When I asked to review Diamante’s new album American Dream, I had no idea how significant this album would be to me personally. Every song on this album was written as if it came straight from my own diary. It seemed as if during the time period of writing this album, she and I were living parallel lives. This album hit me like a ton of bricks and I had to talk to her.
KNAC.COM: Finally we are able to connect and talk. I've been looking forward to this interview for a couple weeks. Thanks so much for scheduling in a little time for us. Congrats on your recent graduation from NYC. What a huge accomplishment.
DIAMANTE: Hi, thank you for doing this. I am so happy to be able to talk to you. Thank you. With touring and writing it was challenging for sure.
KNAC.COM: GIRL!! This album hit me hard. I never expected to hear you sing songs as if you were reading my mind. I literally felt like it was my diary. In my review I said American Dream might be my first tattoo. I 100% meant that. I have not been blindsided or immediately in love with an album like this since 7th grade when I listened to BON JOVI’s Slippery When Wet, the album that started my love of rock music. That's going on 34 years ago.
DIAMANTE: I did see that in the review. That’s awesome. If you do get that tattoo, I have to see a picture please. Seriously! I love to hear that you related to it so much. I saw your joke about asking if we had the same boyfriend? {LOL}
KNAC.COM: Related to it is an understatement. Oh, yes, was his name Eric by any chance? {LOL} I'm sure there will be many fans that relate to this album in some way. For me, each song was perfection.
DIAMANTE: This album was a work in progress. It took me over a year and a half. I wrote when I could. I wanted all my emotions to come across genuine. It was important to me. Neil and Howard, my producers, pushed me vocally. They wanted my vulnerable and personal side to emote conviction in what I was trying to convey.
KNAC.COM: You did a stellar job. What you completed was one of the most relatable albums put out over the last few years, maybe ever in my opinion. The song "Unlovable" pulled me in and had me in tears with lyrics like “I keep making the same mistakes”, “I thought I had a heart of gold, everything I touch turns to stone”. I've seen social media posts made by fans, so many love his song. So many of us see ourselves as good people, so why do others make us feel unlovable?
DIAMANTE: I've seen so many posts and videos on TikTok , my fans showing love for that song. I am so appreciative. I wish I could give them all a hug. My fans are everything to me.
KNAC.COM: Speaking of fans, your fans helped you reach over 700K streams the first few days. Not too bad for an independently released album. You did this on your own with your fans.
DIAMANTE: It's so amazing.
KNAC.COM: I have to bring up "UnFuck You". Not that a lot of us want to admit it, but a lot of us have been there; “Drunk at 2am, here we go again”, “Trust me when I cross the line, I really cross that line”. This song was so undeniably relatable. Yes, I’ll admit it.
DIAMANTE: We all revisit the past or people we shouldn’t. Human nature enables us to make decisions, sometimes not quite the best.
KNAC.COM: When I heard "Wakeup Call", I thought Damn!! With a pre-chorus with lyrics like these, “Make you suffer like I suffered but I'm tougher than you could ever be” and “I'm unbreakable because of you”, when you are in a toxic relationship sometimes it takes a wakeup call to make you realize how bad it is. This song to me was saying once you're standing on the outside of the relationship, you finally see.
DIAMANTE: The lyrics come from a personal place. Yes, for sure, you can't see how bad things were until you're out of it. It’s a painful process. The toxic relationship can be with anyone though, not just a significant other.
KNAC.COM: One of my favorite songs on this album is "Serves You Right". It's always a good thing in my opinion when karma comes around. “I can't be the only the one you hurt, maybe you'll get what you deserve”, “If I find out you’re the villain so what, serves you right!” When the person that did so much damage to someone emotionally finally gets outed, that’s finally redemption in a way. I've found myself in situations where I had to defend myself and my actions because another person was a great actor and others couldn’t possibly believe they were a “villain”. When the truth finally came out, it was bittersweet.
DIAMANTE: You understood that perfectly. I think unless you live through some situations, you can't understand it.
KNAC.COM: "Obvious" was one that made me tear up a little as well. It sucks to feel invisible. When it's obvious he's talking to someone else and he doesn’t even notice, that’s obvious to you. So many times, we care deeply for another person and they act like we aren't even there. Being taken for granted is a hard pill to swallow.
DIAMANTE: YES! Feeling invisible is the worst. Knowing something is off and the other person is so out of touch, they don’t even notice. Don’t ever feel like you're invisible.
KNAC.COM: The title track as I said in my review set the bar high for this album. The album far exceeded more than I could have imagined. "American Dream" reminded me of a fantastic rock show opener. The 80s reference, the corvette sounds added and sexy lyrics like “You got me doing bad things in your new Mercedes” and “I like the roses on his neck like a modern-day James Dean”, this song got me going. I listened to it on repeat. I can't wait to see this performed live.
DIAMANTE: Thank you so much. I do love the 80s music rock. I can't wait to do it live. I did think of the great rock songs and wanted something that would get my fans singing along.
KNAC.COM: I'm pretty sure your fans will be singing along to all of these songs. I know every lyric to all of them. {LOL} It's been since 2018 since you released your first album Coming In Hot. How do you feel you have grown as an artist from that album to this album?
DIAMANTE: Well with the first one, I was 19-20 years old writing it. I have exponentially changed and grown as a human being. I feel like I've lived three lifetimes since the first album. I'm living and loving life now.
KNAC.COM: I can definitely tell the younger you wrote the first one and a young lady that’s experienced life wrote the second album. When art imitates life, it can be a bittersweet success. I want to thank you so much for talking to me. I can't tell in you words how cathartic this album is for me and I'm sure numerous other fans.
DIAMANTE: Wow, I'm humbled to hear that. That makes me feel amazing to know what I was trying to achieve and put out there was felt by you and others. Thank you for supporting my music. I look forward to seeing at show or two. I can't wait to meet you.
KNAC.COM: Likewise. I will definitely see you at a show. Thank you for being so raw and writing this badass album.
