Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Nation of Language
In just three short years, Nation of Language has gone from releasing their debut LP Introduction, Please to becoming one of the biggest names in the indie-infused synth-rock music scene. Formed from the remnants of New York garage rockers The Static Jacks, Ian Devaney originally conceived the project after being inspired by 1980s synth greats Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark.
In the time since, Nation of Language has released two studio albums, with a third, Strange Disciple, on the way this week. For Duvaney, there’s no such thing as downtime to be had. “When I’m home, I’m writing. And then, towards the end of the year, it was recording. And so we would just sort of squeeze it in wherever we could.”
That push to keep pumping out material never came at the expense of his songwriting. Strange Disciple is a full-throttle ride through the ups and downs of a relationship, one that can’t seem to find a centre. That’s because the real centre is the pulsating synths and hard-hitting arrangements that Duvaney has crafted with his bandmates.
We caught up with band leader Ian Devaney for a quick round of rapid-fire questions. After all, if you’ve only got a short time to get to know someone, what better way than to ask about funeral music and how good The Beatles really are.
Quick-fire questions with Ian Devaney from Nation of Language:
1. What’s your favourite song that you have covered?
“We just did one for Sirius XMU. We covered ‘Treasure’ by Aldous Harding. And so that will probably be coming out. I don’t know if it’ll be on streaming. But that was very exciting. And we love Aldous Harding and seeing her perform live is always a thrill. So that felt very fun.”
2. What’s the weirdest gig you’ve ever had?
“One of our first shows back on tour, we played in Detroit. And we were the first thing back in the venue. It had been a dance club before the pandemic and not really designed for bands. They were just not prepared for what we brought. Not emotionally but, like, physically. And logistically.”
3. What’s your most prized piece of equipment?
“The MiniMoog that I just acquired. When I got it, I felt like I had sumitted some kind of peak. And my manager was like, ‘Let’s talk about goals for next year.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean goals? I just bought a MiniMoog! So we’re done here.'”
4. Have you had any strange celebrity encounters?
“We’ve found out that certain people are aware of us and are into the band. There’s like Jimmi Simpson, who’s in Westworld and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He’s a fan, and he makes an appearance in the music video that we’re about to put out.”
5. Can you recommend an album we might not know?
“I’ve been listening to the band Cola a lot. Deep In View by Cola.”
6. What song do you want played at your funeral?
“‘At Last’ by Etta James.”
7. What was the first album you bought with your own money?
“I think it might have been Can’t Take Me Home by P!nk.”
8. What’s your most controversial cultural opinion?
“I don’t think Breaking Bad is as good as everybody else thinks it is. Like, it’s a good show. But when people talk about it, they hold it up as being on the same level as something like The Wire. And I think that is false.”
9. Do you believe in ghosts?
“No.”
10. Do you think The Beatles are overrated?
“Not at all. I think they’re properly rated. I think it can be hard with old things to hold them up against new things and be like, ‘Oh, well, how is this better than this new thing?’ But I think if you were in the context of the moment, it probably felt so revolutionary that I think the context of when things happen is as important as what they are.”
