Joe Devadanam, aka JD Lion, took a winding and unconventional path to becoming a solo artist. A professional drummer from Austin, TX, he has been a versatile session drummer for over 20 years. JD lion has played with many Americana, Rock, and Country artists. Over the years, JD has racked up many endorsements in the drumming community and various brands. His blessings and brand partnerships include Los Cabos Drumsticks, 7drums, TX Whiskey, MusicDoingGood, and others. As a drummer, through various acts, he’s amassed a very long touring history that spans over 20 years.
Devadanam has completed many national tours, has a long history of touring across multiple regions, and has earned the respect of his colleagues. He is no stranger to the media as he has appeared in many interviews and podcasts, featured in Drum Magazine, and was even an extra in a movie! Devadanam has a long recording history, and production always seemed to follow. As a Drummer/Producer, Devadanam believes in “genreless” music and believes that the future is not tied to a particular genre but rather a multitude of sounds that blends classic and future sounds to make new American music. Outside of music, Devadanam is a family man, a huge sports fan, dog lover, and contributes to many animal welfare and conservation charities.
For JD Lion, influences spread as far and wide as the Texas sky. Starting in rock and roll, he gravitated to the sounds of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Soundgarden, Tool, and much of the classic rock and 90’s rock scene. As his musical development took hold, everything from electronic music artists such as Sasha, Fatboy Slim, and Crystal Method to jazz artists like John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Pat Metheny, and the sounds of Brazil provided the tools for his never-ending quest for genreless music.
JD Lion was born and raised in Houston, TX, spent ten years in the Austin and Texas music scene, and in August 2021, he moved to Atlanta, GA. Though Atlanta is his adopted hometown, you’ll commonly see Lion “throw up the H.” He’s very proud of his lineage as his parents emigrated from Hyderabad, India, and he honors his family and his father, whom he lost in 2012.
Lion is a dreamer, simply put. After releasing two albums, 2 EPs, an upcoming album, and releasing a yearly Christmas single – in honor of how British Television does Christmas special, Lion will always have new music for his fans. Lion plans to play select cities in America and make his European introduction in 2023.