If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting rising star in the Aussie indie scene Devaura, you’re in for a bloody good treat. After announcing herself as a talent to watch in March 2025 thanks to her debut EP Vol. 1 Learning in Public, the singer and rapper has followed up the collection of ripper tracks with the recently released Vol. 2 If You Don’t Laugh, You’ll Cry. We caught up with the superstar for a chinwag to chat all things music making, overcoming adversary and her wackiest fan experience.

In one sentence, my music can be described as… An earnest and theatrical exploration of the human experience; the soundtrack of someone learning to be an active participant of love and life.

Some of my biggest inspirations include… MICHAEL JACKSON, KATY PERRY, RAY BLK, RAYE, CHLOE BAILEY, DOJA CAT, MISSY ELLIOT, FLORENCE WELCH and COLDPLAY.

The best place to listen to my music is… Wherever you feel the safest being loud and free.

The last song to be finished for Vol. 2 If You Don’t Laugh, You’ll Cry was… “H0ME” was the last song to be finished. A last-minute one-hour session with my longtime collaborator and friend JAIMS brought to life a poem I had written about my experience being homeless and my relationship with pain and autonomy. It became this quiet anchor for the whole project, a reminder that no matter what you’ve been through, you have to return home to yourself. I’m really grateful we were able to capture something so honest in such a small window of time, and for the safe, intentional space my collaborators help create.

When I hit a creative block… I tend to engage with a different medium. Whether it’s movies or other visual media, books, or sometimes even just a good conversation with a friend. Eight times out of 10, it’s the latter that does the trick, because I believe a creative block comes from a lack of clarity on what you think or feel about a particular topic.

The place I’m most looking forward to playing this new music live is… Honestly, any and everywhere that’ll have me. It’s such a privilege to be able to perform and create music with the intention for it to be heard en masse, so every time I perform is so exciting. I just want everyone to feel safe and have a great time.

My visuals, music videos and album art is influenced by… My deep desire to play. I’m drawn to queerness, colour and euphemisms. Playing around with visual allegories to create a world where these songs and ideas exist without external interference gives myself and the listener/viewer permission to just play and to question what things could mean beyond the obvious.

The craziest experience I’ve ever had with a fan is… Someone travelled over eight hours to come see me on tour and that blew me away. I’m so humbled by it.

If I could tour with any band or musician, it would be… AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS, ROBBIE WILLIAMS, TKAY MAIDZA, GENESIS OWUSU, LIZZO and JESSICA MAUBOY.

The song I’m proudest of from the new project is… “H0ME” AND “REDBULL”. I think I got to be really honest and raw about my relationship with perception, love and loss in a way that I’m not sure I’ve ever given myself permission to do before. Both encapsulate that process of acceptance and commitment to self for me. My hope is that they can be a soundtrack for someone else finding that within themselves too.

Feast your ears on Devaura’s tunes this-a-way. Want to peruse more chats with rad artists? Spy our chinwag with Mega Fäuna or spend some time with Budjerah. Plus, sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop.