Devon Walker is a busy man. He just launched a podcast, he’s promoting designer suits and favored rum, and next month he’ll kick off a string of summer stand-up dates that’ll take him from Washington, DC to Nashville and Madison, WI, and beyond.
Right now though, he’s focused on this weekend’s Saturday Night Live, with host Walton Goggins and musical guest Arcade Fire.
Soon to wrap his third year on the cast of the legendary sketch show, Walker took a quick time-out to talk with LateNighter about music, signature drinks, and the ups and downs of his time on SNL.
Over a decade into his comedy career, Walker’s decision to host My Favorite Lyrics, his new podcast where riffs about music take center-stage, may seem like an unexpected detour. But comedy and music go hand-in-hand for the performer, including in his day-to-day routine at SNL, where he says it soundtracks his creative process—from writing sketches to pre-show pump-ups. Of course, that energy only amps up on particularly successful Saturday nights.
“I split a dressing room with Marcello Hernández. We have a big speaker and we’re playing music loud after the show, especially if we both have a good show,” says Walker, describing a heavy rotation of Bad Bunny and Life Is Beautiful, the new collab album from Larry June, 2 Chainz and the Alchemist. “Our dressing room’s kind of the party room,” he explains.
For Walker, one of those celebratory moments came early into his second year at the show, when he debuted his impression of Senator and then-Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott in a cold open. Walker had auditioned for that particular role heading into the season. He went on to reprise the impression four more times to date.
“Getting to play a political figure in the cold opens, to me, feels the most like you’re really doing Saturday Night Live,” he says. “It’s something I’d never done before. I didn’t come in as an impressionist, so being able to do that and be in the cold opens is something that I really am very proud of.
Despite those wins, Walker readily admits the show has ways to keep anyone grounded. “I am humbled every single day,” he says. “I didn’t come from sketch, so there’s so much trial and error.”
“I sit next to Sarah Sherman at table read and she and I have both bombed pretty spectacularly with some swings that we take,” he adds. “Sometimes you try a character that you feel really confident about. You’re doing a southern accent, and it becomes clear at page two of the sketch that it’s not going to work. People are not going to laugh. But it’s a ten-page sketch, so you gotta keep doing that accent for eight more pages… Trust me when I tell you I’ve been humbled.”
Indeed, the weekly routine at SNL includes a regular heaping of tough breaks. In Saturday’s Quinta Brunson-hosted episode, a sketch that combined Walker’s love of both comedy and music didn’t survive dress rehearsal. “We wrote a song that got cut from this last episode that I love so much,” he revealed. “Me and James Austin Johnson wrote an R&B song that was inspired by R&B legend Charlie Wilson… Hopefully people will see it at some point in the future.”
In any case, Walker now has his own podcast as an outlet for his love of music, even if he feels the need to make amends for being yet another comic with a podcast. In fact, he announced My Favorite Lyrics the only way that felt right: with an apology.
“It’s important to speak out and take accountability, so I was happy to be able to do that,” Walker reiterated to LateNighter.
Jokes aside, though, Walker really is feeling good about the endeavor, which sees him host comedians and other guests to break down the lyrics they love—be they “iconic, idiotic or accidentally profound.”
“So far it’s been awesome,” he says. “I’m enjoying just learning how to do a new thing and talking about silly music lyrics, which is one of my favorite things in the world.”
As a stand-up comic, Walker is no stranger to the mic, but he says entering the long-form podcast game has proven to be a different beast.
“It’s harder to talk for an hour than I realized,” he tells LateNighter. “Sometimes we’ll record episodes back-to-back, and I’m talking to people for two straight hours… I didn’t realize how taxing that is… Afterwards I need to take a nap.”
Walker would love to welcome some of his favorite musicians to field his questions about their lyrics, citing Megan Thee Stallion and Big Sean as dream guests.
“[Big Sean] has got a lot of lyrics that I’m curious about,” says Walker. “He’s got a lot of lyrics that I’m like, ‘How did you land on that?’” One in particular: the song “Dance (A$$).”
“He says ‘ass’ like 35 times,” Walker explains. “I want to know where that came from in his spirit. He could have just said it 19 times, but he said it 28 times, and I need to know the inspiration.”
But it’s the rapper Future who has left Walker with his biggest head-scratcher to date. “There’s a lyric where he says his ring is ‘pink, like an ostrich,’” Walker notes. “Do pink ostriches exist? Or is Future talking about a flamingo and he’s just not really clear on which is which?”
“I guess I could just Google it,” he admits. “Hopefully I’l get to the bottom of that soon.”
Pink ostriches notwithstanding, it’s tracks from DMX, Cam’ron, and Grandmaster Flash that have Walker’s attention in this week’s episode of My Favorite Lyrics, which features comedian Petey DeAbreu. The show launched just last week, with Walker welcoming former SNL writer Alex English as his first guest.
“We’re got a bunch of episodes in the bank that we’re excited to release,” Walker teases. Future episodes will find Walker chatting with familiar comics in the late-night space like Sam Jay, Jaboukie Young-White, and Sydnee Washington.
My Favorite Lyrics isn’t the only new project Walker has taken on. He recently partnered with rummaker Captain Morgan to help debut its newest offering, Sweet Chili Lime.
When Captain Morgan reached out to the comic about promoting its new flavor, Walker didn’t need much convincing. “They seemed really passionate about the product, and I tried it and it’s really tasty,” he says. “Anytime there’s a brand that reaches out and they’re making something that’s quality, something that’s delicious, I’m always on board for that.”
Beyond being one of the faces fronting the campaign for the “mouth-blowing” new flavor, working with Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime has also given Walker a new standby drink order. “I’m gonna need a shot of that chilled with a little Tajín on the rim,” he says. “That’s a go-to beverage. You can quote me on that.”
Walker has taken all that on as he continues his third season at Saturday Night Live—discussing his morning routine on Weekend Update, getting covered in blood alongside Dave Chappelle in the fan-favorite “Evacuation Alert,” and bringing his impression of NYC Mayor Eric Adams to the SNL50 anniversary special.
Like all cast members, Walker is waiting to see where the next year takes him as SNL’s 50th season comes to a close in two weeks.
“Time will tell. Time will tell,” he says. “I definitely love being at the show, and I’m excited to keep working there as long as they’ll have me.”
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Devon Walker might have a lot of thigns going on at the moment but being good on SNL isn’t one of those things.