Interview with Diamond Rings
Here’s the full version of the exclusive interview I did with Diamond Rings for Where Ottawa as he is set to play Ritual Nightclub on December 7th. Be sure to check out the video for his newest single from Free Dimensional “Runaway Love”, I can’t stop listening to it. Yes, I’m listening to it right now… Enjoy!
Toronto’s John O’Regan, a.k.a. Diamond Rings, has garnered critical acclaim across North America and reached new heights with his most recent album Free Dimensional. His do-it-yourself background has helped him develop a work ethic that pushes him to create different music, both sonically and aesthetically. As the former lead vocalist in Guelph’s D’Urbervilles, Diamond Rings is familiar with the trials and tribulations of being a musician. He turned heads with his debut album Special Affections in 2011, but has unquestionably staked his claim as one of Toronto’s most captivating exports of the year. Although compared by some to Bowie, Depeche Mode and Ian Curtis of Joy Division, Diamond Rings brings a fresh new look and sound to Canadian music.
Diamond Rings was recently the musical guest on Late Night with David Letterman, and will be playing at Ritual Nightclub on December 7. Matías Muñoz speaks with him about his favourite Ottawa food, staying level-headed while on the road, and what it means to be seen as a countercultural figure in this day in age.
Is there anything unique about Ottawa that stands out to you, or things you enjoy doing while you’re here?
I love eating shawarma at Marroush (now called Three Brothers), which is right down the street from Ritual Nightclub where I’m going to play. You kind of get these habits and traditions when on tour, and you don’t want to change them up. That’s my Ottawa thing.
Do you have a favourite spot that you’ve played since touring as Diamond Rings?
Not really, wherever there are people that are excited to hear your music is the best for me. Obviously some places are more scenic or picturesque, or have reputations for being this or that. But I really think I have great shows everywhere.
When you’re on the road and far away from home, do you have ways to keep yourself grounded?
I think the nature of touring keeps you pretty grounded. It keeps you on your toes, in the best possible way. A lot of the work that happens on tour isn’t especially glamourous, it’s all that grunt work that goes into making the one hour I get on stage sound and look as close to perfect as possible. I think it’s that aspect of it that adds to the magic of the whole thing. A lot of people work really hard to make it all possible, the stuff that happens on stage doesn’t happen automatically.
You’ve had the opportunity to tour with your friends PS I Love You, and bands like Stars. What have your experiences connecting with other artists meant to you?
It’s really nice to be on tour with friends. I’ve had the opportunity to tour with bands that I’m now friends with, but at one point earlier in my career looked up to a lot. To share the stage and to get to know some of them personally is a real honour for me. I consider myself a contemporary rather than just a fan, it’s great. I feel lucky.
Do you embrace the idea of counterculture? Is what you are doing part of something bigger associated with your view of the music industry and gender stereotypes, or are you just in it to play good music?
I think at the end of the day I want to connect with people, that’s why I write music and do what I do. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care what people thought about my work, or if I said I didn’t care if people didn’t like what I do. That being said, what I do and what I project sonically and aesthetically has to feel, to me, real and different in order to present something to the world that is otherwise lacking. Certainly, in some respect, there is a willingness to transform or push peoples expectations of what is possible in a live or recording context, or a visual context, in relationship to the way they view me and my gender, those sorts of things. When I’m playing a show and fans are in the building, the reception to what I do has been great.
There are obviously those who don’t appreciate what I’m doing as much, but that’s something that comes with the territory of doing what I do. Especially when it becomes something that is more out there in the world, with people hearing my music and hearing about me. Along with more people being into it, there’s going to be more people that don’t like it as well. But that’s totally fine, if I were making everyone happy that would be weird. To really make a statement you have to be alienating some people, and what I’m saying and doing feels right and is special to me. But I don’t really worry about what everyone else says.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df0K8ghU7JQ]