When it comes to music, you are never too young or too old to rock. Talented musician Diamante, at the young age of seventeen, has achieved early success receiving two consecutive Indie Music Awards in 2012 and 2013 and winning the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands; landing her a spot on the Vans Warped Tour 2012.
Mixing a rock edge with pop sense, this budding star is not another pop gimmick, her personally written songs show a desire to compose touching and honest music in her own artistic light. While she may be young, Diamante possesses a drive and determination to live her rock dreams while inhibiting a maturity of artists twice her age. Recently we caught up with the busy songwriter for an in-depth look at her early success, songwriting, staying grounded, horror movies, and much more.
CrypticRock.com – You have achieved a lot of great success early on in your career. You have been awarded the Best Rock Record two years in a row on the Indie Music Channel, played some extremely famous venues, and played on Warped tour in 2012. On top of it all you are only 17 years old now. How does it feel to have already accomplished so much so quickly?
Diamante – It has definitely been one hell of a roller coaster! It feels good to have accomplished what I have. I know the amount of work I have put into my achievements, and all the hard work reflected in those achievements.
CrypticRock.com – It does reflect absolutely. With this early success and being drawn into the spotlight so young what do you do to keep a balance for yourself, stay level-headed, and not let things become too hectic between performing, personal life, and family?
Diamante – I rely on my roots and my family to keep me grounded. My parents have always taught me to be intelligent in all areas of life, and I let only one thing rule my life: passion for the music. As long as I always remember the fundamental reason why I chose this life of music, I feel I will always manage to stay balanced.
CrypticRock.com – That is a good outlook to have. Being originally from the east coast, you are now located out on Hollywood. There is a major cultural difference between the northeast and southern California. How have you adapted to the changes and what do you find to be the biggest difference?
Diamante – The east coast feels like a parallel universe to me now because it really is different! I was amazed at first when I came to LA because it was the land of promise, opportunity, and paradise. You realize later on that the industry is in actuality very brutal, but the challenge it was makes this place adventurous. The people here are more laid back and the climate is beautiful, but I connect better to people from the east coast because they have a bigger depth intellectually and characteristically.
CrypticRock.com – There are some major differences between both coasts but they both have their endearing qualities. Listening to your music, your songs are extremely mature and well-crafted. Since you are still so young, how long have you been writing songs to reach this level of writing?
Diamante – I have been writing everything ever since I was seven years old. As a kid I was always writing short stories and poems. When I was eleven, I even had one of my poems published. I did not write start writing songs, however, until my parents bought me a stereo a little later. I loved getting records and opening the pamphlet to read the lyrics of the songs I was listening to. Lyrics have always fascinated me and now they are my favorite part in creating my music.
CrypticRock.com – That is great that you have such a strong passion for music. Having released a series of successful singles now including your latest “Burns”, each track expresses a different dynamic and emotion. Do you find it important to keep your song writing diverse?
Diamante – Up until this point I have been discovering myself as an artist and defining my music. I like showcasing the evolution and growth of my music, but now I feel I have found a style that I want to stick to. Diversity is key to me though, because there are so many sides of me that I want to express through my music.
CrypticRock.com – It is important not to limit yourself and continue to progress. To have found yourself at such a young age is a great thing. With the aforementioned series of singles, can we expect to see a full length album released in the future?
Diamante – Yes! In fact, I am working on an EP that I am working on releasing sometime in May. I am very excited about this because there will be a better feel of continuity rather than releasing single after single. It has taken me until now to release my first EP because I really wanted to find the best combination of style, maturity, and team to work with.
CrypticRock.com – That is exciting and something to look forward to. You absolutely have a rock edge to your music, what direction would you like to go in the future with your music?
Diamante – I am always changing and growing as an artist and as a person, so I really cannot say where my music will go, but I do know it will always be edgy because that will always be a part of me. Whether it becomes more alternative, heavy, or punk, I am never going to hold back, my voice will always have grit, and my lyrics will always be honest.
CrypticRock.com – The important thing is you have to stay true to yourself and it seems like you are doing so. What are some of your musical influences?
Diamante – I am extremely inspired by female rock artists from the 1980’s like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Patti Smith, and Stevie Nicks because of their insistent refusal to succumb to being inferior to male artists. I love how ballsy and badass they all are, and their vocals are reminiscent of that magical era.
CrypticRock.com – Those are some excellent singers. It is important for rock-n-roll to have a balance of female and male singers. For so long it has been male dominated and artists like you mentioned really changed that during the 1970’s and 1980’s. There seems to be an influx of female fronted rock bands lately though. How encouraging is that for you to see this happening?
Diamante – Extremely! I find it so fierce to see female-fronted bands because it creates such an awesome dynamic. In fact, my favorite contemporary bands are mostly female-fronted, like Paramore, The Pretty Reckless, and Tonight Alive.
CrypticRock.com – Those are some great modern female-fronted bands. It’s nice to see more gender balance in rock-n-roll. My last question for you is regarding films. Crypticrock.com is a rock/metal and horror news site so we like to focus on all genres. If you are a fan of horror films, what are some of your favorite horror films?
Diamante – Horror is one of my favorite movie genres! I love Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses (2003), Stephen King’s The Shining (1980), The Evil Dead (1981), and Cabin in the Woods (2012).
CrypticRock.com – That is a good mix of new and older horror films there. What got you into horror films?
Diamante – I always spent my childhood summers at my grandparent’s house in Mexico, and for some reason all the channels on her television were full of horror movies. My older cousin would always dare me to watch these movies with him, and I have been hooked ever since. It was also really cool because although the house was absolutely beautiful in the day-time, it was creepy as hell at night. There would be huge thunderstorms, and the blinds from the windows would always hit against the wall. I always loved watching the movies, but I would seriously regret it when it came time to go to bed.
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