DEVIN TOWNSEND: 'The Hardest Part About Being A Singer Is That You Can't Hide'

In a new interview with Greece's Home Studio podcast, Canadian visionary musician, composer, and producer Devin Townsend — who has been promoting his upcoming rock opera "The Moth" — was asked how his voice has survived for more than three decades despite the fact that he has "no formal vocal technique". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. I don't know, because it shouldn't have. I mean, maybe on a practical level it's because I don't sing a lot, so I'm saving it. [Laughs] I don't sing in the shower, I don't wander around the house singing. I don't sing for the fun of it. I sing when I have to sing, so it's almost like if I've got a certain amount of voice for my entire life, I just kind of spread it out over a longer period of time.

"The first year that I was singing with Steve [Vai], I remember going to a vocal coach, and the vocal coach seeing my technique, and just being concerned that I was not gonna be able to sing for more than a year," Devin continued. "But it's been almost 40, so ha ha. I mean, I don't know. [Laughs]"

After the interviewer noted that Devin has "aggression" in his delivery but also has "total control" of his voice, Townsend said: "Well, my voice is just me. I think that the hardest part about being a singer is that you can't hide, and if you're insecure or abstract, as I think I am, it becomes such a psychological hurdle to be able to speak your truth while also accepting the fact that there's gonna be people that don't understand it or there's people that misinterpret it or what have you. And the work that I put into my own life in terms of keeping myself grounded or balanced are the same things that allow me to have control over my voice, in a way. It's like the more I've learned to care for myself and the more that I've learned to care about myself, the better my voice has gotten. I think my voice has represented to me for many years a part of myself that I was trying to suppress or trying hide. It's, like, I didn't wanna be seen as the person that I am. And that all changed [laughs], that all changed over the past couple years, I have to say. Even before that, I thought that that wasn't the case, but sometimes life puts you in scenarios where you have no choice but to see the truth. And at that point I was much more in control of my voice, just based on not running from myself, I guess, in the same way. So as not practical advice as it may be to other singers, it's, like, my only vocal exercise is try to sort your head out. And then your voice should improve."

Asked how he relationship with the music industry has evolved or changed through the advent of social media and streaming services, Devin said: "Well, I hired a staff that are younger than me… I think that's really the only solution, because otherwise you have to care, and if you don't... The only thing that I care about in terms of the industry and in terms of my role is that I care about the audience. I want to articulate the visions that I have been fortunate enough to hear in a way that's accurate to the original creative compulsion. So that's the first thing, above all, is honoring whatever the vision is, and above all, doesn't matter what the vision is. If I have the vision and it's compelling, to get it right is the most important thing, regardless of what anybody feels about it. But then second to that is you wanna do a good job for the audience. You wanna be able to, if you're performing or if you're writing or if you're mixing, it's great to service an audience to the best way that you're able, but the way that the industry has changed and social media and all of that, it's made it so unless you truly care about that stuff, you gotta have people helping you. So now I'm fortunate that I've got people, like, 'Okay, today we'll film a playthrough video. Today we'll do this.' And then you can stay active, and you can still communicate with your audience, which is beautiful. But I don't have to have all those moments of creative potential compromised by feeling like I have to… My job can't be just social media. My job has to be music. So that transition, which has been going on for maybe the past decade, has been nuanced."

He continued: "You have to really, really understand what your main intention is. And it's actually taken me a lot of time to get back to the idea that what I should be focused on is music. What I should be focused on is creating and just ideas and endless ideas. And even though it's a risk, I was just, like, 'Okay, so if I hire people, and then if I build a place that allows me to articulate these things, there'll be a transition period of one life to the next.' But that's what this past year and a half has been, is the hiring of people and the building of this facility. And going from the fact that it's, like… I'm best when I'm able to be creative. I'm best when I'm able to just wake up and write and create and have ideas, and then be able to delegate it, to say, 'You do this and you do this and I'll do this,' and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And it hasn't been that way for quite a few years. I've been, like, 'I gotta put up a post, I gotta make a video, I gotta...' You know what I mean? And I think that that has compromised, to some degree, my motivation. And so by building this over the last while and by hiring people, I'm just waiting for that burnout to sort of subside, the fatigue to sort of go away. And it's getting there. It's definitely getting there. But once it all settles, I can just make so much creative content. I can do so much now. I just gotta get some sleep first, but I'm almost there."

"The Moth" will be released on May 29 via InsideOut Music. This 24-track record began as a vague vision more than a decade ago. It existed in the back of Townsend's mind as his "life's work". Then, about six years ago, after an acoustic show in Amsterdam, Townsend was approached by the head of the Noord Nederlands Orkest (North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra) with an offer: bring orchestral grandeur to Devin's extensive discography.

"The Moth" constitutes three distinct parts across its release. In addition to the main album, "The Moth - The Afterlife" highlights the grandeur of the orchestra and choir, in what might be considered a more pure version of "The Moth" experience. "The Moth - The War" is a recording of the live musical debut that took place in March 2025 in The Netherlands, showcasing the raw emotion of performing "The Moth" for the very first time.

Devin will embark on a European solo tour in September and October 2026. The "Metamorphosis" solo tour offers a rare unfiltered opportunity to see Townsend back on stage, performing solo at 23 shows across 10 different countries in Europe. In typical Devin fashion, expect the unexpected with a varied setlist that will doubtless change night by night, and, of course, a few (bizarre) surprises along the way.