THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN’S MAIN CAMPUS IS SITUATED ON TREATY 6 TERRITORY AND THE HOMELAND OF THE MÉTIS.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN’S MAIN CAMPUS IS SITUATED ON TREATY 6 TERRITORY AND THE HOMELAND OF THE MÉTIS.
ISHMAEL N. DARO
Web Editor
In his previous life as frontman of the post-punk band The D’Urbervilles, John O’Regan looked not unlike most musicians in Canada’s indie music scene.
But as Diamond Rings, his solo project, he is unmistakable. As one music blogger put it, “John O’Regan has surfaced from Canada’s sea of never-ending beards and flannel, sporting ample spandex, acid-washed denim and dollops of neon makeup.”
The presentation is a big part of Diamond Rings’s appeal, but the music is just as refreshing. The songs are mostly synth-heavy dance anthems with O’Regan’s low baritone layered overtop, singing about anything from avoiding sunburn to tales of unrequited love.
And although O’Regan is only 25 years old, having just released his debut album Special Affections, his music has a deep sense of maturity to it.
“Lyrics are really important to me. I work at it until it feels right and sounds right and carries the right weight for what I’m trying to express,” said O’Regan. “I’m sure I’m more mature than some people and less than others but I’m just trying to write good songs. I’m not trying to be someone’s dad or big brother or something. Hopefully people can connect to what I’m saying.”
O’Regan is currently on tour with PS I Love You and was reached by phone in Vancouver. His speaking voice is much softer than what one hears in his music, and he is surprisingly frank about his talents as well as his limitations.
“It’s about understanding what your weaknesses are as an artist and turning those into strengths. And that, if anything, is what I do best,” he said. “I’m not a virtuoso, I’m not classically trained or a child prodigy or something. I’m just a really big music fan. I know what I can do and I know what I can’t do and I work really hard at it.”
What he does well is make really catchy pop songs. Even on tour, he is always trying to learn more about making the perfect pop song.
I’m not a virtuoso, I’m not classically trained or a child prodigy or something. I’m just a really big music fan.
–Diamond Rings
“I’m really interested in learning how to put together a really polished and well crafted song. Anything that’s catchy and popular is really exciting to me right now,” he said when asked what his latest musical obsession was.
O’Regan has been a mainstay of Toronto’s music scene for a few years, but he didn’t make waves as Diamond Rings until his low-tech video for “All Yr Songs” made the rounds on YouTube. It was “video created literally with a handycam and a green sheet of fabric in my living room.”
It was also the first time most people saw O’Regan in his gender-bending new form. Since then, comparisons to Ziggy Stardust and Lady Gaga have been common in trying to describe Diamond Rings.
“I understand that’s part of the whole process,” said O’Regan. “I’m confident that over time the more I do this and the better I get at improving as an artist, I’ll be able to hold my own. And people won’t have to compare me to anything because I’ll be something myself.”
People in Saskatoon will have a first-hand opportunity to see what Diamond Rings is when he plays Amigos on March 24 with PS I Love You. O’Regan says the best way to enjoy a Diamond Rings show is with an open mind.
“I’m trying to create a space where people can be free to be themselves and not worry about being judged and picked on and anything like that. I’ve dealt with experiences like that and they suck. So hopefully the people that come out to see me are willing to just be open and free and have a good time.”
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