With their official documentary about to debut on Netflix, DEVO's Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh discuss the band's contentious history, hologram tours, AI's role in music, Mick Jagger, and MTV with Clash.
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"Iggy Pop remarked that musically, what they were doing surpassed everyone else." That was the impression he had after witnessing DEVO perform at CBGBs during the punk music explosion in New York City. The art-punk group garnered plenty of high-profile fans after they emerged from their Akron, Ohio roots to become a leading force in guitar music in the mid-to-late 70s. John Lennon admired them, Bowie referred to them as "the band of the future," and Brian Eno shared similar praise. Neil Young jammed with DEVO after choosing them to star in his first film, Human Highway. "I’m glad he saw DEVO and thought we were intriguing," Mark Mothersbaugh fondly recalls while speaking to Clash via Zoom from his Los Angeles studio, the headquarters of his music production company, Mutato Muzika. Next to him sits DEVO guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh, who offers a more straightforward take on their musical connection with Young: "Well, he liked our band and had his manager sign us."
Despite their differing musical styles, DEVO and Neil Young had more in common than music. Young composed the song "Ohio" in response to the 1970 Kent State shooting, where the Ohio National Guard killed four unarmed students protesting U.S. involvement in Vietnam. At that time, DEVO founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale were students at Kent State University. This tragedy inevitably changed their lives forever, intensifying their cynicism and contempt for a society in apparent decline.
DEVO originated from the idea of "devo-lution," serving as a form of artistic expression when political protests seemed futile. Taking a stand against rampant consumerism and mocking America's right-wing tendencies, the band infused humor and B-movie aesthetics into their unique multimedia project. At their peak, audiences embraced the joke.
The synth-pop oddity "Whip It" brought DEVO a significant hit, and they even appeared in a surprising Honda commercial. Their style was ideally suited for MTV, a medium they helped shape. Although they considered themselves more of an art project than a conventional rock band, they enjoyed heavy airplay, yet critics often dismissed them as a novelty act. The distinctive 3-D glasses, yellow jumpsuits, and red ziggurat-like helmets are still synonymous with DEVO. In reality, their rejection of commercial mainstream was a factor in their decline. Their avant-garde sensibilities failed to resonate with the general public, which doesn't bode well for long-term record sales. They disbanded in 1990. Gerald Casale shifted to directing commercials and music videos for bands like Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and Silverchair, while Mothersbaugh started Mutato Muzika, establishing himself as a sought-after composer for films, television, and video games.
Despite disbanding, a 1996 reunion strengthened the band's cult following, gaining new fans through films directed by Wes Anderson, whose projects Mothersbaugh scored, and continuing to mystify audiences with their subversive, anti-cultural approach.
Being perpetually misunderstood has become second nature for DEVO. Their mission may be clarified in their upcoming documentary, DEVO. Directed by Chris Smith, known for his affinity for outliers and eccentrics, he previously tackled topics in documentaries like Tiger King, Fyre, and Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, which resonated with the Mothersbaugh brothers.
Before the documentary reveals what lies behind their iconic red energy dome hats, Clash writer Tom Curtis-Horsfall engages with Mark and Bob to discuss the timing for the official documentary, the possibility of a hologram tour, their views on AI in music, Mick Jagger, and their extensive influence.
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In today’s music landscape, documentaries and biopics often come off as somewhat insincere. What I appreciated about DEVO was your candidness regarding your errors, your naivety regarding the music business, and the divisiveness of your band.
Mark: That's good to hear. Upon watching it, I certainly noticed the aspects you're pointing out. DEVO was far from a typical rock band. We communicated a distinctive message. We questioned humanity’s position at the center of the universe. Even now, it feels more extreme, as if saying, 'hail mankind, let’s continue ruining this planet so we can migrate to Mars.' Our priorities are skewed.
You posed as a cover band to secure gigs in your early days. Can you describe how disastrous those shows turned out once they realized who you truly were?
Bob: We even got paid to stop performing at some venues. Back in Akron, when you played clubs, you might perform three times for the same audience. After the first set, the owner would often say
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As their official documentary is set to debut on Netflix, DEVO's Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh discuss the band's controversial history and hologram with Clash.