My fascination with female-led rock didn't begin with Blondie, though I often forget that. Debbie Harry was everywhere, and I loved her world.
But earlier, an album my sister played changed how I expected music to sound.
Punk had already done something irreversible, stripping music back and making it striking and confrontational. As it splintered, a new wave emerged that was playful, strange, and more synthesized.
I was drawn to the feeling that music could be weird and fun while still alongside the bands I held in reverence.
Cindy Wilson and the B-52s symbolized this genre perfectly for me. Their punk was danceable, driven by broken guitar strings and synths. Her harmonies with Kate Pierson were smoky, sultry, and shrill all at once, their impact unlike anything I'd encountered, and I never expected it'd be matched. Seeing and hearing Devyn Crimson for the first time brought back that same rare feeling.
Devyn draws people in with her presence, her style manicured but shaped by DIY, doo-wop and punk woven into her aesthetic in a way that's genuinely hers, hints of earlier eras appearing in how she presents herself. Of all the echoes I've found in her, it's Cindy Wilson she reminds me of most, something in her look, the punky but vintage glamour, the earnestness she brings while moving, and a voice that covers my kind of range. She's naturally photogenic, eyes bright, smiles for days, and at ease in front of my lens. I felt all of this immediately, like when you first recognize something you've been looking for, without fully knowing you were searching.
I once called her a muse, and the word still fits, even though it can hang heavily on her. I hope not, and I apologize if it does, but photographing you, Devyn (4th wall breakkk) reminds me why I keep showing up, why I care about the moments I capture, and why artists like you leave a mark that goes beyond any single image. You're someone I'd miss deeply if I ever put the camera down for good, and how you shaped my work more than anyone else will linger long after the final shoot's over.