band to move on in the competition.
For more information about the band, visit its MySpace site at www.myspace.com/mouthpiece1 or the band’s site, www.mouthpieceonline.com.
Copyright © 1999-2006 cnhi, inc.
Where Do I Begin?
Independent release, 2005
REVIEW BY: Jason Warburg
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/09/2005
After nine years and hundreds of reviews, I find myself more and more seeking out challenges.
Case in point: I'm not a religious guy. Spiritual, yes; religious, no. There's been too much intolerance and destruction waged "in the name of God" for me to put my faith in any human being's interpretation of the sacred. All of which makes the frankly evangelical Christian hard rock trio Mouthpiece a challenge for me to review.
It's one I'm up for, though, in large part because Devin Williams, the singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/mastermind behind Mouthpiece, is clearly a talented guy. His sound could be described as Creed squared -- a similar combination of fat guitar crunch, urgent melodies and spiritually-tinged lyrics, but with substantially heavier music and more overtly religious lyrics. Listening to this disc, I was impressed with how well this combination works -- faith is an intense, emotional subject that matches up surprisingly well with throbbing hard rock.
The intensity of numbers like "Coming Home" and the dynamic opener "The Rok" may in fact catch CCM listeners off guard. Williams may be preaching the gospel, but the dude still manages to rock pretty formidably. The Creed parallel becomes clearer on more power-ballad-y numbers like "Kiss The Son" (get it?), but far from dominating the album, slower cuts are the exception. More typical are muscular tracks like "Standing So Close" and the hammering closer "Can You Feel."
I can't properly call myself a fan of Mouthpiece -- these songs are too relentlessly evangelical in perspective for my tastes -- but I have a lot of respect for the quality and artistry of the music, which is consistently powerful and well-crafted. Special kudos to Williams and Chuck Butler on the production side, as this disc features a crystal-clean sound that amplifies the potency of Williams' huge riffs.
Bottom line? Devin Williams is a very talented guitarist and singer, and Where Do I Begin? is a dynamic, entertaining entree of hard rock, with an extra-large side of New Testament. The lyrics might not have been my thing, but I sure didn't suffer while cranking this disc up loud.
[For more information, visit www.mouthpieceonline.com]
Rating: B+
