IRELAND/UK — Irish singer-songwriter Janet Devlin announces the release of “Working For The Man” — a song that has lived in her setlist for over thirteen years, earned the love of audiences night after night, and been called for by fans for longer than most artists wait between albums. Written when Janet was just 17 years old, recorded at the legendary Blackbird Studios in Nashville, and mixed by six-time Grammy Award-winning engineer Vance Powell, it is finally, officially, here.
The wait was worth it.
“Working For The Man” pulses with restless desire for independence — a track born from a grey, rainy afternoon in a Portobello Road flat in London, where a nervous teenage Janet sat across from acclaimed singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti during one of her first ever co-writing sessions. Across two days, the pair wrote two songs: “Delicate,” which appeared on her debut album, and “Working For The Man,” which did not. Instead, it became something rarer — a live staple, a fan obsession, and a personal favourite that refused to fade.
“It was so magical to hear the song I’ve loved for so long finally come to fruition,” Janet says. “To go from a little garage band demo on my laptop with Jack, to a full live band in none other than Blackbird Studios. It really felt like a beautiful, full-circle moment. If only 17-year-old me had a crystal ball, she could’ve seen where the song would end up.”
Co-produced by Janet alongside Jurgen Korduletsch and Rick Chambers, mixed by Vance Powell, and mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road Studios, “Working For The Man” fuses Janet’s signature country-tinged vocals with a jaunty, gloriously chaotic arrangement of jangling guitars, crashing drums, and spirited piano. Her voice — edged with Americana twang and grit, stronger than ever — guides the song from brooding tension into a soaring crescendo that captures exactly what it has always been about: the restless momentum of reclaiming control, searching for self-identity, and pushing back against a system that asks you to exhaust yourself for someone else’s gain.
The song’s anger is specific and personal. Janet’s parents worked full-time jobs while raising four children under five — she watched their exhaustion, felt her anger at what the system demanded of them, and channelled it into something that still rings as true now as it did when she was a teenager.
“Obviously, that system hasn’t changed since I wrote it,” she says. “It still angers me. That’s why the song still feels so true and relevant to me, all these years on.”
Savoretti, for his part, has never lost his admiration for the artist he wrote it with. “I have always loved Janet’s voice and admired her approach to music. She has always done things her own way.”
“Working For The Man” kicks off what promises to be a busy year on the road for Janet, following a 2025 that included performances at C2C Festival, The Long Road, and The British Country Music Festival. Upcoming dates include:
- April 2 — Camden Club, London (headline show, Chatter Hoochee Podcast)
- May 22 — In It Together Festival
- July 30 — Belladrum Festival (alongside Mika and Callum Beattie)
- August 16 — Country Calling, Essex
“Working For The Man” arrives on the heels of a remarkable recent chapter for Janet Devlin. Her 2024 album Emotional Rodeo reached #1 on the iTunes Country Chart, #4 on the UK Official Country Artists Albums Chart, #5 on the UK Official Indie Breakers Chart, and #21 on the UK Official Independent Albums Chart. Lead single “Houston” was added to the BBC Radio 2 playlist, and an acoustic cover of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” — recorded at George Ezra’s studio, Hotel Quebec — showcased the range that has always defined her. The 2025 deluxe edition Not My First Emotional Rodeo extended the album’s reach further still.
Janet has been praised by Russell Crowe — who previously took her on tour and has compared her to Stevie Nicks, admiring her ability to be both “ethereal” and “very direct” on stage. She appeared on The Scott Mills Radio 2 Breakfast Show ahead of C2C Festival. And through it all, she has remained exactly what “Working For The Man” celebrates: an independent artist, living and dying by her own sword.
