With amazingly catchy electro-pop riffs combined with quirky lyrics, Devo carved a niche in music that has set them apart from the assortment of rock, punk and new wave that surrounded them in the late 1970’s … Devo’s music was formulated to both attract and repel – the group wanted to be heard, but it also wanted to challenge and provoke.

Devo was formed in Akron, Ohio in 1972 by art students Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh and took its name from their concept of “de-evolution” – they created the theory that mankind, rather than progressing, was actually going backwards and that society was repressive, rigid and mechanical. This reflected in their music, with jerky, robotic rhythms as part of their automatonlike image plus an obsession with electronics and technology (they were among the first non-prog bands to make the synthesizer a core element). Devo became a cult sensation and always performed in uniform, favouring futuristic yet sturdy ensembles that featured yellow reactor-attendant suits, overturned red flowerpots for hats and roller-derby style protective gear.

“Of all the bands who came from the underground and actually made it in the mainstream, Devo is the most challenging and subversive of all.” … Kurt Cobain, 1992.

Early days of Devo included Casale (bass), Mark Mothersbaugh (vocals) and Mark’s brothers Bob (lead guitar) and Jim who played home-made electronic drums; Jerry’s brother Bob joined as an additional guitarist and Jim left the band to be replaced by Alan Myers. This line-up lasted for several years but their big break came with a 10-minute short film ‘The Truth About De-Evolution’, which won a prize the Ann Arbor Film Festival in 1976. Their first album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was released in 1978 and the group hit the road in earnest.

Devo’s commercial breakthrough came in 1980 with the album Freedom Of Choice, which went platinum with the million-selling single, Whip It; it represented a peak in their sometimes erratic songwriting, with the video becoming an MTV smash. Devo’s simple, basic electronic pop sound proved very influential, but it was also somewhat limited and as other bands began expanding on their ideas, Devo seemed unable to keep up. As the ‘80s wore on, Alan Myers departed in 1986 to be replaced by drummer David Kendrick and after a run of unsuccessful non-charting albums Devo called it quits early in the ‘90s and Casale and Mothersbaugh concentrated on other projects.

Devo reunited in 1991 for a 30-city European tour and again for several dates on the 1996 and 1997 Lollapalooza tours and reclaimed an enthusiastic fan response. Although the band hasn’t released a new album, officially, they have recorded a number of songs over the last few years for various films including a cover of the Nine Inch Nails hit, Head Like A Hole for the film Supercop. During 2001, the Devo members formed a surf band called The Wipeouts and the sound was much like their first garage band they formed in their early teens. They extensively toured during 2006 visiting the UK, Dublin, Ireland and Bergamo and Azzano Decimo, Italy.

An article on in the LA Weekly in December 2007 reported that “After touring sporadically over the past decade but not releasing any new material, Devo are spending December at Mutato trying to create an album’s worth of new material and contemplating a method of dispersal in the post-record-company world.” Mothersbaugh revealed a song title from the in-progress album Don’t Shoot, I’m A Man, however in a later radio interview in 2008, Jerry stated that Mark had “killed the project” and there would be no new Devo album – it was later stated that “We’re going to finish what we started.” Fans are still patiently waiting for the new release …

Players in Devo’s history range from Neil Young and Joe Walsh to David Bowie and Iggy Pop. In recent years, Devo’s songs have been covered by Nirvana, Moby, Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden, to name but a few.