Diamante has been touring across North America with Breaking Benjamin all summer. However, that didn’t stop the solo artist from unveiling her latest single, “When I’m Not Around.” The track officially dropped last month as she’s been singing it live throughout the country. We recently caught up with the rocker to discuss her latest single, touring life, future plans, and asking how she maintains her vibrant blue hair while on the road.
Can you talk more about your new single, “When I’m Not Around”?
“When I’m Not Around,” is a really cool story because it’s the first song that I’ve recorded so far that I haven’t written myself, which is besides a cover that’s already been released. It’s different for me because I usually pride myself on writing my own songs, my own lyrics. To me, that’s how I resonate with my own music and that’s how I’m able to perform it.
When I heard this song for the first time, I had this feeling as if I had written the song. Which like I said, has never happened to me. It felt like my story almost. And I told my A&R, “I really, really want to record this song. These words are resonating with me and I think I can crush it if I were to sing it.”
And he tells me, “Well, it’s a Diane Warren song so that might be a hard sell.” And then we got the okay from her to record it. I recorded it at NRG studios in North Hollywood, California before leaving for this tour. And the coolest thing is that she heard the final version and she absolutely loved it. I ended up meeting up with her right before leaving and we were listening to it in her studio. She said that she really believes every single word when I’m singing it. And to me that was the biggest compliment ever and I’m so stoked that I actually get to sing a Diane Warren song and put it out.
Do you feel more pressure singing a song from somebody else’s writing, or on your own?
It’s a different kind of pressure. I always feel pressure cutting my own songs, because I want to give 110% energy into a song and feeling it. The delivery for me, like vocal delivery is so important. I know when I’ve been listening to other music, that’s what I gravitate towards on first instinct.
But singing someone else’s lyrics, I think might be a little more intimidating, because you really want to do the song justice. And I was told, “If he doesn’t like how you do it then that’s that. She’s got to like how you perform it, so you’ve got to give it your all.” And I’m just so stoked that she did like it.
Now that you’re album Coming in Hot has been out for over a year now, do you have plans on recording a second album?
So far I’ve been in the studio a bunch, doing a lot of writing sessions. Kind of getting the skeleton of the next new songs going, demoing. I haven’t fully recorded any songs yet except for this new one, “When I’m Not Around.” And the idea is after this big summer tour in the fall, if I don’t get more touring to go back to LA and really hone in on finishing the second record.
“When I’m Not Around” for right now, is more of a standalone single?
Yeah. Yeah. It just came at the right time.
Are there any musicians or songwriters that you would like to collaborate with?
Some of my favorite vocalists in rock right now are Lzzy Hale of Halestorm and Brent Smith of Shinedown. I’ve always said if I could ever collaborate, even just songwriting wise, because I know how talented they are in that front to collaborate with. Joan Jett is my biggest idol, ever. If I was ever to get in a studio with her or sing a song with her on stage, I think I would die. I think I would cry and die, come back to life, all of it.
You do pair well Halestorm or even New Year’s Day.
Touring with them was super cool and I love women in rock right now. I think there’s like a really cool movement going on. Everyone is joining together and helping everyone out and it’s just a great community to be part of.
Women are killing it right now. And maybe 10, 15 or so years ago it wasn’t like this, in a way. So it’s awesome to see what’s happening now.
Yes.
You’ve been on the road for quite a bit. What have been some challenges for you that you’ve like had to face with?
I guess I would say playing arenas and amphitheaters for the first time, took some time getting used to. Just because I’ve been touring since I was 18 but it was all club and small theater touring. And being up on these stages is vastly different. How you connect with the crowd, how you move on the stage. making sure that you are resonating with the person at the very top at the back end of the venue. Especially when you can’t even see past three rows in front of you. So it’s been really cool getting to be on these tours with bands like Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin and Five Finger Death Punch. And watching from side stage how they maneuver the crowd and how they connect with the people in these big venues. And it doesn’t happen overnight. So it’s been something I’ve been learning a little bit along the way.
Do you feel more comfortable now?
Yeah, definitely I do. I feel like now I can really grab everybody. And I can own the stage and not letting the stage own you. But like I said, it takes a little bit of experience to really nail it.
Speaking of tours, do you have any more touring plans for later in the year?
I don’t have anything confirmed right now but the goal is to definitely grab more touring before the end of 2019. One of my biggest dreams because I’ve only toured the US and a bit of Canada would be to cross over to Europe. I think that’d be super, super awesome if that were to happen before the end of 2019.
Hopefully it will. For fun, may I ask, because I’m very curious about this, what process do you go through to keep your hair so vibrant and blue. I color my hair and in two weeks, my roots appear and I had to ask this question.
It’s a process for sure. I’ve had this blue hair since 2016 so I feel like I’ve got the process kind of nailed down at this point and I’ve learned some tricks along the way. Cold showers are a must, sadly. Something I’ve also learned is if you mix your dye into your shampoo or conditioner and use that to wash your hair, it actually helps recolor it even when you’re showering so it doesn’t fade as quickly. The brand of dye is also a factor. I’ve gone through so many different kinds of brands and ones that lasted a week and one that actually managed to last longer than that.
When I’m home, it’s not so bad, but it gets tricky when you’re on the road. There’s been so many times where I’ve had to bend over and put my head in a sink in a green room at a venue and just do it right there on the spot, or in the hotel room. But you gotta do it, you know?
Conditioner and hair dye together. I had no clue about that.
Yeah. I had my hair colorist tell me that my entire life has changed.
Is there anything else that you want to say or add? Anything fans should know about what’s coming up for you?
I think mainly focusing on the new songs. I’ll be out on the road with Breaking Benjamin until pretty much the end of September. And then, hopefully more touring plans by the end of the year. And more music on the way.
