On Diamond’s Lisa Salvo joins us for episode #20 of the Turning Heads podcast.
This week’s edition of Turning Heads features a conversation with Lisa Salvo from Melbourne experimental pop band On Diamond. On Diamond’s latest single, ‘Candle’, came out in September 2020.
‘Candle’ is On Diamond’s first new music since their debut, self-titled album came out early 2019. The track is rooted in a repeating bass groove and grows from a restrained beginning to become somewhat cacophonous. This is a common thread through On Diamond’s catalogue, which incorporates elements of rock, noise, alt-pop, folk and improvised music.
Lisa Salvo previously performed as a solo artist, releasing the album I Could Have Been A Castle in 2014. She’d already established a working relationship with the On Diamond guitarists Scott McConnachie and Hannah Cameron, either through her solo project or in her capacity as a member of Grand Salvo’s live band. The five-piece On Diamond lineup is completed by drummer Maria Moles and bass player Jules Pascoe.
In the podcast, Lisa explains the significant role improvisation plays in building and evolving On Diamond songs and that improvisation remains a feature of their live shows. She also talked about how, although some difficult life experiences gave rise to the lyrics of ‘Candle’, the song is intended to offer a hand to anyone who’s struggling through trauma. It also brings attention to the way in which truth has become something of an endangered species in contemporary political discourse.
Check out the podcast episode below:
I will be back with a new episode of Turning Heads next week. You can find the podcast on Spotify, Podbean and through Apple.
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