By: Katy Lindenmuth
All you realists out there can probably explain Sara Lov’s timid, haunting voice through genetics: the size and structure of her vocal chords, the exact positioning of her larynx, etc. But perhaps her soft-spoken allure stems from a tumultuous childhood: Kidnapped at the age of four by her own father, Lov was forcibly relocated to Israel and raised by the man she calls “a very interesting, intellectual, creative, artistic person” as well as “a violent sociopath.” (The government prefers “an international fugitive from justice.”) Meanwhile, the other half of Devics was honing his musical talents on the other side of the planet, in Kauai, Hawaii. Evidently, all Dustin O’Halloran needed was Lov (sorry, we couldn’t resist): A former piano prodigy, he mastered the guitar, bass, and drums after meeting Lov in an art class at Santa Monica College, years after she’d been rescued from the Middle East by an uncle. They instantly hit it off, forming both a relationship and a band. Devics’ signature sound became Lov’s quiet but stunning vocals.
Lov and O’Halloran’s romantic relationship ended after a few years, but Devics endured. (Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush should really take a clue from these two.) My Beautiful Sinking Ship, released on U.K. label Bella Union in 2001, led Devics to a string of European tours as well as into a scoring role in director Giuseppe Bertolucci’s L’amore Probabilmente. The duo’s 2003 release, The Stars at Saint Andrea, bolstered their European fan base — particularly in Italy — and left them hungry to conquer their home turf of America. Two upcoming goodies could do just that: Push the Heart, Devics’ fourth album, is out this month, while a five-song EP, Distant Radio, is slated for release in June.
