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DeVotchKa

{{Short description|American music group}}

{{about|the music group from Denver|the New York punk band|The Devotchkas}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = DeVotchKa

| image = DeVotchKa2025.jpg

| image_upright = 1.25

| caption = DeVotchKa performing at Islington Assembly Hall, London in 2025

| origin = Denver, Colorado, U.S.

| genre = {{Flatlist|

}}

| years_active = 1997–present

| label = Concord Records, Dago Records, Cicero Recordings, Ace Fu Records, ANTI-

| website = {{URL|https://www.devotchka.net/}}

| current_members = Nick Urata
Tom Hagerman
Jeanie Schroder
Shawn King

}}

DeVotchKa is an American multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1997. The band consists of Nick Urata (vocals, guitar, theremin, bouzouki, piano, trumpet), Tom Hagerman (violin, accordion, piano), Jeanie Schroder (sousaphone, double bass, backing vocals, flute) and Shawn King (drums, percussion, trumpet).

The band takes their name from the Russian word devochka (девочка), meaning "girl". After releasing their first four studio albums to critical acclaim and an expanding cult fanbase, the band gained wider attention for providing the score to the 2006 road movie, Little Miss Sunshine, which increased their exposure significantly. Per The New Yorker, "Urata’s unaffected voice, which has a hint of Rocky Mountain loneliness in it, gives the group’s sound roots, whether they’re playing a raucous midway tune or a spaghetti-Western ballad."{{cite news| title=DeVotchKa| date=March 11, 2011| work=The New Yorker| url=https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/night-life/devotchka}}

To date, the band has released seven studio albums: SuperMelodrama (2000), Triple X Tango (2002), Una Volta (2003), How It Ends (2004), A Mad & Faithful Telling (2008), 100 Lovers (2011) and This Night Falls Forever (2018).

History

File:DeVotchKaSpaceland-NickSings.jpg

Originally a backing band for burlesque shows, in their early years DeVotchKa also toured with burlesque performer and model Dita Von Teese. Numerous nationwide tours in support of self-released records earned the band an underground following. Their song "How It Ends", from the 2004 album of the same name, introduced the band to a wider audience after being featured in the trailer for Everything Is Illuminated, in a 2008 Gears of War 2 trailer called "The Last Day", and in an episode of Everwood. "How It Ends" reached Number 101 in the UK Singles Charts.{{cite web |date=2008-12-27 |title=Official singles chart |url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlus383.pdf |access-date=2010-05-03 |publisher=ukchartsplus.co.uk}} Their performance at the 2006 Bonnaroo music festival was considered a breakout event.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} In 2006, Arcade Fire singer Win Butler suggested to DeVotchKa that they arrange the Siouxsie and the Banshees song "The Last Beat of My Heart". The musicians found the idea interesting and they recorded that song for 2006's Curse Your Little Heart EP.{{cite web|last=Frenette |first=Brad |url=http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/03/07/devotchka-finds-joy-in-the-sadness/ |title=DeVotchKa finds joy in the sadness – interview |work=National Post |date=7 March 2011 |access-date=20 January 2014 |quote=We were playing in Montreal, and Arcade Fire stopped by, back in the earlier days. We were doing this covers album and Win [Butler] recommended that we record The Last Beat of My Heart |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140122153054/http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/03/07/devotchka-finds-joy-in-the-sadness/ |archive-date=22 January 2014 }}
{{cite web |url=http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/artist-detail.cfm?id=3144 |title=DeVotchka |work=laphil.com |date=April 2007 |access-date=1 December 2011 |quote=The Curse Your Little Heart EP showcases the band's versatility, reinterpreting tracks by the Velvet Underground, Frank Sinatra, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and others, in addition to taking on one of their own older songs. Could the band itself even have predicted what would transpire from the Arcade Fire's Win Butler's suggestion to the band that they take on 'Last Beat of My Heart?' The end result is the center-piece of the EP, a grand and soaring take on the song; a testament to the band's true unique ability to transform nearly anything via a sound only DeVotchka can create, and perhaps a look at the epic nature of where the band's own recordings may move in the future.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616044837/https://www.laphil.com/philpedia/artist-detail.cfm/?id=3144|url-status=unfit|archive-date=16 June 2012}}

In between tours, the band was picked by first time film directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris to score Little Miss Sunshine,{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449059/soundtrack |title=Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – Soundtrack |publisher=imdb.com |access-date=2010-05-03}} a 2006 film that would go on to garner four Academy Award nominations. DeVotchKa, along with composer Mychael Danna, composed and performed the majority of the music for the film's soundtrack and were nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack. The main song, "The Winner Is", was also used in a commercial by the French-based environment and energy company Suez and the Dutch pension fund PGGM.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Their 2008 album, A Mad & Faithful Telling, reached No. 9 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 29 on the Top Independent Albums chart.[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p552582/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} Billboard], Allmusic "New World" and "Head Honcho" were featured in a season 4 episode of the Showtime television show Weeds.{{cite web|url=http://www.sho.com/site/weeds/music.do |title=Weeds Music |work=sho.com |access-date=2010-05-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091002012258/http%3A//www%2Esho%2Ecom/site/weeds/music%2Edo |archive-date= 2009-10-02 }} In 2008, Boston newspaper The Phoenix named them the Best New Band from Colorado.[http://thephoenix.com/Supplements/2008/50States/ 50 Bands, 50 States] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828040500/http://thephoenix.com/Supplements/2008/50States/ |date=August 28, 2008 }}, The Phoenix. Published July 4, 2008. The band supported Muse at the Stade de France on June 12, 2010, playing to over 80,000 people.

The band's newest album, This Night Falls Forever, was released on August 24, 2018, via Concord Records.{{Cite news|url=https://music.mxdwn.com/2018/07/14/news/devotchka-announces-new-album-this-night-falls-forever-for-august-2018-release-and-shares-new-song-straight-shot/|title=DeVotchKa Announces New Album This Night Falls Forever for August 2018 Release and Shares New Song "Straight Shot" -|date=2018-07-14|work=mxdwn Music|access-date=2018-07-20|language=en-US}} On July 13, 2018, DeVotchKa released "Straight Shot", which is the first track on the album.{{Cite web|url=http://mediakits-showcase.concordmusicgroup.com/p/this-night-falls-forever/press-release.html|title=DeVotchKa Media Kit|website=mediakits-showcase.concordmusicgroup.com|access-date=2018-07-20}}

Members

Discography

File:Devotchka - Sarah Stierch.jpg

Studio albums

EPs

Soundracks

Live albums

  • DeVotchKa Live with the Colorado Symphony (2012)

Other album appearances

  • Nightmare Revisited - "Overture" (2008)
  • Live at KEXP Vol.5 - "How It Ends" (2009)
  • Starbuck's Sweetheart - "Hot Burrito No. 1" (2009)
  • Songs from the Point! (Harry Nilsson cover album) - "Everything's Got 'Em" (2009)
  • Minnesota Beatle Project Volume 4 - "Girl" (2011; Vega Productions. CD and LP.)
  • [http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7ZT5/directv-man-in-a-shoe/ "Man in a Shoe"] - DirecTV ad using "The Winner Is", NBC, (2013)

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{commons category}}

{{Portal|Rock music}}

  • {{official website|https://www.devotchka.net/}}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20090122124604/http://www.acefu.com/artist.php?bid=302 DeVotchKa at Ace Fu Records]
  • [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/30/devotchka/ DeVotchka interview, and performance with Urata and Hagerman, for The Current]
  • [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4503539 Mikel Jollett of Filter magazine reviews the CD How It Ends on NPR's "All Things Considered"]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20071017085711/http://soundcrank.com/Interview.aspx?interviewid=1040 Soundcrank Podcast Hosted by Shawn King]
  • [http://www.billboardenespanol.com/musica/content_display/artistas/artista-destacado/e3ia0a20baccca40a596dcda180b42f4eb7 Devotchka, Artistas Destacados - Billboard En Español] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123190839/http://www.billboardenespanol.com/musica/content_display/artistas/artista-destacado/e3ia0a20baccca40a596dcda180b42f4eb7 |date=2009-01-23 }}
  • {{IMDb name|id=nm2943572}}

{{Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Main Title Theme – TV Show/Limited Series}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devotchka}}

Category:Dark cabaret musicians

Category:Gypsy punk groups

Category:Indie rock musical groups from Colorado

Category:Musical groups from Denver

Category:Musical groups established in 1997

Category:American musical quartets

Category:Anti- (record label) artists

Category:Concord Records artists

Category:1997 establishments in Colorado