New Music: Diamondwolf; Interview

Seattle duo Alicia Dara and Glen Cooper are Diamondwolf. I urge you, dear lover of music, to dim the lights, draw a bath (preferably the bubble kind), spark a doobie and let Diamondwolf’s dark, emotive, folk-y rock and roll wash over you with virgin luminosity. I had the chance to chat with the band about choosing to make music together, the challenges of being seen and heard within the Seattle music scene, fruit pie, karaoke and action figures.

See Diamondwolf rock the stage: Wednesday, May 13th, at El Corazon: and Friday, May 22nd, from 5:20-5:50pm on the “Back Porch Stage” at The Northwest Folklife Festival

the mixtape: How did the two of you first meet and when was it that you knew making music together was a possibility?

Glen: We met a little over ten years ago in the Seattle singer-songwriter circuit. We hit it off and played a few shows together and even did a few duets. Even though we had good chemistry from the get-go we were both focused on doing our own thing. We lost touch and reconnected a few years ago and it was like picking up right where we had left off. We started singing together and wrote a song or two and it all just kinda clicked into place. Playing and writing music with someone in a way is like starting a relationship. You hit those little “oh” moments where something really works, and that’s how you know you should keep with it. I think we had a few of those moments early on and it’s continued to be a really fun partnership.

tm: Where did you get the name Diamondwolf?

Alicia: it’s a band secret, but we can tell you that the name informs our aesthetic and our mission.

tm: Alicia, you’ve been a member of the Seattle music community for roughly 15 years. What would you say is the biggest difference within the Seattle music community if you were to compare then and now?

Alicia: The grunge years were pretty much dominated by white males. At long last we’re starting to have more diversity and gender equality around here, but we still have a ways to go. We need more diverse representation and especially gender equality in our local music festivals, and in the media that covers local music, for example.

tm: The Seattle music scene is absolutely teeming with artists and bands and every other creative type you can fathom. What is the most challenging obstacle regarding being seen and heard within the Seattle scene?

Alicia: All those artists are a great resource. Relying too heavily on social media to promote your music won’t get you very far here. It’s easy to meet kindred musicians and work together to book and promote shows. I would say Seattle has a thriving, on the ground musician/artist network that is just as powerful as any social media presence. But honestly, the most challenging obstacle of any artist’s life in America right now is simply paying the rent. Although Obamacare has given us long-needed medical insurance, the insanely high cost of living (education, rent, food, space to make our art and music) in artistic centers like Seattle, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angles is still keeping a ton of us underwater.

tm: You recently found success with a Kickstarter campaign you launched in order to release your debut CD, Your Time Has Come. I noticed that one of the rewards came with a fruit pie baked by Alicia, among others nifty gifts. Alicia, would you consider baking (or even cooking) to be a hobby of yours?

Alicia: Everyone has their stress relief. Some turn to drugs, some to sex, some to Netflix, I choose baking. Nothing levels my blood pressure like throwing together a good, flaky crust. You should see my oven, dude… there’s a giant cherry pie in it right now!

tm: In 2014 you folks recorded an EP of covers, including songs by Queens of the Stone Age, Neil Young, Goldfrapp and Tom Waits, to give to fans that contributed to your Kickstarter campaign. Will this album ever be available to the public? Also, what was the criteria regarding which songs to cover?

Glen: Not sure yet if/when it will be publicly available but we sure did have a lot of fun making it. We tried to find songs that would be fun to play and that stretched us outside of our genre. Alicia and I have a running joke that I’m trying to turn us into a metal band and Queens of the Stone age is about as close as she’ll let me get. But I think the Goldfrapp song was the one we had the most fun with.

tm: If you sing karaoke, what are your top 3 songs to sing? If you don’t sing karaoke, what songs/artists really get you movin’ and groovin’?

Alicia: “Fix You” by Coldplay, “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles, and “Reckoner” by Radiohead, but nobody ever has that one in their Karaoke machine! I think we’d have to fly to Japan to find it.

Glen: “Rock This Town” by The Stray Cats, “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John, and “Five to One” by the Doors. Man, I love to belt out “Five to One” to a bunch of drunk locals in a dive bar…

tm: If Diamondwolf was an action figure what would accessories would you have?

Alicia: Martin acoustic guitar, red lipstick, sparkly earrings, wooden spoon, pie dish.

Glen: The only accessory I would have is a pair of ray ban sunglasses – and that’s really for your own protection.

tm: What’s next for Diamondwolf?

Alicia: Fulfilling our Kickstarter pledges, performing in the Northwest Folklife Festival, and booking a small local tour this summer.