Taking her band and the song “Nothing But A Miracle” to The Late Show with David Letterman, the four-trombone, one-trumpet brass section delivers, and Diane’s voice sounds just as tough as ever. Also! Fun fact: Tom “Bones” Malone wrote the horn arrangements for Diane’s debut album, Bible Belt, and plays in Letterman’s band, so he joined her for the performance. Naturally.

You can watch that performance here:

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For more information on Diane Birch, visit myspace.com/dianebirch.

As with most musicians, it’s easy to compare Diane Birch to the legendary female musicians who’ve come before her. With a sound influenced more by Motown and less by, say, the Pussycat Dolls, Birch is right on track to become one of music’s most prized possessions. Her debut album, Bible Belt, is romantic without being sex-driven. Maybe not the best news for pervy old men, but there is still hope for you yet, young America– you just have to know where to look for it…

AM: I’ve read a lot about certain aspects of your childhood, but can you tell us about your background in music?

Diane Birch: I grew up in South Africa, I lived in Australia… My dad was a preacher so we traveled around quite a bit. Then I moved to Oregon. I started playing piano when I was seven and started playing classical piano. I studied an ear-training method, so I played music by ear, and I just started picking up stuff by ear.

AM: You’ve been playing since you were seven, so you’ve been playing for–

DB: About 20 years.

AM: OK, because I was wondering how old you are. A lot of people make mention of how mature your sound is.

DB: I have an old soul. I used to be convinced I was from the 18th century, so I’m then 300-and-something [years old]. [laughs]

AM: So this is your first full tour?

DB: This is my first tour ever. I’ve never been on tour, so it’s like a whole new thing.

AM: Everything pretty much began with the SXSW shows, then.

DB: Yeah. We started in SXSW. We did everything from interactive media stuff to– we played Austin TV, which was cool. We probably, all-in-all, did about nine or ten shows, so it was busy.

AM: I saw your schedule for that run and it seemed like you were doing about two shows each day.

DB: I know, it was crazy. But it’s almost like, once you get in that flow, it’s nice. When we’re driving and we don’t have a show the next night, I’m always kind of bummed. I’m like, “Oh, we don’t have a show tomorrow?”

AM: So you wrote Bible Belt entirely on your own. How long did it take for you to write the whole album? Because it’s your first, did it take you years to compile songs?

DB: Well, I think what really took the most amount of time was just sort of finding myself and developing myself as a songwriter. I didn’t really know what I was doing, I just sort of stumbled into it. I did write all the songs on my own. I think that the songs are really taken from the last few years; the oldest song on there is probably about three-and-a-half years old now.

AM: I’ve always wondered if it’s weird to share your songs with people for the first time as a songwriter. I know that, as a writer, you have to really get into your head and reach deep, so is it difficult to turn yourself inside-out for an audience?

DB: It’s actually great. I just never am sure why people are into it. I’m like, “You mean you like that?” [laughs] It’s kind of a weird thing that people actually like it, because I’m just always like, “Oh, yeah, I’m sure it sucks.” Then people respond to it, and it’s really worth it.

AM: How did you come to be involved with S-Curve Records?

DB: Steve [Greenberg] found me through Betty Wright. I was doing some writing sessions with her when I signed a publishing deal with EMI Publishing. She called him or he called her, and I sang over the phone for him, then he flew me to New York.

AM: As a solo artist, is it difficult for you to create a band who can interpret your music as you hear it in your mind?

DB: No, I think maybe it could be difficult, but I’m really fortunate, and my band is amazing. I feel like they all have an old soul, too. They’re just incredible players, and they’re really great at interpreting what the music needs. I think that I really lucked-out finding them.

AM: Over the past few years, music went through a very provocative, “sexy” phase when it came to female musicians, where there were a lot of midriffs and suggestive lyrics. Do you think there’s been a recent shift in the industry which has allowed people to reacquaint themselves with women who take more of romantic approach to their music?

DB: I don’t really know if it’s the industry, I feel like it’s people in general. I feel like the time and the era that we live in is kind of like, “It’s OK to just be real and be honest.” I think that that my records conveys a lot of strength. It also conveys weakness, and I’m not afraid to say that I’m weak in a certain moment. I think it’s about honesty. I think honesty is really current and trendy. I think… [laughs] honesty is the new punk. [laughs] Just say it how it is sometimes.

AM: A lot of musicians have discussed wanting to make more upbeat music to reflect that the current time is a time of hope and that we seem to be on more of an upswing. Even the ballads on Bible Belt seem to reflect that in their lyrics or in their tone. Is that purposeful?

DB: I mean, I think there’s always this element of hope with everything, but at the same time I really gravitate towards rhythmical elements. I think the chord changes are often times quite uplifting, and I think lyrically, often times they’re pretty sad. I think there’s a juxtaposition in the musical aspects of it. It’s kind of uplifting. I never planned it, but it seems like it just speaks to a lot of people and maybe even current times. We’re in a recession and people gravitate toward things that sort of identify with their pain, you know? So maybe it happened at the right time, I don’t know. [laughs]

AM: You’ve referenced your goth days and how “Valentino” was a product of that chapter in your life.

DB: Basically it all stemmed from my classical background. I was really obsessed with classical music and that was the only music I was exposed to as a kid. I didn’t hear any pop music or anything. So I sort of gravitated to the whole goth phase because I, a) I loved the goth movement. I loved a lot of the goth bands and bands that are associated with goth, and I sort of was obsessed with the 18th century. In my boredom I created this imaginary friend, Valentino, who kind of resembled Mozart. I used to wear huge wedding dresses and dance around and think about the days when Valentino was… whatever. [laughs] But maybe he was a love in, like, a life past or something like that. And in a way the song actually represents sort of saying goodbye to that childlike innocence, where your imagination is so vivid and clear, and it’s not censored by media, or society, or whatever. It’s just really, really free. Essentially that song represents that kind of purity of imagination.

AM: It seems that people are desperate to try to classify your sound. I see such a wide array of genres attached to your music, from jazz, to soul, to pop, and I even saw something that said you’re a gospel musician. I think calling what you do “gospel music” speaks more to your background than to your sound.

DB: I do have to say, I’ve invited everything. I kind of think it’s everything and nothing all at the same time. I think there’s definitely a huge gospel influence, but not “gospel” in a Motown kind of a way; not really in a Christian type of way, necessarily. I think that there’s a huge sort of soul influence. I think it sounds– I don’t really know. I have no perspective. But a lot of people make references to early ’70s singer-songwriters, you know, like Carole King. I get that a lot, the whole Carole King thing, and she was very gospel-y. That’s what I tend to gravitate towards.

AM: It seems as if “soul” has taken on a completely new meaning now. When I saw it in reference to your music, it made sense, but not in terms of the modern definition of soul music.

DB: Yeah. I identify with a lot of the music that was happening in the late ’60s/early ’70s, so I think that kind of soul– I think now it’s defined by something like an Amy Winehouse or a Duffy. I think that’s a modern interpretation of soul, you know, and I probably stick to the older references.

AM: Have you had the time to put any thought into your next album yet?

DB: I love so many different kinds of music. I love disco, you know, the house music, the electronic stuff. I wouldn’t really want to do something like that necessarily for me, but I’d love to do, like, side projects. I’d love to play on peoples’ albums. I probably want to do another record, but I don’t think I’m done with this record yet. There’s a lot of songs that I feel like didn’t make this record that I still feel, like, need to probably have a home on another record. I just have so many songs at this point that we didn’t want to shove it all onto an album. I think there’s a lot of songs that speak to another side of myself that I’ll definitely be putting on another record.

AM: It’ll be fun to see because Bible Belt is brand new, so who knows what will happen next?

DB: [laughs] I know, I’m getting ahead of myself. [laughs] Well, on the fourth record, I’ll be doing, you know, disco beats. Or I’ll be going through my rap phase.

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Bible Belt is currently available on iTunes.
For more information on Diane Birch, visit myspace.com/dianebirch.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 06.02.09
by Joshua Krage

These next few months will be a bit stripped-down on the old mewsic blog here, on account of summer, and all the wonderful paying gigs that brings to me and my guitar around the Sacramento area. Thus, while the lists themselves will remain wonderfully robust with names, the actual reviewing may be somewhat lean compared to other times of the year. And with that, on to the reviewing:

Ryan Bingham

Diane Birch, Bible Belt – a well-churched piano player and breathtaking singer possessed of a sweet songbird lilt with commanding range with striking shades of gospel, soul, and classic-era singer-songwriters. A serious Carole King silhouette is hanging in the background of a lot of these tracks in a master-craft sort of way, from the backing vocals to the melody placement to the horn arrangements, it all melts together like a love story set to music.

Blind Pilot
Butterfly Boucher

Jeff Buckley, Grace: Live Around the World DVD/CD – he was the last artist to really move me from all angles: the songwriting, the singing, the stagecraft, the interpretation, and especially the guitar playing – equally comfortable inhabiting a Nina Simone ballad as blasting a full-volume rock spectacle, just as potent and commanding with only a microphone as with a full band. We just passed the 12th anniversary of his tragic passing, and I’m so, so happy there is still material like this in the vault so we can continue discovering how great a talent he was…

Cavo

Elvis Costello, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane – an all-star country/folk/bluegrass cast in a total record time of three days? And it doesn’t suffer for the rush? T-Bone Burnett’s steady hand helped sculpt a barn-burner here, and you’ll be hearing it at Starbucks as they are its distributor…

Crash Kings, Crash Kings – hard-edged piano-pop/rock, akin to Cold War Kids without their guitar, and newly-championed by Zach Braff so you’ll no doubt be hearing about them somewhere soon…

Crosby, Stills & Nash – demos
Jonny Diaz
Drop Dead, Gorgeous

EELS, Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire – nobody can even reach the unique, cathartic craziness of the sonic real estate that Mark Oliver Everett inhabits, and every album he produces builds a brand new house on that land. This body of work is a 12-song examination of stripped-down animal instincts and raw emotion, starting in with visceral bravado and slowly peeling away the layers to a heart laid bare with yearning. Quite a range, and expertly, affectingly executed.

Emery
Rick Estrin & the Nightcats – I got to film these guys on our morning show a few weeks back! Personal connection, score!
Franz Ferdinand – latest LP Tonight dubbified, remixed, and renamed Blood. I’m awaiting the new single “No Jah Girls Nevah No” any day now…

Girl In a Coma, Trio B.C. – this 3-pack of Mex-American twang-punk rock chicas was one of my favorite discoveries of 2007, mostly due to their placement on Joan Jett’s Blackheart label and singer/guitarist Nina Diaz’ heady, Smiths-indebted scream-croon. Packing serious muscle and a better variety of flavors this time around, I found just as much to love about this album as I did in their debut.

Iwrestledabearonce, It’s All Happening – surprisingly muscular metal causing quite a buzz in the indie rock community. Extreme double-bass-pedal drumming, crazy prog shifts, scream-core female vocals, and a guitar flurry of two-finger tapping make this band not suitable for those with weak hearts. Consult your doctor before listening.

J Dilla
Dave Matthews Band
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Christy Nockels

Paolo Nutini, Sunny Side Up – my favorite Italian-pedigreed Scottish singer-songwriter, his debut had a broguish blue-eyed soul matched in quality by the strength of the songwriting, and this follow-up only improves on all aspects. Produced by Ethan Johns, there’s a sun-drenched ’70s soul sound permeating these tracks, from the string arrangements to the spirit-uplifting organ beds, and Nutini’s nuanced, sandpaper growl has grown up a bit as well. Great sophomore LP, and at this rate he’ll be a serious stateside contender in no time.

Iggy Pop
Rancid
Simple Minds – yes, a new one. They’re still alive and kicking. You didn’t, erm, forget about them, did you?
Soul Made Visible
The Sounds
Taking Back Sunday
311
Unladylike
Various artists, Well Hung – a compilation of communist-era vintage Hungarian early psych/prog/rock bands of the late 60′s and 70′s. I’m not making this up.
Vanessa Williams

OK, I got songs to go get learned, so I’ll see you next week with some of the best (and/or most interesting) music coming out all year. Ciao, baby.

P.S. Enjoy a sampling from this week’s new songs on my MySpace page. It’s updated pretty much weekly now…

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

We have a new photographer! Her name is Emily Tan.

Because we want to introduce you to how amazingly talented she is, we’ve posted a gallery of some of Emily’s work. In this gallery, you’ll find live shots of Diane Birch (and her trumpet player), Nicole Atkins, Parachute, Phil Bensen, Razorlight, Salt & Samovar, St. Vincent, and Taylor Hanson.

We look forward to featuring more of Emily Tan’s photography on Audioholic Media in the future–or at least until she becomes too famous to deal with us and is too busy to return our emails… which we’ll totally understand. Because it’s only a matter of time.
She’s kind of a genius when it comes to this stuff.

If you can find a good deal on flights or know of an unattended barrel of black gold/Texas tea, it would be in your best interest to get to this concert. With Diane Birch(!!) scheduled to open during all of his headlining shows, tickets for the tour were released for pre-sale today.

So says the James Morrison MySpace bulletin:

Everyone who pre-orders a ticket will be instantly entered to win a Meet & Greet with James at the show.
Also, as a special added bonus, with your pre-order you can
download James’ new album Songs For You, Truths For Me for only $6.99 and Undiscovered for $8.49! It doesn’t get better than that!

Indeed. It really doesn’t.

04.18.09 Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
04.19.09 Phoenix, AZ @ Martini Ranch
04.20.09 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
04.23.09 Dallas, TX @ Granada
04.24.09 Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
04.25.09 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
04.27.09 Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
04.28.09 Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
04.30.09 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
05.01.09 Montreal, CAN @ Cabaret
05.03.09 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
05.05.09 Indianpolis, IN @ The Vogue
05.07.09 Toronto, CAN @ The Opera House
05.09.09 Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theatre, The Palms w/ Jason Mraz

For more information on James Morrison and his spring tour, visit jamesmorrisonmusic.com.