A Chat with DiElle (08.04.25)
The talented and ever-evolving artist DiElle reflects on her journey from her early pop/rock band days to the evolution of her sound on her latest album, Atlas, exploring the influences that have shaped her songwriting. With a deep passion for both music and connection, she balances vulnerability and empowerment while looking forward to exciting collaborations and performances.
OSR: You’ve been creating music for a long time. How do you think your sound has evolved over the years from your earlier work to Atlas?
DiElle: If anything, I think Atlas is a return to my roots. I’ve experimented with my sound over the years over various different projects. I had a pop/rock band years ago, which allowed me to wear a silver catsuit and jump off the stage. Being with the trio has allowed me to lean into my love of harmony singing, and I’ve written for three voices since 2016. When we started getting involved with the film, I experimented with more cinematic sounds in my songs. I’ve loved reggae and electronic elements, and my charity single ‘Already A Hero’ had 102 tracks of vocals on it, including 2 choirs, so the productions were massive.
In 2022, I began a project called One Girl One Guitar to focus on songwriting, where the toplines could breathe and be exposed. I released an acoustic single every two weeks for six months. The productions were intentionally raw, and some were even live studio recordings, where I performed the song and filmed it, and that audio was released as a single. The front runners from that inspired my Love, Hope Nostalgia EP, which I toured in late 2023, a more polished listening experience where I’d given a lot of thought to the instrumentation. Atlas is the evolution of that. I’ve written it with the intention of performing it solo, so the arrangements are the sweet spot between a polished listening experience for my audience around the world and something I can meaningfully recreate live. I’ve written with my audience in mind, so there’s lots for them to do when they come to live gigs, so don’t be surprised when you get asked to ‘doop doop’ or stamp or clap as part of the show.
OSR: You’ve mentioned being inspired by artists like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Tracy Chapman. How have these influences shaped your approach to songwriting and performance?
DiElle: Sometimes, it’s worth aiming for something even though you know you will never reach it. They are consumate masters of their craft, and it inspired me to aim to connect with people the way those artists had connected with me. They made me think deeper about life and what we should do with our time. They helped me grieve and navigate some extremely difficult experiences. They helped me express my joy and tell people I loved them. I started writing to help understand myself during the turbulent years of adolescence, but pretty quickly, it became apparent that people were listening and relating their own experiences to my songs. My life-long effort since then is to try to write, not only for me, but also for those listeners who are experiencing something similar. I’ve done that to varying degrees of success over the years, and I feel that Atlas is my best effort so far. In the room, I try to connect with people now, more and more bringing people in and involving them as much as I can.
OSR: You’ve achieved significant recognition over the years, especially being praised by James Taylor. How do you stay grounded despite all the success?
DiElle: That really was amazing! It was during the pandemic, and the arts were so devalued by the powers that be, in my view. To get that comment from a hero of mine was incredible. A couple of years later, I was at a James Taylor concert with the band, and his backing vocalist held her mic out to me. I actually sang ‘How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You’ with James Taylor. These things are heady when they happen, but they’re only ever a flash in the pan. I’m grateful for it, and the validation is something that sticks. But I love my grassroots venues and my community music. I’ve spent so much time there, I cannot imagine my life without it. The true greats remain humble, and that’s a wonderful example.
OSR: Your live shows have earned a devoted following. What do you think it is about your performances that creates such a deep connection with your audience?
DiElle: It’s difficult for me to say what it is that people think of me. I can only tell you what they say to me, which is that some of them love my voice, some of them are moved by the songs, some of them think I’m funny, some of them relate to what I’m writing about, some of them love the joining in, some of them love the hugs. It’s all about bringing people together for me and giving each other the space to feel whatever it is we need to. I love that my audience members get to know each other, and we have a little family of our own.
OSR: Is there a particular song on Atlas that stands out as especially personal to you? What makes it so meaningful?
DiElle: They are all pretty personal, but I feel I have to give ‘True North’ a mention. I was very close to my grandmother, who was nearly 101 when she passed away just over 18 months ago. I was helping to care for her for the last few years of her life. She was a tower of strength, and I was privileged to have such a close relationship with her as an adult. When I travelled when I was younger, I always sent her a postcard, and when my other grandparents had all passed on, I thought of her as the head of the family, the matriarch, and the family was the main reason I came back to live in the UK rather than settling abroad, which I easily could have done. She was a steadying influence on me and one of my biggest fans. When she came round from an operation to replace a hip at the age of 96 – a surgery we didn’t know she would survive – the first thing she said was, “My granddaughter writes music for films, you know”.
Atlas is all travelling songs, and I had the title ‘True North’. I spoke to my co-writer Rosie about it and said, “All I can think about when I look at those words is my Nan”. To paraphrase Sheryl Crow, after a certain stage in life, there’s no reason not to write the truth. Many a journey has a guiding light, we can all drift and return home, lose our way and need someone to turn to. Rosie helped channel my grief into this song that I hope brings comfort to people when they feel lost. If that’s not sickenly pretentious.
OSR: Atlas seems to balance vulnerability and empowerment in its themes. How do you find strength in moments of vulnerability, both as an artist and as an individual?
DiElle: I think it takes a lot of bravery to allow yourself to be vulnerable and even more to sing about it and invite people to see that about you. But the strength for me comes from knowing that other people are relating to it and they’re finding comfort in the music. Every time I’ve written something vulnerable, somebody has thanked me for it, so I’ve been reassured over the years that it’s worth being brave for.
OSR: With the rise of digital platforms and streaming, how do you see the future of the music industry affecting artists like yourself?
DiElle: For a long time now, it’s been about the live experiences and bringing people together is what I love. Since the introduction of iTunes, the general population has massively devalued recorded music, but you still need to have it, of course. It’s all disposable until you want something to play at a funeral, and then people realise how healing music is. The fact that people will pay more for a T-shirt with your name on that they may never wear than the art itself, which they might listen to daily, is crazy to me but it’s the world we live in, and it’s because music is no longer something you can hold in your hand. You can’t blame the public for that. It’s great to see vinyl on the rise again, but these can be expensive to produce, so balancing the profit margins can be tough. Coupled with the destruction of grassroots music venues and that we’re all competing with thousands of TV channels now, it is a worry, but I’m focusing on my sphere of influence. I don’t want to spend my life pedalling T-shirts, but it’s made me think more about meaningful merch.
The fact is, my main income from my music comes from royalties and live performances, so continuing to give people a reason to get off the sofa and come and enjoy a live experience is what I’ll focus on. I also offer house concerts now; it’s just me going to people’s homes for special occasions, etc. I’ve done this as a jobbing muso for many years, but that service is bookable now – to have my artists show in your home, and Atlas is perfect for that. Artists will continue to have to be innovative about how they monetise the value they provide for their audience. The perceived monetary value of artists will continue to ebb and flow as it has since the beginning of time.
OSR: What role do you think travel plays in your creative process? How do you feel your experiences in different places have influenced your music?
DiElle: Actually, being on the move gets me into creative flow, which is how this album was conceived, on a train trip to the Scottish Highlands. I went to Manchester on the train recently and had to make sure I worked the whole way there to stop me from coming up with any more ideas until I’ve executed the last lot! I think the excitement and the adventure are what spill into the music rather than any direct musical influences. I spent a lot of time in Sri Lanka when I was young and was hoping for a Graceland or a White Album out of it, but sadly, it didn’t happen!
OSR: You’ve been recognized for your live performances, but how does creating an album compare to the energy of being on stage? Do they satisfy different creative impulses?
DiElle: Absolutely they do. Until recent years, I’ve been a fiercely solitary songwriter, creating in a cave on my own and then thinking about the live show afterwards. That’s the joy of Atlas, that I wrote it with the live show in mind. The art of a good live show is something I’ll always work on, as so much of it is in the lap of the gods.
OSR: What’s next for you after Atlas? Can fans expect new music, collaborations, or perhaps a new direction in your upcoming projects?
DiElle: I’m taking Atlas out on the road, so I really hope to see as many of my listeners in person as possible! I’m doing a combination of coffee shop gigs, festivals, busking, and house concerts, as well as more regular gigs. I’m also performing in a new theatre show with the trio The Laurel Canyon Experience – paying tribute to the great singer-songwriters who have influenced us all. I’m working on a project with my artist friend, Eve Williams, called Ladies Of Song, where we celebrate female singer-songwriters. This has been an occasional YouTube series first produced for Edinburgh Fringe – we each play a song of our own and a cover of a female songwriter and chat about music. We’d like to turn this into a live show series and maybe a podcast, with the view to taking it to the Edinburgh Festival in the flesh next year. I’m also discussing the possibility of a short USA double header tour with my co-writer and artist friend Chelsey Coy to finally get out to my audience in the States and play some live dates with Chelsey. I’m working on some music for a vampire film with the team at Make A Scene Music and The Dark Library. That’s due to shoot this summer, so watch this space for updates about that – that’s a contrast to Atlas live shows, that’s for sure! Hope to see you all at a live Atlas show! Keep dreaming.
Many thanks to DiElle for speaking with us. Find out more about DiElle on her Instagram and Spotify.
