The Rocky Road to Fame and Fortune

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be famous? Not the “I slapped a horse once and now I’m a Halloween costume” kind of famous— I’m talking big leagues. The superstars: Beyoncé, Coldplay, Kimmy K… all the other K’s… you get the picture. We’ve all had those shower daydreams: suddenly the bottles of shampoo are screaming fans and you’re belting out songs like a complete goddess in the showerhead spotlight. *drops the hairbrush* Eventually, you take a bow and get back to reality. But, what if those Herbal Essences bottles stopped being a good enough audience? Where do you even begin?

This was my first question when my sister told us of her plans to graduate from shower to stage. Living with an aspiring musician and witnessing the long nights, endless road trips, and doubtful relatives has revealed to me the extremely unglamorous path one must take to gain celebrity status. I present to you fame-worthy former Kingstonian herself: Devan Glover of Wild Rivers and the truth to the life of a musician before fame.

Dev’s love for music bloomed early on from an elementary school Christmas play as a gospel-singing Mary. I still remember my frustration with the seriously impressive but stentorian Aguilera riffs coming from the bathroom as I tried to learn my times tables. The amount of determination and passion that Dev emulates now as a member of Wild Rivers only comes from this kind of early dedication. Though the starry-eyed toddler is given little encouragement to pursue her dreams, sometimes it takes this innocent confidence to clear the pathway of possibility.

Years later, after several amateur high school performances, Dev courageously entered the world of music alone in Kingston. Taking advantage of the opportunities for budding artists available at Queen’s, she made regular appearances at CoGro open-mics and started to gain a top-secret obsessed following. Soon enough, Dev met Khalid Yassesin, a fellow Queen’s student and talented musician also struggling to break into the biz. With Khal’s gift of composition and Dev’s incredible voice, they created duo-group ‘Devan and Khalid.’ For two years, they played out the limited Kingston venues and did their best to gain popularity. After graduation in 2015, the duo teamed up with fellow Queen’s alum Ben Labenski (drummer), and Andrew Oliver (guitarist)— thus, Wild Rivers was born.

Witnessing the lives of these “starving artists” has proved to me that even a colossal amount of talent does not secure a star on the walk of fame. As far as I can tell, the most important things a musician can control to gain recognition are connections, perseverance, and passion. Having connections does not mean your dad needs to manage The Weeknd; building relationships with other musicians and making connections with potential fans is crucial. While at Queen’s, Wild Rivers created bonds with their fellow musicians and gained a loyal fan base in Kingston. As they graduated, the majority of their fans graduated too, conveniently dispersing all over the world, spreading the admiration.

Perseverance is necessary in the business, but extremely difficult. You need pretty tough skin to maintain your pride after playing a show with an audience consisting mainly of family members. This circumstance is inevitable at some point in this career and it can only be blamed on timing, location, or unsuccessful promotion– rarely on lack of talent.

Finally, above all else, to succeed as an artist in the big leagues, you need to be passionate. Passion is what motivates a person to push through any tribulations and focus on their ultimate goal. What else will justify those long car rides, late nights, and frustration? With many hardships existing on the road to stardom, having that drive is essential for success.

Although they still deal with moments of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement, Wild Rivers has had an immense amount of success in the past year. They’ve completed a successful tour across the US, hit a whopping 3 million listens on Spotify, and have been invited to the world-renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, TX in March 2017. Although they may not always stop to recognize how far they’ve come, their evolution– starting from school plays at age 7 to being sought out for shows in different countries– are grounds for applause. Although the dream of fame is scary and unstable, and it may take a few years of convincing your parents you’re not a “failureto-launch” case, it is a possible dream, and a great one. Being so determined, deserving of, and patient for their big break, Wild Rivers is an inspiration to fellow aspiring and perhaps disgruntled artists trying to find their place in the world of music.

By Megan Glover | Photography by Harrison Clarke