Dev Lemons
Dev Lemons | |
|---|---|
 Dev Lemons performing in 2026 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Devon Vonder Schmalz March 12, 1999 |
| Education | Emerson College |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Label | ONErpm |
| Website | devlemons |
Devon Vonder Schmalz (born March 12, 1999), also known as Dev Lemons, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and YouTuber. She initially gained popularity by making music theory videos as SongPsych on TikTok and YouTube and through her personal YouTube channel, Dev Limes. She has released two studio albums, Surface Tension in 2025, and Hunting What We Already Killed in 2026.
Early life
[edit]Devon Vonder Schmalz was born on March 12, 1999, in Warrington Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She played the flute in the fourth grade but had to quit because it was too expensive; she also attempted piano and electric guitar, but dropped those as well.[1]
Initially aspiring to be an actress, Schmalz majored in TV Writing at Emerson College, but had to finish her senior year online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Later, she interned at Nickelodeon and Comedy Central and, until 2023,[2] produced digestible videos on music theory, which she learned about online during the pandemic, as SongPsych on TikTok and YouTube.[3] She also operated a YouTube channel, Dev Limes, where she became known for a series in which she attempted to recreate popular songs from scratch while keeping her computer muted, leaving her unable to hear the music she was producing. The series later led to her third EP, Songs with the Volume On, which incorporated elements from songs she had created during the series.[4]
Career
[edit]Schmalz originally started out making bedroom pop solo as Miss iPad,[2] but rebranded in fear of Apple Inc. suing her if she became more successful.[5] She also formed the comedy music group Queef Jerky with YouTuber Nickisnotgreen.[4][6]
Schmalz released her debut studio album, Surface Tension, on August 1, 2025. In the leadup to the album's release, she created "scary short films" that were uploaded to social media; these videos were influenced by the older internet era, the uncanny valley aesthetic, and games such as Doki Doki Literature Club!.[3] She released her second album, Hunting What We Already Killed, on October 2, 2026.[7] She wrote the album over a year and a half prior and drew from personal experiences, including the ending of a relationship.[5]
Influences and artistry
[edit]Schmalz has stated that, when making music, she likes to "turn [her] brain off as much as [she] can" to help expose her subconscious to the music. Many of her songs develop based on her feelings on the day.[1] On the visualizer for "Eat the Pavement" off her album Hunting What We Already Killed, Schmalz wanted to draw comparisons to Happy Tree Friends, contrasting its buoyant production with firm lyrics.[5]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Surface Tension |
|
| Hunting What We Already Killed |
|
Extended plays
[edit]| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Lemontopia |
|
| Delusional |
|
| Songs With the Volume On |
|
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Rotisserie Pigeon" (with Stevie Powers) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Guessing Games" (with Whose Rules) | 2021 | |
| "Don't You See the Time" (with Whose Rules) | ||
| "One Whole Me" | 2022 | |
| "Autopilot" | ||
| "CEO of My Ass" | ||
| "Ghosted My Dentist" | ||
| "Nightstand" | 2023 | Delusional |
| "Dizzy Vision" | ||
| "You Tear Me Apart" | ||
| "Give Mama a Hug" | 2024 | Non-album singles |
| "Freak Show" | ||
| "Why Did I Laugh Anyway" | ||
| "In The Party" (with Billy Lemos) | ||
| "Nice Try" | 2025 | Surface Tension |
| "Stuck Again" | ||
| "Maybe I'm the Reason / Be Cool" | 2026 | Non-album singles |
| "Eat the Pavement" | Hunting What We Already Killed | |
| "Only One Way to Know" | ||
| "Best Friend" | ||
Tours
[edit]- Eat The Pavement Tour (2026)[15]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Acosta, Gia (October 25, 2025). "Dev Lemons talks Debut Album SURFACE TENSION, Upcoming Tour, and Artificial Moon Theory [Q+A]". Ones to Watch. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- 1 2 Spence, Matthew (September 12, 2025). "Beyond the Surface, Cutting the Tension with Dev Lemons". Cherry-Tape Magazine. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- 1 2 "An Interview with Dev Lemons: Art & Ourselves". Summur Magazine. August 22, 2025. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- 1 2 Robinson, Tate (August 26, 2025). "Album Review: Dev Lemons' SURFACE TENSION". 26,000 Watts of College Debauchery. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Arcand, Jess (September 29, 2026). "Dev Lemons: "Damn, this is my reputation – I'm this crazy person" | Interview". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ Fine, Freddie (November 22, 2022). "Dev Lemons caps off her year with new single, 'Ghosted My Dentist'". Our Generation Music. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ Birnbaum, Matan (July 14, 2026). "Dev Lemons Turns the End of a Relationship Into a Warning Shot on "eat the pavement"". Skratch N Sniff Radio and News. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Surface Tension". devlemons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Hunting What We Already Killed". devlemons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Lemontopia". devlemons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Delusional". devlemons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Songs With the Volume On". devlemons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ "dev lemons (@dev_lemons) on X". X (formerly Twitter). May 30, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ Castillo, Michelle (February 7, 2026). "Dev Lemons Will Become the Next Big Thing". Cut It Out Magazine. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ "DEV LEMONS - EAT THE PAVEMENT TOUR at Valley Bar on Fri, Oct 16, 2026, 7:30 PM". Live Nation. 2026. Retrieved October 3, 2026.