Devin Shelton is a guitarist and songwriter known as co-founder of the post-hardcore band Emery, as well as for his solo material. Emery formed in South Carolina around the talents of recent college graduates Shelton (guitar), Toby Morrell (vocals, guitar), Matt Carter (guitar), Josh Head (keyboards), Joel Green (bass), and Seth Studley (drums). After weighing their options, the members decided that Seattle would be a better environment for a burgeoning band, prompting a move westward in September 2001.

Once established in the Emerald City, Emery signed with the Seattle-based Tooth Nail label, which released their debut, The Weak's End, in January 2004, followed by The Question in August 2005. Subsequent lineup changes led to Shelton helping out on bass, and 2007's I'm Only a Man saw a newfound use of synthesizers and increasingly melodic singing compared to the harsher sounds of the band's previous work. The While Broken Hearts Prevail EP reverted back to prior tendencies in 2008, while 2009's ...In Shallow Seas We Sail split the difference in sounds.

In 2011, Devin Shelton parted ways with Emery, calling it an "indefinite hiatus," and, in addition to starting a family, went to work on a solo album. The reflective alt-rock of Life Death arrived in 2013. Shelton reunited with Emery for shows celebrating the ten-year anniversary of their debut, and stayed on for the band's 2015 LP You Were Never Alone. His sophomore solo effort, Sensation, followed on BC Music in 2017 and took an unexpected dive into R&B. ~ Marcy Donelson & Alex Henderson, Rovi