Maryanna Devlin Unveils New Single 'Cut and Run'

Boston-raised, Germany-based singer/songwriter Maryanna Devlin has released her latest single, "Cut and Run," a track from her forthcoming debut LP, A Great Many Things, due out on September 30th. In "Cut and Run," Devlin's voice is reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Lana Del Ray, set against a dreamy backdrop with a fierce message.

"For me, this song is about letting go of other people's opinions and also about gaslighting," she explains. "People saying things are different from how you remember them is messed up, and that's basically what this is about. I could hardly sing anymore (I was seven months pregnant) so the producer had to do some singing to help me out," she continues. "It's really fun, and kind of has a vintage spy movie vibe-like driving around the desert in a sports car trying to catch the bad guy."

"Cut and Run" follows "Gary Indiana," a poignant track inspired by a trip Devlin took with her father to see a college football game. "This trip was a somewhat healing moment for us, as we tried to mend our relationship after years of him abusing alcohol and drugs. This was the first song we recorded, and it really connected me with the team at the studio."

Lead single "Manchester By The Sea" was inspired by the scenic escape located in her home state of Massachusetts. "Manchester-by-the-Sea is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, filled with sprawling private estates and private roads," she says. "I think this song was a way for me to gain access to this idyllic seaside town that is really only reserved for the elite."

For Devlin, music is both an outlet for trauma and an excuse to share our best stories. As a performer, her lush vocals and raw energy have drawn comparisons to both Lana Del Rey and Sharon van Etten, while her unique arrangements and introspective lyrics are informed by a background in theater and a deep love of literature. Her debut full-length album, A Great Many Things, showcases stunning breadth and originality in eight nuanced anthems.

Born in Vermont and raised outside of Boston, Devlin moved to Manhattan after high school to study acting, where she fell in love with the transitive power of art. "When you see a painting or hear a song and become overwhelmed with sudden feeling, that's the artist's emotion. I'm fascinated by how art can transcend time and space to connect people, to make them feel less alone," she says.

Devlin began songwriting as a way to process childhood grief. The devastating loss of her brother, who passed away when she was fourteen, led her to pursue music nearly a decade later. Inspired by Brandi Carlile, she borrowed a guitar and taught herself to play using a pamphlet of chords from her mother. She found singer-songwriter Josh Ritter a few years later, whose idiosyncratic style inspired her to continue creating music in her own, unique way.

After college, Devlin shifted from acting to making music; over the next several years she wrote, self-produced, and released three solo EPs, honing her vocal tone and unique brand of storytelling through the influence of artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Hiss Golden Messenger, Josh Ritter, and Stevie Nicks. Her early forays into songwriting soon led to performances across the East Coast and Europe, sharing the stage with acts like Darlingside and Becca Mancari. She met her partner in Nashville in 2013, and the pair eventually relocated to Frankfurt, Germany in 2017.

In A Great Many Things, Devlin presents a richly textured, more expansive version of her signature organic, acoustic sound. Many of the tracks on this refined and sharply reflective indie-Americana collection feature a full band backing Devlin's distinctly smooth vocals. The tracks, all written and composed by Devlin, are steeped in family and personal history, with lyrical themes exploring large temporal concepts like lineage, memory as a means of time travel, and the movement of time itself.

Throughout the album, Devlin considers how we are connected and disconnected by its passing. From cover to cover, A Great Many Things contains an authentic variety of deeply human feelings, and spans an equally broad emotional spectrum, with moments of somber introspection in the vein of Elliot Smith and Townes Van Zandt juxtaposed with passages of bright and graceful ease.

Listen to the new single here:

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