Devon Lee Carlson and Jesse Rutherford are the internet’s favourite couple

Taken from the spring/summer 2020 issue of Dazed. You can buy a copy of our latest issue here

In the age of influence, Devon Lee Carlson and Jesse Rutherford are pretty much the internet’s favourite couple. With their particular brand of magnetism shooting out from iPhones clutched in teenagers’ paws everywhere, it feels appropriate that at least one string to Carlson’s bow is the manufacture of the Wildflower phone cases that she designs with her sister, Sydney, and their mum at home in southern California. Rutherford, meanwhile, is the singer of alt-rock band The Neighbourhood – equally adored but a little more elusive, these days, after deleting his Instagram. Here, on some fairly rare downtime in their LA home, they test out how well they really know each other. (Can you remember the colour of your significant other’s toothbrush? Us neither...)

Devon Lee Carlson: OK! I’ve always been nervous about doing one of these.

Jesse Rutherford: I don’t know these questions, folks. I’m going in completely blind. For real.

DLC: OK, he starts.

JR: Ladies first.

DLC: Do I have any recurring dreams? I always tell you about my dreams.

JR: Yeah! I don’t know about recurring but when you explain them to me, they’re all just confusing and I don’t know.

DLC: The recurring dream I have is I’m shopping in this mall but all the carpets are like the carpet at Chuck E. Cheese.

JR: When I was a child, what did I want to be when I grew up? Oh God.

DLC: You wanted to be like Justin Timberlake.

JR: Yeah. I mean, that’s one.

DLC: You wanted to be a superstar.

JR: Yeah. That works. We’ll go with that.

“I have a recurring dream where I’m shopping in this mall but all the carpets are like the carpet at Chuck E. Cheese” – Devon Lee Carlson

DLC: How many cousins do I have? Name them all.

JR: Hayden, Ted, Mia, Ben, Clare. Um…

DLC: That’s it! Good job. That was good. Go.

JR: Do I have a celebrity crush and who is it?

DLC: Pamela Anderson from when you were a child?

JR: Yeah, but that’s not the answer to this question because it’s current now.

DLC: Well, shit. It’s that cartoon character.

JR: No, Patti Mayonnaise is also from the 90s, it’s not gonna count.

DLC: Fuck.

JR: Are you ever gonna go with you, because you’re a celebrity now? So…

DLC: Me.

JR: Let’s go. Thank the internet.

DLC: What colour is my toothbrush? I just got a new one. I have three. The shower toothbrush.

JR: Blue, blue and green.

DLC: One of them is blue and green. Mainly green, though.

JR: What star sign am I?

DLC: Oh, Leo. Next! Of all the ways there are to die, which do I fear the most? I don’t think we’ve ever talked about this.

JR: Um, I’ll just say dying alone because I think everybody’s scared of that.

DLC: Yeah.

JR: Which is kind of inevitable! OK. Do I have any weird childhood scars and if so how did I get them?

DLC: Shit, am I gonna get this one? Yes, on your peepee.

JR: Oh God, are we gonna… What?

DLC: Your… He has a scar.

JR: I also have a lot of scarring inside but we’re not going to talk about that.

DLC: Oh my God. OK. Name a country that I would love to visit but haven’t yet.

JR: Japan. Yeah. What’s my favourite ice cream flavour?

DLC: Mint chip.

JR: Yes! Let’s go!

DLC: Which achievement am I most proud of?

JR: That’s hard. You’ve had a lot lately! One thing about you that’s, you know, unique or special is that, whether it’s something really small or something giant, you’re pretty genuinely stoked about all of it. But I feel like when you do stuff with or for other people, you’re really excited about it. Stuff like doing hair or make-up or getting people dressed and ready. I feel like you’re really good at that and it usually gets you really excited, making someone else feel good. OK… Outside of my career, what is something I consider myself talented at?

DLC: Outside of your music? I think you’re good at acting, but it’s not in your career.

JR: Maybe. Stay tuned. Cut-scene.

DLC: I’m hungry. You’re good at this interview!

JR: Rock and roll.

DLC: You want food?

JR: I don’t know.

Hair Holly Mills at The Wall Group using Beautycounter, make-up Holly Silius at Frank Reps using Chanel Desert Dream and Chanel Sublimage La Collection Lumière, styling assistant Fiona Park