From the bedroom to the dance floor

Diamond Rings evolves from home recording project to full-blown live band

Put ‘em up: John O’Regan, a.k.a. Diamond Rings, is going to knock you out at the Pyramid Cabaret on Friday. Norman Wong
John O’Regan, a.k.a. Diamond Rings, is going to knock you out at the Pyramid Cabaret on Friday. Norman Wong

Toronto-based electro-pop artist Diamond Rings (a.k.a. John O’Regan) has had rising success over the past two years.

Following the release of his debut album Special Affections in 2010 he opened for Swedish pop star Robyn on her North American tour in 2011, and he recently hit the late-night talk show circuit, no doubt causing David Letterman and Jay Leno’s aging audience members to scratch their collective heads.

Known for his danceable bedroom recordings, O’Regan decided it was time to bring his music out of the bedroom and to a wider audience, which he has done with his sophomore album, Free Dimensional.

Released in late October on Secret City in Canada and Astralwerks in the U.S., O’Regan enlisted producer Damien Taylor (Robyn, The Prodigy, Austra) to help him retain his lyrical charm, but better connect with his listeners.

O’Regan, 27, says that his decision to bring the music out of the bedroom was a matter of making his songs sound better.

“I practiced a lot and worked a lot to become better myself,” he says from the road, just outside Seattle.

“A big part of the progression of the album is what happens when you really work hard at something.”

While his old live show involved O’Regan simply rocking a mic and a laptop, he is now backed by a proper touring band, which includes Graham Van Pelt (Miracle Fortress).

O’Regan says he is really happy with the results of his persistent work, and feels privileged to be able to go on tour and focus on his music as a career.

“If my shit didn’t sound a lot better, I’d be doing something wrong,” he says with a laugh.

There have always been artists making records on 4-track recorders in their bedrooms (Sebadoh made a career out of it in the ‘90s) but as of late, the quality of home recordings has vastly improved and O’Regan, along with fellow Toronto maverick The Weeknd, are leading the pack. 

“It’s possible to make a fully-realized piece of music on a laptop computer in your bedroom, or bathroom, or living room - whatever room,” he says. “You can make it outside for all I care really. You don’t need a big studio to make something interesting.”

O’Regan attributes his experience with recording and figuring things out on his own with helping him determine his career path, and where he wants to take his music, which he has become just as noted for as his appearance on stage.

Known for his David Bowie meets Lady Gaga costumes, he says his outfits liberate him while performing, and allow the audience to feel they are a part of something.

“They give me a way to become a human character that is at once more than myself but also an amplified or exaggerated version of myself.

“I liken it to showing up to a party and recognizing that the hostess made an effort to clean up a little.”

The video for “Runaway Love” by Diamond Rings.

Published in Volume 67, Number 12 of The Uniter (November 21, 2012)

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