It's not sexy.. It's just the truth..
Anyone who knows me well, will know my parents have been a huge influence on me and my music career. It's not sexy, it's not newsworthy, it's not an earth shattering story that captures the imagination of the masses, it's not good PR, but it's the truth. And just this week I've had a conversation with both my parents that made me realise just how much they have always been there, rooting for me, bending their lives around my awkward decisions, and actually loving my music.
Mum says it's hard sometimes but you have to just keep going. She says they've had so many tough times that there comes a point where you just believe you'll get through it. Dad says, you have to follow your dream, just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and don't give up.
Both my parents, and my paternal grandmother, are/were very musical. My dad was in bands and gigged all over London as a young man, having started busking on the ukulele at age 7 (with a Uke I believe he bought that morning?! Ever the entrepenuer my dad), his mum was a singer and also played the piano and accordion in pubs and clubs - totally untrained musically, she could hear a tune and it would come out of her hands. She had an organ at home and used to host sing-songs with the family when I was small. We'd sit under the piano and Nana would hand around a string bag of percussion to my brother, my cousins and I, while my parents, aunts and uncles would sing, and she would play piano-accordion. I was only tiny when we used to do this but it's such a vivid memory - I can only imagine how much that influenced my Dad as a young man. My parents always wanted my brother and I to be creative and encouraged us in music and art. My mum and brother are amazing painters and artists, and both naturally musical too. Dad put a guitar in my hand when I was 3 apparently, and I was privileged to have piano lessons from the age of 5, although I confess to being more like my Nana, and preferred to play by ear than reading. One day Dad left me to my practice on our little Casio keyboard to learn 'Good King Wenceslas' as per my homework that week. We lived in a tiny place at the time and our little Casio was up against the wall in my parents' bedroom. He went away for half an hour or something and left me to it with my little headphones on. Bearing in mind I could only have been 6 or 7, I sat there and diligently worked it out. By ear. Dad came back and I played it for him. With a smile on his face, he said "well done sweetheart - now try it in the right key". I had completely ignored the score, and had to do it all over again. Hey ho - I blame my Nana.
My parents are self employed and have always worked very long hours, weekends, evenings, bank holidays - you name it. Not a bad norm for a future musician. In my formative years, when I spent time with my dad, it would be in the evenings, listening to his records, which is where my love of old vinyl and purist songwriters came from. On the Beautiful Monday album, I wrote a song about these precious times called Mahogany Radio 'he'd talk and I would listen about the things that I should know'.
I was infused with a deep love of music, particularly for that era of music that seemed to be changing the world.
Later I was privileged travel, work abroad, and I received a good education. I took my music collection and my guitar (and my songbook) with me and I always returned to those songs that comforted me when I needed it.
As my teenage years faded into my twenties, I tried my best to 'settle down' and have a normal life. I did 'normal' things like buy a house, settle down and get a 'normal' respectable job, but it just made me miserable. I had always played, and written, which was the happiest time for me, but I just couldn't keep it up. Things that a lot of people feel like are an adventure, like buying a house; It made me feel like my life was actually over. It gave me it pleasure or fulfilment, other than doing my duty. I mean no disrespect to people who value these things, and am genuinely happy for those that get pleasure from this lifestyle. All I can say is, I tried, and it made me miserable. It just wasn't for me.
I had lost a friend in a car accident, at the age of 17, when he was 21. He was just about to graduate university and was so full of plans. He wanted to travel and grab life by the horns, but tragically was not given that chance. This effected me deeply at that tender age. I had known him since I was 2 years old. Years later, when Fearless was released, I recorded 'Nearby' which I wrote in the throes of my confused, adolescent grief. I felt enough time had passed that it's release would not be distasteful, and also I'd developed enough confidence in myself as an artist to release it completely untouched, in its raw state.
From then on I think subconsciously I knew I wouldn't be happy living my life on the never never. No more pipe dreaming, no more playing it safe. No more 'shoulds' or 'ought tos'. I'd always wanted to see the world, so at 18 I did it.
After years of fighting it, the music won. Nothing else made me happy. I gave up my 'day job' with two goals.
1) to make my living from music
2) to be creatively fulfilled.
I am thrilled to say that I live this dream everyday, with the support of people like you who buy and share
my music.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Social Links:
Website: http://diellemusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diellemusicuk
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iTunes: https://itun.es/au/rsEKq