Diamond Field is the creation New York City-based New Zealander Andy Diamond aka Andrew B. White who has spent the last decade working on musical projects with a number of artists. Many of these artists return the favor and appear as guests on the debut Diamond Field album. After a string of single releases over the last few years, the album builds on the strong ‘80s-influenced sound that Diamond Field is known for.
The album features a strong New Zealand connection featuring appearances from Wellington artist/producer Nik Brinkman (Junica, Over The Atlantic, Physical), Auckland’s Belinda Bradley (Selon Recliner), and several ex-pat New Zealand artists. These include Pennsylvania-based Miriam Clancy who co-writes and provides vocals on ‘Glowing In The Dark’ (White played live bass for the US release of Clancy’s 2019 album “Astronomy”) and LA-based multi-instrumentalist Rodger Cunningham. Cunningham was a finalist at the 2006 NZ Music Awards for “Best Mana Māori Album” and has written for film and TV, as well as playing with White in Rotorua bands back in the early 1990s. Completing the NZ connection is Melbourne-based vocalist Matthew J. Ruys (Fuemana, Houseparty, Strawpeople) who contributes lead vocals on two of the album’s tracks, along with dollops of backing vocals throughout. Ruys also co-wrote and appeared on Diamond Field’s second single ‘This City’ in 2015.
Other contributions come from synth and soundtrack artist Cody Carpenter (John Carpenter, Ludrium), Chicago’s Kyle Brauch (MIDWAVE, Rain Rabbit) and NYC’s Chris Ward aka The Saxophone Warrior (Felix Pastorius’ Hipster Assassins, Fischerspooner, Lord Huron). There is a return appearance from Minneapolis artist Nina Luna who featured on Diamond Field’s debut single ‘Neon Summer’, and Chelsea Nenni (whose band Late Slip White is also part of). Finally Glasgow multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Becca Starr brings her powerful Scottish pipes to several tracks. Having worked with these collaborators over the years, the album feels like one big musical family affair.
Diamond Field’s sound is inspired by ‘80s producers like Hugh Padgham (Phill Collins, The Police), Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, New Order) and Peter Wolf (Wang Chung, Survivor), whose production techniques mixed traditional instruments with the latest tech of the time. On Diamond Field, electric guitars, bass, and ‘real’ drums are combined with drum machines, sequencers, and synthesizers; vocals are up front and stacks of backing vocals regularly fill out the choruses.