Devon Gabriella was about to play a show in the city her ex-boyfriend lived in; the same ex she was about to pretty much sing her entire set about. For old times sake, she thought, maybe she’d invite him to watch her play. For old times sake, maybe they could hang out, albeit the mess that may entail because of it.
Instead, she just wrote a song about it. And now it’s here for the world to relate to.
A sweetly sarcastic tune, “Old Time’s Sake,” out March 6, explores the twisted pleasure Gabriella’s ex has in leaving her time and time again, as if he does it for tradition. Gabriella’s soft and sugary vocals accompany a steady acoustic guitar, building up to an ultimately-catchy chorus that recounts the pair’s toxic on-and-off again nature.
Recently off a North American tour with Grammy-nominated artist Sombr, Gabriella has quickly built a dedicated fanbase and a fierce repertoire of emotionally-complex, yet stunningly-beautiful music. Since her debut in 2020 with “The Way That I See You,” she has released 13 singles on top of two stellar EPs, the most recent being 2025’s The Garden.
Gabriella approaches her pop sound and lyricism with a similar bittersweet emotion to those of Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan and Conan Gray, which are some artists fans see her post covers of on social media. Listeners can feel a comforting vibe in the words Gabriella sings for them, words that are deep-rooted in a relatable sense of personal growth for both the singer and those that are lucky enough to find her music.
In “Old Time’s Sake,” Gabriella’s lyrics are creatively smug, yet introspective — a trick she’s perfected in the years she’s been releasing music. She sings about how she wants to go see her ex again, even though she knows exactly how it’s going to end: him leaving her heartbroken. Gabriella asks herself why she often dreams about her past relationship and, even worse, why she would get back together with him if he said the words.
“Come on baby, you can do it, don’t have to wait / It’s kinda sweet you’re gonna leave me for old time’s sake / Oh we’ve been here once before / We’ve played this game / The only thing you gotta do is go M.I.A.”
Gabriella’s use of the phrase “old time’s sake” to tell her story is particularly brilliant and tongue-in-cheek. Once she is back with her ex, she waits for the other shoe to drop. They can drink and kiss just like they did together before, but to truly complete the trifecta, he needs to leave her stranded. They say history repeats itself, and Gabriella is living in this cycle.
This isn’t the first time fans of Gabriella have heard “Old Time’s Sake” — it’s a long-time teased track that was played live this past fall on tour with Sombr, creating an immediate fan plea for the song to be out officially.
Devon Gabriella is an artist that people will be happy they discovered early just simply to watch her grow and evolve into a staple gen-Z artist. “Old Time’s Sake” is only the most recent glimpse into what she has to offer the world, and with new music on the horizon it’s only bound to get more impressive from here.
★ INTERVIEW ★
Crave Music Magazine was able to catch up with Devon Gabriella on release day to talk about “Old Time’s Sake,” her exciting upcoming era and the importance of fans in today’s society.
CRAVE: So congrats on the single release. It is a huge day today!
GABRIELLA: Thank you so much. Yeah, it feels like it. I haven’t released a song, like a single, since June or like new music. So it’s been a sec and it feels really good. Thank you.
CRAVE: I’m so glad. I know you’ve been sitting on this song for a while, you know, playing it live on Sombr’s tour and I’m sure it’s gone through a lot of different versions and drafts. So how does it feel to finally have that out into the world?
GABRIELLA: Very, very, very full circle, especially because it came into fruition right before I left. I found the actual text message that I sent the producer actually this morning when I said, I think I want to play this on tour. And it was Sept.14 and I had the first show on Sept. 22. So almost exactly a week later, we just got together. I played it for my MD and he was just all on board to have it be kind of like the unreleased song on the set list because it was so show-oriented. It was literally written about tour and about this hypothetical scenario that may or may not have been hypothetical. So it’s very cool. Yeah, it’s very fulfilling to work on something and believe in it, get to play it live and then have it be out in the world, accessible to everyone.
CRAVE: When I was listening to [“Old Time’s Sake”], I thought the concept was just so unique and the lyrics are just so sweetly sarcastic. It’s humorous, but it’s also relatable and heartbreaking, but it’s also kind of funny. Can you talk about the songwriting process and how you landed on the theme of “old time’s sake” itself, especially if you got it together right before tour?
GABRIELLA: Right before tour. I love that question. My themes that surround my music are mostly love, loss, growth, growing out of things and people and places. And usually with that is not so much of a lighthearted tone. It’s, you know, struggles and heavy, heavy emotions and I think writing this song was the first time I allowed myself to enter in a space of something with a little bit more tongue in cheek. It was very freeing. I remember specifically writing “We’ve done this once before / We played this game / The only thing you got to do is go MIA” and I was expressing to my producer that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to say “MIA,” like it sounded too predictable, or I wanted either to use more colorful language or something a bit, you know, less straightforward. But, he told me in the room, “No, that’s great. That’s like you feel it. That’s what it wants to mean. That’s what it wants to say. Say it.” Trusting in your immediate instinct was a huge thing for me during the process. But I still also wanted to create an undertone of chasing after someone and having the same thing go wrong over and over again isn’t fun. There’s still that disappointment that lies within it, but taking a new perspective on it where you can kind of find some like some humor and “here we go again” energy, because when it comes down to it, I’m young, and sometimes making not the smartest decisions is what a young person does. Going back to the wrong person. Maybe we’re all guilty of it sometimes. And that’s OK. As for “Old Time’s Sake,” that really just fell into place.
I remember the day I had just met the producer I worked with, and it’s funny because I wasn’t even going to go to the session. I was definitely having a day, which is rare, but I just was feeling a bit overwhelmed and I called my manager and he’s like, “I think you should go.” And I was like, “OK, yeah, maybe I do have a feeling.” And lo and behold, [I] went, met Kevin [Farzad]; He was awesome and really allowed me to explore sonically and express what I was feeling. So insanely thankful I ended up going. But I think it did unlock a new chapter in my creative process and that things don’t always have to be so heavy and sad, and it’s a beautiful thing. Songwriting is so cathartic for that. That has been my main thing for years. But yeah, it felt very cool to take a step out of that and approach something from a fresh perspective.
CRAVE: Sometimes you just need that push and then, look, it led you to this great song, these great opportunities. And I assume a whole other plethora of songs that are getting ready to come out in the future.
GABRIELLA: Yeah, after that session I got on the road, singing it live, which also shaped how I knew I wanted to produce that record to sound. And it was really crazy because towards the end of the tour, fans who have been to multiple shows started learning the lyrics. It just felt so, so, so cool and almost ready once I got off tour to be like, “OK, I think this song is something special.” And especially with the sonic world, the instrumentation has really shaped my next songs and where I find myself. When I’m in sessions and exploring new sounds, because it is a bit different from at least my last project, The Garden, even the song, “The Garden itself is very stripped-back, acoustic; This has a little bit more oomph in it. But yeah, I’m very, very proud of it. And I’m so lucky to have worked with such a talented producer and Kevin.
CRAVE: Playing it live, it must have been really cool to see that progression from the first show to the last show. That tangible product that people are hearing it and they’re learning the words. I’ve seen in your comment sections people begging for its release. How do you think playing it live changed your relationship with the song, from that day in September to today?
GABRIELLA: Oh, that’s such a great question. The first one that comes to mind is playing it in Atlanta. Like the first line of the song is “Out in Georgia,” so playing the actual show in Atlanta, where that was what the song was written about, it felt like I was holding this product in my hand that is now taking place and right all around me. I think also, when I got back from tour, I was able to re-track some vocals, just because I liked how I sang this part live, I liked how much emphasis was on this word, because I also got reception from the people in the audience; there’s certain parts where they would scream even louder. So, I really wanted to place emphasis on that in the actual record. But I’ve never done anything like that before — write a song a week before tour and then play it 28 times. And it turned out to be a favorite. And I think it really just is a testament to trust in your instincts and not being afraid to take a risk. And I’m very, very glad I did. And I’m so lucky that I can look back on videos upon videos of me singing it when it was unreleased. And hopefully I’ll be singing it in many more videos now that it is released.
CRAVE: You have just such a dedicated fan base online, and I see you interact with them quite a lot. They’re always showing love to you and you’re showing love right back. What does fan interaction mean to you? And why do you continue to do it?
GABRIELLA: It genuinely is the reason I keep going. I think if I am able to create an environment and a world that feels safe, especially for young women who need it most, and create friendships and relationships from my music and meeting through their zoom calls or in the comment sections or, you know, just stumbling across each other through an extension of myself, that is the most fulfilling thing in the whole world. I think community and community building is just such an integral part of everything that I do. I know when I was, I’m 24, but when I was 14, I’d say ten years ago — which is crazy. I feel so old.
CRAVE: Don’t even get me started.
GABRIELLA: Like what do you mean you were born in 2012? But I was craving something like that. I had fan pages for shows I love. I had fan pages for Pretty Little Liars and The Fosters and Dance Moms, all of it. And I remember how exciting it was to find people with the same interests and going through similar experiences and how important that was to me in my upbringing and my development and expressing myself to others and learning more about myself. So, I find that to be the most rewarding part of anything. Like obviously, the music is where it starts, but it truly built into something that I could only have dreamt of, which is only emphasized more through performing live and seeing these people in person front row waiting ten hours to see the opener and their flower crowns and like holding down the whole crowd because, you know, no one is really there for you when you’re an opener in the least negative way possible. You know, they’re there for the headliner. But my listeners showed up. It’s a scary thing being on stage, but every time I see just one person in the front with the flower crown sing my lyrics, it literally took one young girl to look me in the eyes and smile and I was like, “I’m set, I can do it.” So I’m incredibly grateful. And hopefully, everything just continues to to grow and more people can find a space that could be really necessary for them.
CRAVE: As a veteran of stan Twitter, I think that was the most perfect answer.
GABRIELLA: I wasn’t on Twitter, I was so on Instagram. I was on Photoshop. I was making edits. I was editing Pretty Little Liars, Dance Moms, everything. It was like my job.
CRAVE: No, it’s literally girls like that that keep everything alive. They keep music alive. They keep TV alive. They keep everything alive. They keep it running. The fans are where it starts.
GABRIELLA: No one can do anything without fans. So when it comes to my headline show I did in December, we ended up getting kicked out. I can only meet ten people inside the venue because venues have curfews, so we were all escorted out but I was like, “No, I literally need to look at everyone and thank them.” So we set up a whole table in the parking lot. It was freezing, but I need to just say a personal “Thank you,” because it’s one thing, you know, posting a story, being like, “Thanks so much for coming,” but being able to look everyone in the eye and like truly thank them for driving from wherever they drove and singing every word and showing up because it’s literally nothing without them.
CRAVE: It’s just such a good perspective to have. Speaking of tour, I know we brushed on Sombr, but I read that it was the longest you’ve ever been on the road for. What takeaways did you have from that tour that you’re able to carry on for your future headline shows?
GABRIELLA: Well, I truly fell in love with touring. I think the most shows in a tour I’d done previously was 14 or 13. And that was really me just acoustically, I wasn’t touring with a band and I didn’t have a [tour manager]. I was literally staying in hostels at one point. I was just so, so different. So when it came time to be in the van, getting the opportunity to bring my band members and having a TM and being the artist, it was the craziest thing ever. And I was pinching myself. I think being on the road in itself, it’s a physical and mental challenge. So surrounding myself with people who I felt understood me and saw me and was really important. And I think I had the best touring crew in the whole world. I was sobbing my eyes out the last show, obviously because tour was over, but because like you spend 24/7 with these people and then all of a sudden you wake up in your bed and you’re like, “I’m not seeing you anymore.” Especially on a tour of such a high caliber like Sombr’s, I was kind of just thrust into “Alright, here we go at this huge arena,” and you’re just going to do it. I learned a lot about myself, about the way I can grow. But, I truly think the number one thing was I want to do this for as long as people have me, and it was the most amazing opportunity that I cannot thank Shane enough for because it changed my life. And now going into my own headline shows, I feel like opening in an arena, you kind of feel like you can do it; You can do it all. So it was really great practice and experience and to just also to see Shane in his element, and his show was so elaborate and well thought-out and he just delivered the most amount of energy every single night. It was very inspiring to see. Hopefully I’ll take some things I also learned from him and, and from just watching into my own shows.
CRAVE: I was looking into your discography and you have quite a growing number of songs; you’re building a really beautiful collection here. When you think back to 2020, when you are releasing your very first few singles, what emotions arise? From back then versus where you are now coming off of this tour and a huge fan base?
GABRIELLA: Too many emotions. I mean doing something that you’ve worked towards for so long, I worked so hard and I was doing everything by myself for a really, really long time until people, team, potential managers, agents, whatnot, caught on. But for so long, I was cold emailing producers and trying just any way to get my foot in the door. And, I obviously was chronically online then, so I’m documenting everything. But it’s genuinely like a time capsule; I look back there and I’m like, “if she only knew what was about to happen.” It’s funny. I don’t really talk about it a lot, but actually for my internship, because I went to college and was doing music at the same time, so I was driving back and forth from my college to LA, like four hours recording and then driving back and going to biopsych class and driving back and I’d literally just do anything to make it happen. But, during my degree, I had an internship and I ended up working at a label and I was working on artist’s teams and I was just sitting there in the meetings being like, “One day, this will be me.” I just need to work so hard for it to be me. And now, here I am on the other side of the table. So I do not take anything for granted.
I am glad that I’m not 19 anymore releasing really bad songs. But I also have so much grace and empathy for her because everything was new then. I was truly just having to go into things blind. But I think now that I’ve learned a lot about the industry and who I am period, but also as a creative. I’m still getting the hang of it. I like thinking that as artists and creatives, you’re never really gonna stop evolving, but looking back at the 2020 era is just in the best way possible. I wish I could take so many songs off Spotify. A listener a month ago, she’s like, “Every Devon song is someone’s favorite Devon song. You can’t do that.” I was like, “Oh, you’re so right.” Even if I hate it, it probably means something to someone else, and who am I to decide that or take it away? But in my brain, just for the cringeworthy level, like, I just can’t open up.
CRAVE: It’s bound to happen. Without that 19 year old cringe song, you might not be where you are right now. It’s all a path.
GABRIELLA: It’s so true. It is all a path. And it is nice to actually have those to look back on and playing my first song ever released versus this song is like night and day, or I’d hope it is. But, yeah, I was just determined to make things happen, and I still am. There’s no, “Oh, I have a team now and a manager, I can just chill.” No, the work gets 10x harder. Like it’s your vision, you’re the artist. It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s so incredibly rewarding and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else ever.
CRAVE: I did want to talk about the elephant in the room of Harry Styles. I know you are a huge fan. I’ve seen your covers and I know it’s very special that you guys are sharing such a huge day together. So, I just wanted to know if you’ve even had time to touch the album yet?
GABRIELLA: Oh, Ashlee, I had a whole listening party. I can’t even describe it in words. I’m obsessed with him. I’m such a fan of him as a songwriter and a human and just an artist. I think I played his album before I played my own songs. I was praying for an acoustic song, like a “Sweet Creature” in the album, and I think we got that in “Paint By Numbers.” I’m digging this techno-pop. I feel like, honestly, I’m never not going to like anything he does because it’s just, it’s Harry Styles.
CRAVE: Everyone’s talking about “Pop” and I was like, “Pop” does deserve the hype. It’s so good. And it’ll be such a great live act.
GABRIELLA: I’m going to find a way to go. I have no choice. My finger will slip and I’ll buy flights to New York. I’m blessed to share a day. I was hesitant, obviously, because I’m like, “This is Harry Styles’ day,” and who am I to put out a song? But, I feel honored that he has no clue who I am, but I’m pretending that he does. Maybe one day he will.
CRAVE: March 6, 2026 will go down in history. Something else that came out today was the music video, which I thought was just so beautifully shot and so beautifully choreographed. What is it like to not only write lyrics about a story of your life, but then to bring that to life in a visual format?
GABRIELLA: It is so cool. I grew up dancing. I am a huge movie/TV and just film lover, and obviously music over everything, and being able to combine the three as a creative, I’m genuinely floating on cloud nine when it’s happening because it’s everything I’ve wanted to do in one. I feel like all of my songs have their own world they’re built upon. If I’m listening to one of my songs, I’m like, “This is about this,” and I can talk for hours about it and visualize the world. So being able to make that tangible is incredible. And my amazing creative director Anne-Sophie [Bine] sent me the treatment and it was the song, it was what I pictured. Obviously the boy in the video — love him, shout Xavier — wasn’t my actual ex, but other than that, it’s like, we had the band boys there, we had me during soundtrack. He walks in and this is exactly how it happened. It is so cool to see a world that you built in your head and then wrote about come to life. The whole crew, everyone, a part of that, it was just such a lovely day. Everyone was so talented, so dedicated, so kind.
I like to think when I’m 90, I’ll be at whatever home I’m living in, or I don’t know, I’m scared, but I’ll pull up that video and be like, “Hey, look at me at 24,” showing everyone else in the elderly home. I’m so proud of it, but truly it is just everyone, the people who brought to life — the crew, casts, and, obviously, it’s my song and I had ideas and we worked together on it, but truly, I think it’s really important to give a round of applause to people who work behind the camera. They’re just so talented and do everything. I have a twin sister, Jade who was in the video, she was my TM because my actual TM is actually TMing for Charlotte Lawrence, who’s now opening for Sombr. So, she’s now doing like the whole tour which is so cool. My twin acted in the video and she’s an amazing actress. We grew up dancing together. She was an assistant in choreography for the dance section, which as an ex-dancer was so cool to do. And again, very full circle, but also when I get to be in those settings on set with my sister, who also is a creative, and we grew up knowing that we wanted to move to LA eventually and do this, and to be there and be like, “Wait, we’re adults now. This is our dream. This is so cool.” I just adore her and want to involve her in any way and support her as much as she supports me.
CRAVE: I love whenever I hear artists involve their family in whatever they’re doing, it’s just like such a cool way to pay a tribute to that. Like, my family got me here. Be an extra!
GABRIELLA: My mom was an extra. She kind of got cut out, bless her heart, but you can see the back of her head at one point. And then I was able to cast one of my best friends, Ari, in the video. He’s an incredible dancer and showcasing my friends and people close to me’s talents, it makes you want to cry. I’m just like, “Oh, everyone, look how amazing you are.” So I was very lucky I was able to do that.
CRAVE: We’re about out of time, but is there anything you’re able to tease for the upcoming year? Any more music? Tours? The people got to know.
GABRIELLA: I have been nonstop in the studio, so much so that my voice has taken a hit, but it is so worth it. I have been in a session every single day, literally yesterday, which was kind of technically release day. I [spent] eight hours there writing songs and I’m writing my favorite music yet. I’m just itching to perform them live. So everything that could be happening, I’d say is in the works and take that how you will, but there’s so much more. And “Old Time’s Sake” is just the beginning.
Keep up with Devon Gabriella:
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