INTERVIEW: Sara Diamond on her new EP 'IDK': "The project is meant to shed light on the fact that it’s okay, and very normal, to not know what is going on."

Sep 17

Sep 17 INTERVIEW: Sara Diamond on her new EP 'IDK': "The project is meant to shed light on the fact that it’s okay, and very normal, to not know what is going on."

Canadian singer-songwriter Sara Diamond recently released her second EP IDK, alongside the new single ‘Great Together’. A mellow but heartfelt track that reflects on the end of a long term relationship, Diamond’s impressive vocal dominates across a gentle, rolling electro beat. It is a track that in many ways is the perfect representation of Diamond’s music - warm, intimate and emotive with a soulful heart and the ability to really connect with you.

Diamond has been releasing music since she was a teenager and her soundscape riffs on a number of genres, including hip-hop, indiepop, soul, dance and classic pop. Her new EP IDK was born out of the emotions and experiences Diamond has been through over the past year and learning to navigate the brand new and unknown. "IDK is about the myriad of emotions and experiences I felt and experienced over the past 18 months,” she says. “Unravelling love, inner turmoil, heartbreak, longing, confusion, and existential questioning. It ends on a question mark, because I was left so broken by my own psyche that I wasn’t sure which way would be up. I decided to let the music go and trust the process.”

We recently chatted with Sara to find out more about her music and career.

Hey Sara! So great to chat with you. How are things in your world right now?
Hey! Thank you for reaching out. Love that you are a print magazine! I really can’t complain. Listening to demos, up in nature, supported by friends and family.

Congratulations on the release of the new single ‘Great Together’, it is a fantastic track! We have to ask - what is the significance of ‘Great Together’?
Thank you! I had a long-winded relationship, that, in the end, wasn’t what I had imagined it would be. So this is my own interpretation of that experience.

What was the message you wanted to put out with this song?
I didn’t have a “message” I wanted to put out necessarily - I experienced something in my life, and through music, I released what was stuck inside me.

What was the creative process for the song?
I was in LA, and was set up with two producers, Matt Wiggers and Zac White. They played me something they had already created, and I immediately started writing. It was a pretty energetically-charged session and I believe I wrote the lyrics in about 30 minutes, maybe an hour. We ended up using the demo vocals.

Earlier this year you collaborated with Adventure Club on a remake/remix of your 2017 track ‘Back To You’. How did this come about?
Christian and I have been working together for a while and this song has been in the works for quite some time. The way I remember it coming to be was from showing him the original and he wanted to make a remix when he heard it. Sent the stems over and voila, here we are a couple years later with it released!

‘Great Together’ is from your new project IDK. Can you tell us a little bit about the new EP?
Over the course of the past 18 months, I went through some pretty strange times, both personally and with what has been going on in the world. The EP is a collection of thoughts and experiences that I felt needed to be expressed through my music. While all of us are in uncertain places, with different capacities, the project is meant to shed light on the fact that it’s okay, and very normal, to not know what is going on.

You have been releasing music for a number of years now, how did you first get started in the music industry?
I’ve been singing and making music practically my whole life; at the beginning I was making music with my mum who runs a children’s music label and as I grew older I began my own career as an artist at around 14 years old.

Who were the musicians that inspired you when you were growing up?
Christina Aguilera, India Arie, Amanda Marshall, John Mayer…

The music industry has traditionally been very male-dominated, with women generally not getting the same respect or exposure as their male peers - both from within and also from the media and general public. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
I believe women have immense power.

There seems to be so much pain and hardship in the world at the moment - coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, gender equality….just to name three. What is your advice on how we can navigate this, and how can we do our bit?
Follow the voices of those who have experienced, first hand, what’s being brought to light on a daily basis. Every day is an opportunity to be and do better.

What’s up next for Sara Diamond?
Continue working on new music and enjoying life to the best of my ability! It's been a ride putting this project together but I’m looking forward to releasing more new music!