VIDEO INTERVIEW: Diane Birch
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 20, 2010 5:30PM
Special to Chicagoist from Drew Fortune
In her wildest dreams, Diane Birch never imagined she’d be opening for a teen idol, in this case Nick Jonas. While pop friendly, Birch’s piano driven soul is sultry and seductive, sharing more in common with Norah Jones than the teenybopper set. As my production crew pulls up to the Rosemont Theater for our interview with Birch, the artist entrance is surrounded by a wall of screaming girls, brandishing handmade signs adorned with hearts for Nick Jonas. It’s like a bizarre pre-pubescent Beatlemania, and I’m amazed that teen idol fans actually do behave this way. Ever see “The Ring” episode of South Park that poked fun at Jonas Brothers hysteria? It’s really not that far off. Amidst all this craziness is Diane Birch, sweet and demure, beautiful yet tough, who is really only interested in getting her music out there to whoever is receptive (even if most of the fans on this tour are years away from getting a driver’s license).
On her debut album, Bible Belt, Birch fuses her many influences (doo-wop harmonies, barroom blues guitar, gospel intensity and accessible AM radio melodies) with honest, clear-eyed lyrics, creating a record that pairs well with sunny afternoon walks and drinks before hitting the town. As I’ve also discovered, your mom will really like it. Still in her early twenties, Birch has lived all over the world, traveling from Michigan to Zimbabwe with her South African-born parents. Birch’s father, a conservative pastor, instilled a love of classical and gospel in his daughter, but the rebellious Birch went the Goth route in her teens, finding solace and inspiration in the doom and gloom of Joy Division and Christian Death. Birch’s self-taught piano virtuosity has brought her the attention of Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group) and players from The Meters, Galactic and Lenny Kravitz all accompanied Birch on Bible Belt. She also spent an interesting afternoon with Prince, who after seeing her in a piano bar in L.A. invited Birch back to his house to jam and have lunch. For those who are curious, Prince made egg salad sandwiches.
Below is our interview with Diane Birch, captured before her January 17 performance at the Rosemont Theater just outside Chicago. Following the interview is an exclusive performance of “Nothing But A Miracle” from Bible Belt. Diane stole my heart, and I’m sure she’ll capture yours too. Hey, if Prince had his way, she’d be the next Apollonia, but thankfully, Diane’s just fine doing her own thing.