Today we’d like to introduce you to Harley Deville.
Harley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always been an artistic little thing since the beginning – drawing crayon murals on the walls of my bedroom or obsessively teaching myself how to play the preset songs on my toy piano and things like that. It was obvious that the creative arts were the only path for me pretty early on. I remember getting the lead in a play when I was like seven maybe, getting up in front of the crowd and feeling the rush. I absolutely loved it.
Fast forward through a lot of growing up and finding myself to 2018. I was running a small vintage and custom clothing shop with my partner out of Lula B’s in Oak Cliff. I had been steadily creating music up until this point – starting with more classical, orchestral music and slowly shifting to singer-songwriter-y pop – and it was around this time that I had just begun to perform live. One night a few of our friends were performing for something called Avant To Leave This Planet so we went to support them. I was not ready for what I experienced.
Avant To Leave This Planet, I learned that night, is an experimental performance art collective based in Oak Cliff. There were singers, poets, dancers, actors, drag queens, and clowns, and it was weird as hell. I had found my home. We were out back smoking between sets and a drunk woman came up to me and without any context said “You have to be in the next show. I’m going to introduce you to Alex!” Little did she know how much Avant To Leave This Planet would change my life and truly allow me to find my voice as a performing artist. Through everything I’ve learned and experienced these past few years, I was able to create my very first album called ‘The End’ which I released earlier this year.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For me, it was quite a long road to self-acceptance. Being a queer person, growing up in a conservative family made self-expression feel dangerous and self-repression became my mode of survival. Through getting in touch with my own spirituality, I was finally able to begin letting my authentic self shine without fear and the impact it had on my life was transformative. I’d say my path has definitely been meandering but I guess I just prefer the scenic route.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an artist, a musician, a singer-songwriter, and a performance artist. My shows are theatrical, dramatic, camp, surreal, and deeply spiritual affairs. Harley Deville is a fusion of myself and the concept of myself. Something I can slip in and out of and experience the world in two completely different ways. I find a lot of peace in being able to create art and perform as an entity that I can also feel detached from.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Alex Axon for creating a space that has nurtured me and so many others. Avant To Leave This Planet is the best show in Dallas period. And Dillon Camp for being my biggest fan and my toughest critic. I love you.
Contact Info:
- Website: harleydeville.com
- Email: harleydevillemusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/harley.deville
- Facebook: facebook.com/harleydevillemusic
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