INTERVIEW – We had a chance to catchup with songbird Jennifer Lauren who leads the band with strength and soul in her voice, delivering her songwriting prowess in a way that embeds her lyrics in the hearts of the audience.
Care to introduce yourselves to our readers?
We are Diamonds and Whiskey. We are a female-fronted country-rock band from Charlotte, NC.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
Our music is quite different from what you expect from a female country artist. It is rooted in blues, rock, Americana, and traditional country, but has a modern-day twist with mainstream sensibility. I’m Jenny, founding member, lead singer, and songwriter. Our debut album, Heartbreak Queen, was released late last year and is comprised of 10 songs, all stories from life experience, some heartbreaking, some angry, and some lighthearted and fun.
Tells us about the making and story behind the “Walk On” video.
‘Walk On’ is the first song I’ve had places in a film. It is quite different from what I write for the band. I wrote this for the film ‘Where is Nancy?’ It tells the tragic story of a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s and how she lost her life. ‘Walk On’ is meant to bring awareness to the disease and is a tribute to Nancy, who wandered from her family at a museum, never to be seen again. She was only 55. The video is a mixture of clips from the film. The film has been accepted to many academy qualified film festivals and when COVID 19 allows, those will take place. I played the song at one film premier in California already, a first for me, and a great honor.
For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?
Riveting. There are no dull moments. It is crazy entertainment from start to finish. We strive to keep everyone engaged. Our live performance is truly where we shine. When I step on stage, I become a bit of a monster. 🙂
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
Oh goodness, this would be tough. They are all so different and we’ve truly struggled to figure out what to release because each song seems to garner a great response. I suppose I would go with Muddy Water, it embodies our sound really and is fun. It’s also about rising above anything and not letting bitterness or anger overtake you. Every song is personal to me in some way and some tell dark stories from my life, like ‘25 to life’ which is about my childhood and my brother’s drug addiction; and ‘Hero’ which is about my struggle with Lyme disease and the horrific pain and neurological issues it causes. Each one holds a special place for me, but Muddy Water pretty much sums me up as far as my outlook.
So who are your current favourite bands/ artists?
Currently, I’m really into The Steelwoods, The Cadillac Three, Brandi Carlile, Miranda Lambert of course, Greta Van Fleet, Mumford and Sons, Eric Church.
What post COVID-19 plans are in the bands future?
We still have tour dates in the fall that we are holding onto. We leave in August. We will be releasing a new album within the next year and a European tour is in the works. Our goal is to better ourselves each year and always keep moving forward.
