09/11/12 - 0 Comments
One to Watch: Diamond Rings
“I wanted something that would evoke glamour and fashion,” said John O’Regan of his stage name Diamond Rings.
Diamond Rings is the hottest new electro-pop act hailing from Toronto, Canada. Earlier this month, we were fortunate enough to talk to him briefly on the phone. It is startlingly refreshing to hear a musician so pure and honest, who cares about his own musical style rather than conforming to the masses of pop rock.
O’Regan’s sound is unique in its own right, molding a marriage of rock and electronic with a clear tinge of his former punk-rock roots. “I may not be as connected to [punk] in a musical sense anymore, but the attitude and that sense of style is something I will always carry with me,” he explained. “It is easy to get swept up in the [electronic] machinery behind the art, and that machinery can be very helpful, but I think, at the end of the day, music needs to come from something truthful and honest, and that is what I strive for.”
O’Regan draws inspiration from a diverse range of styles. His hit single, “I’m Just Me,” is fabulously glamorous with a tilt towards mainstream. Our personal favorite, “Runaway Love,” is more ’80s rock with an evident punk, Joy Division-esque sound. Granted, both tracks are similar in aesthetic, but they also differ in unique ways, too. Give ‘em a listen. We always say that a true musician is born when you can hear a visible digression from their musical comfort zone—something with which O’Regan has definitely experimented.
“A big part of being afraid of something is not understanding it,” he said. “There’s a lot that we don’t understand about ourselves, about the world and even about each other. I think, if anything, what I want to do with my music is set an example to show people that it is okay to have questions, or to admit that maybe not all the answers are out there or so easy to find. To dig deeper to find what you want. That it is scary, but it’s OK to be scared. It’s OK to not know.”
We think Diamond Rings is a great name for O’Regan and his backing band. It juxtaposes the beauty and jaggedness of both a stage performance and a diamond. “Diamonds are formed underground, and I think the work I do as an artist and musician exists in the same sort of way,” he reasoned. “There is a lot going into creating the diamond that people see on the album cover or in the music video or on the stage. It all happens underground, behind closed doors. The hard work behind the glam. I like the double meaning.”
And, we like you, Diamond Rings! Check out the upcoming sophomore album, Free Dimensional, out next month. Or, if you fancy it, go see him live on tour. You can also “Like” him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. We hope to hear more from him soon!
