Jimmy Deveney is Making a Scene

December 22, 2023

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Making a Scene Brings you an interview with Jimmy Deveney

HIGH DESERT SOUL. THAT’S WHAT JIMMY DEVENEY CALLS HIS MUSIC. ITS GOT THE HIGH ENERGY, DRIVE AND GROOVE OF ‘60S AND ‘70S SOUL MUSIC, AND THE EXPANSIVE, OPEN, SOMETIMES LONELY FEEL OF THE HIGH DESERT. IT’S MUSIC THAT CELEBRATES THE SHARED HUMAN EXPERIENCE, FOR BETTER AND FOR WORSE. IT’S MUSIC IN WHICH EVERYONE CAN FIND SOMETHING TO RELATE TO, AND MOVE TO.

JIMMY DEVENEY IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR HIS SINGING, WRITING AND PLAYING IN THE AUSTIN, TX BANDS ‘HORSE OPERA‘, (2007 TO 2014), WHICH MORPHED INTO THE MORE SOULFUL ‘PALOMINO SHAKEDOWN‘, (2014 TO 2019). BOTH BANDS SPENT MANY YEARS TOURING NATIONALLY, AND PLAYING AND RECORDING IN AUSTIN. DEVENEY SELF PRODUCED TWO ‘HORSE OPERA’ RECORDS, AND SEVERAL RECORDS FOR OTHER AUSTIN BANDS BETWEEN 2010 AND 2017. IN JANUARY 2018, DEVENEY RELOCATED FROM HIS AUSTIN, TX HOME OF 16 YEARS, TO HIS NATIVE HOME TOWN OF ALBUQUERQUE, NM., TO BE CLOSER TO HIS AGING PARENTS AND FAMILY. HE CAN BE SEEN PERFORMING WITH HIS BAND, JIMMY DEVENEY & THE HOLD FAST UNION, IN AND AROUND ALBUQUERQUE. DEVENEY RELEASED A HIGHLY ACCLAIMED SOLO ALBUM, “LESSONS THE HARD WAY”, IN NOVEMBER 2019. HIS SECOND SOLO ALBUM, “WHATEVER GETS US THROUGH”, WAS RELEASED SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2021.

IN THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS OF MAKING “WHATEVER GETS US THROUGH”, JIMMY FOUND PARTNERS IN ENGINEER/PRODUCER/AND NOW DRUMMER, MATTHEW TOBIAS, AND BASS PLAYER JEFF WILSON. A SHARED VISION HAS BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER TO WORK ON A NEW COLLECTION OF SONGS, AND THEY SOLIDIFIED THE BAND WITH A NAME, JIMMY DEVENEY & THE HOLD FAST UNION. THE RECORD IS CALLED ‘HIGH DESERT SOUL’, AND IT WAS RELEASED SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2023. TWO VIDEOS AND SINGLES PRECEDED THE RELEASE.

THE LIVE LINE UP OF THE HOLD FAST UNION HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE CHARLIE ELMORE ON GUITAR AND BACKING VOCALS, AND KEN EASTON ON KEYS AND BACKING VOCALS.

JIMMY BEGAN PLAYING GUITAR AND WRITING IN HIS TEENS, AND PLAYING IN BANDS SUCH AS BOOTY, GACEYSTICK, THE T-LORDS, THE HELLTONES, AND THE JONNY CATS, IN THE ROCK SCENE IN ALBUQUERQUE IN THE 90’S. HE MOVED TO MISSISSIPPI IN 1999, AND SPENT SOME TIME PLAYING BLUES AND ROOTS MUSIC, AND THEN MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 2002, AND BECAME PART OF ITS RICH HONKY TONK AND ROOTS MUSIC SCENE. SOLO SHOWS, AND EVENTUALLY FULL BAND SHOWS, LED TO YEARS OF TOURING, RECORDING, AND PRODUCING.

IN HIS SPARE TIME, JIMMY IS A LUTHIER, REPAIRING AND BUILDING GUITARS AT PERCOLATOR GUITAR REPAIR. HE IS COFFEE ENTHUSIAST, FORMER BARISTA, ROASTER, AND MANAGER OF RUST IS GOLD COFFEE. HE LIVES WITH HIS WIFE KATE, AND HIS THREE CATS GIBSON, MYSTERY, AND SID.

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