DE'WAYNE
5/6/20261 hr
On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by DE'WAYNE. With last year’s june, DE’WAYNE entered a glitzy new era, penning songs that recalled Lenny Kravitz, Sly and the Family Stone, and Brandon Flowers. Centered by love, sex, and soul, the album marked another evolution in his deepening catalog, elevating his showmanship while weaving in enough vulnerability to be “a light for people.” Returning to the Artist Friendly studio after kicking off the first episode, DE’WAYNE sat down with Madden for a raw, unfiltered catch-up on identity, growth, and arriving as your full self. They also discussed what it means to be co-signed by Kravitz, hitting arenas with mgk, and why the garage is still the best place to be.
Listen to their Artist Friendly conversation on Spotify.
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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary Director/Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJoel Madden· Host0:00
What's the album?
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:00
Album is June, but I dropped that last year. That was, like, the most realized- You ... me.
Joel Madden· Host0:07
Artistically.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:07
Yes, bro. Felt so incredible, felt so, like, I'm like, "I've arrived."
Joel Madden· Host0:12
Is there new music coming?
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:13
There's new music that I'm dropping with Lenny. [singing] Bad times, I don't wanna have bad, bad- Here we are. [laughs] What?
Joel Madden· Host0:21
Dwayne.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:22
Yes.
Joel Madden· Host0:22
You're back.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:23
I am back, bro.
Joel Madden· Host0:24
How you doing?
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:25
I'm great, man. My- I feel so good coming just in here and seeing you, seeing the homies. It feels like home, bro.
Joel Madden· Host0:31
You know, you've been, we've known each other now a long time.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:34
A long time.
Joel Madden· Host0:35
Yeah.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:35
Yes.
Joel Madden· Host0:36
So you've seen me through iterations as well.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:38
Yeah, 100%.
Joel Madden· Host0:39
So, and I you.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:40
Yeah.
Joel Madden· Host0:40
So, um, I feel- But it's the same for me though, bro.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:42
It, coming here today, like, I felt so at peace, and, like, at home. We took a little walk earlier and I was like, "Yo, like, when we were, like, babies- Yeah ... we, I got to play here with my friends all the time and, like, learn how to just have fun and exist as an artist."
Joel Madden· Host0:55
Bro, you were working- You know ... at Pitfire.
DE'WAYNE· Guest0:58
Pizza Rev.
Joel Madden· Host0:59
Pizza Rev.
DE'WAYNE· Guest1:00
Yes, sir.
Joel Madden· Host1:00
That's right.
DE'WAYNE· Guest1:01
Uh, one of the P's, bro.
Joel Madden· Host1:02
One of the P's.
DE'WAYNE· Guest1:03
One of the pizza spots. It, because- But you were working a job- Yes ...
Joel Madden· Host1:07
sleeping on, uh, couches- Yeah ... s- staying in guesthouse or wherever the fuck you could stay, rapping.
DE'WAYNE· Guest1:14
[laughs] That's, like, a trigger word for me.
Joel Madden· Host1:18
You were very good at rapping.
DE'WAYNE· Guest1:19
Thank you so much. Thank you. Anytime- You're still one of my favorite rappers ... I love you so much, bro. [laughs] Anytime, like, Mike will bring up that I used to rap to people, and, like, I get, like, the nastiest face. I'm like, "Bro, like, that was a