There’s a curious thing that happens in the process of recording music: by necessity, there is a time delay. Which isn’t a reference to any pedal effect, but rather the circumstances created because studio time often happens as its own pace, and musicians, as a result, can find themselves recording Christmas albums late in the summer.
Similarly, The Voice, the new EP from Diamondtown, was produced between January and May, 2019, and has a distinctly summery vibe. It speaks volumes about a musician’s ability to transpose time.
Diamondtown is the (seemingly continuing) evolution of Husband & Knife duo and collaborators KC Spidle (Dog Day) and Evan Cardwell, along with more recent additions Chris Thompson (Eric’s Trip), and Kate O’Neill. The result is something like you’d imagine The Byrds would sound like if they had explored shoegaze.
Musically collaboratively, but lyrically built on the depth sounding plunges into Spidle’s soul, The Voice muses on topics of spirituality in a way that he describes as being rather “enigmatic.”
“I think everything I write stems back to my Christian upbringing, lots of spiritual conflict, and existential confusion that comes out. It’s a subconscious creative journey I go on when writing lines,” explains Spidle.
“I believe the conflict is a bit more personal, just a certain traditional mindset that I always try to shake and I do it pretty successfully, I think.”
That is most clear in the EP’s title track, with Spidle echoing Dylan Thomas while simultaneously hedging his bets and keeping his feet solidly on Terra firma.
There’s a recurring theme on the album of maintaining that firm grasp on life, lest we be shrugged off this mortal coil and finding ourselves guilty of misspent time. “December” dwells on the ever approaching Winter season, complete with sleigh bells. The previously released “Forever” mourns the time lost to a bad situation. “Seize” hammers home that Carpe Diem mantra. The repetitively calming “Ocean” closes out the album representing something vast, eternal, and inescapable. When broken down, The Voice practically becomes the Serenity Prayer in musical form.
The EP is also the first appearance of new band member Kate O’Neil, taking on the dual roles of synth and drums.
“Kate is actually an old friend of mine who kindly let me live in her basement when I was going through a break up. She later met Chris Thompson our bass player at a Bad Vibrations show (a band Evan and I were in) and they’ve been together ever since,” explains Spidle.
“Kate is an accomplished classic pianist, flute player, violinist and later picked up drums when she started playing with Chris and Project Moonsocket. For her set up in Diamondtown she plays floor tom/snare/cymbal with one hand and synth with the other. We use a drum machine as well to fill the beat a bit. Kate rules. She is also smarter than us.”
Which sounds like a hell of a thing to see live. Fortunately, Diamondtown are making that an easy possibility for you over the next month. Take a look at those tour dates.
Show Dates:
07.05.19 – Charlottetown, PE @ Sportmans Club w/ Prism Shores
07.06.19 – Moncton, NB @ Tide & Boar Gastropub w/ Kaleidoscope Horse & Purple Knight
08.02-04.19 – Sackville, NB @ SappyFest TBA
08.10.19 – Saint John, NB @ Callahan’s Pub (Quality Block Party)