Dev Lemons, born Devon Vonder Schmalz on March 12, 1999, in Warrington Township, Pennsylvania, began experimenting with songwriting and production in high school without formal music training. A former film student at Emerson College, she pursued music seriously during the pandemic, self-teaching music theory through online resources and building a following of over one million on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube with educational content on song analysis. Now based in Los Angeles, Lemons blends bedroom pop, alternative emo rock, R&B, and hyperpop influences, drawing from bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance. Her lyrics address personal themes such as toxic relationships and emotional chaos. Key releases include the 2023 EP Delusional and debut album Surface Tension on August 1, 2024. She is known for energetic live performances that transform introspective pain into crowd-chanting hooks, fostering a communal outsider experience.