dear diane opens up about her musical journey, sharing the inspirations, challenges, and processes that shaped her latest work. From early childhood experiences to her EP “talking shit cause i can.”, she offers a candid glimpse into her world.
How did you get started in music? What was the trigger?
d.d.: When I was younger, my dad liked to drive around really early in the morning and I would always go with him. Once I started learning to talk he began giving me “makeshift” singing lessons. (Which were really just him having me learn the words to a song and singing it as loud and best as I could until he said it sounded good.) Hanging out with him and starting that at such a young age kind of made my love for music keep growing. As I grew into a teenager it became my emotional crutch, writing and singing alone for hours really kept me sane throughout my adult years as well.
What inspired you to write “u n i.”? The starting point?
d.d.: I wrote “u n i.” about a past relationship. He told me I would never make it in music, no one liked my music, and it was just a waste of money – so I figured it would be fitting to have my “first” song in a “new genre” be about him. (I’ve been writing and making music in this genre for 10 years now LOL.) He lied to everyone in my AA communities, he lied to his coworkers, he lied to his family, basically he lied to everyone. He told everyone I was crazy and I made everything I said he did up and he’s “such a nice guy” he would never do anything I said he did (which is crazy cause he actually so did LOL). The mask I reference is his completely different persona he would put on around everyone else. His father is a very well known cop in a neighboring area in my state, and when things got bad, like really bad – he got away with everything he did because of that. When I was writing/remixing everything in my “talking shit cause i can.” EP, I was going through the very angry emotions that came along with that and now that everything is said and done, I am moving back into the music that helped me heal behind the scenes the last few months.
What’s your approach to composing? Your working method?
d.d.: I have a few different “routines”. 1. Write a lyric down throughout the day, then come back to it when I get home. I’ll find a beat that goes with a melody of the line and go from there. 2. This one I use when I feel like I need to write but don’t know where to start: listen to beats until one speaks to me and go from there. 3. This one is fairly new and only possible because of my new support in the industry: I’ll go in with an idea and another mind and we will start with writing the song to completion then begin creating a beat behind it. I just started writing this way, and I really enjoy it. I had a hard time getting here when I was younger because writing was so sacred to me for such a long time, but once I dropped my ego and realized I’d rather write a beautiful piece of art with someone then a half finished incorrect song by myself for genuine projects it became a lot easier.
Why did you name your latest EP “talking shit cause i can.”? The story behind the name?
d.d.: Like I mentioned, I was dealing with a lot of angry emotions, everyone turned their back on me, and I was just so mad I couldn’t even write anything half decent. My therapist had suggested I try writing something to release the anger or something that would make me laugh. Thus came the remix diss tracks. I honestly wasn’t expecting much to come from them LOL. I kind of just started posting them because I thought it would make other people laugh too. When I went into the studio to record them, I gave it my all. Thomas Jay did incredible on the replica beats since none of the original artists answered my tens of emails and DMs for use rights LOL. It’s a relic of my past emotions, I was so pissed off and tbh the support I got from them and just knowing I was making people laugh during such a shitty time for me was really helpful. I named it “talking shit cause i can.” because I meant every word and they’re my pages.. I can literally do and say whatever the fuck I want. I still like them all and agree with them wholeheartedly, just in a less intensive way now LOL.
As an independent artist, what has been the biggest difficulty in advancing your career?
d.d.: The biggest difficulty in advancing my career as an independent artist, especially one that’s been viral and has real supporters already, is probably the people in the industry. I have been held back, given terrible advice, and had my pockets ran dry by people who “just wanted to help”.. and all those nuances. Time shows people’s true intentions. I was held back and fucked over by very jealous selfish people. No one talks about that enough. This industry isn’t just bad at the top, it’s bad through and through. I appreciate everyone who stays true as time goes and are genuine people – I almost gave up before releasing “u n i.” and they kept pushing me and supporting me. Without the few real people I have met in the industry I probably would’ve just went back to school for structural engineering and called it a life tbh.
An object you can’t do without in your daily life?
d.d.: My Summer Friday’s lip balm. I love them so much. I’m a little late to the trend because I just figured it was internet gimmicks but it genuinely is the only lip balm that makes my lips feel better when they get dry. I bring at least one with me everywhere I go.
The last 3 tracks you listened to today, and no cheating!
d.d.: I had my everything playlist on shuffle this morning so don’t judge me: Tate McRae – “Sports Car”, Rucci – “My Way”, Tory Lanez – “The Color Violet”
A phrase that defines you well would be…
d.d.: “What the fuck is she doing?”
Your favorite social media platform and why?
d.d.: My favorite platform to post on right now would be Facebook, everyone on there is so amazing and I love chatting with my supporters on there. My favorite platform to watch on is YouTube, I unironically only watch YouTube shorts and full length YouTube videos.
What are your goals for 2026?
d.d.: My goals for 2026 would be to release a very thought-through EP project based on my past experiences and new experiences while being in the industry. While we cook that up though, I will be releasing some YouTube/SoundCloud exclusives that may end up on a bigger project later on. I hope I’ll be able to open for at least one more well-known artist in Philly once my project is released ( I live in PA.). I like to keep my goals realistic and generally attainable LOL!
A final word to wrap things up?
d.d.: I always felt like an outcast in everything I was ever around, so my community is open to everyone – you don’t have to be anything but yourself when it comes to me and mine because you are enough exactly as you are.
Through this interview, dear diane reveals a journey defined by resilience, creativity, and authenticity. Her music reflects raw emotions and personal experiences, showing how every song carries a story and her unwavering commitment to her fans and artistic expression.
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