South African dream pop band Diamond Thug release new single ‘The Woods’ on October 18th through Kudukudu Records
South African dream pop band Diamond Thug release their brand new single ‘The Woods’ on October 18th through Kudukudu Records. Ethereal and lush soundscapes abound in ‘The Woods’. Listen on Soundcloud / Spotify
Diamond Thug are one of South Africa’s most streamed Independent artists, having received over 10M streams over the last 18 months through their own independent label Kudukudu Records. Their latest single ‘The Woods’ is a story of two lovers lost in a forest of disconnection and emotional isolation. Introduced with an industrial synth progression, the song metaphorically speaks to the difficulties of maintaining a relationship in the modern world by comparing the emotional journey to a walk in dense woods.
Disconnection in the online world of connection is contrasted by the comfort, yet overwhelming magnitude of the natural world. The imagery of the lyrics depicts beautiful scenery, moon shadows, gripping summers and dense green forest, with an underlying darkness of the disconnection one feels by walking at one’s own pace. Chantel Van T’s eerie, yet powerful vocal melody is supported by a driving and pulsating rhythm section, building in tension and density as the song progresses to its climatic second chorus in an explosion of distorted guitars and melodic synth lines.
Speaking about ‘The Woods’ the band’s frontwoman Chantel explains, “‘The Woods’ is about being lost in a dense forest of emotional isolation, while on a walk through the wilderness. We wrote a scratch of the song in a practice room in London and then recorded it across continents, while I was in the French Alps and the band was back in Cape Town.”
Since their formation, Diamond Thug has continually evolved, always striving to create a unique sound that’s stay true to their perspective. Their music glides through dream-pop, skittish, off-kilter electronica & psychedelic-rock, creating cosmic-influenced ethereal soundscapes, which swirl below Chantel’s haunting, yet beautiful melodies. The pursuit of an authentic & honest sound has earned the band various honours in international competitions such as Culture Collide’s pick to perform at #SXSW2017, as well as Converse’s Music Global Takeover and the attention of Grammy Award winner Darryl Torr, who had this to say about the band: “When listening to Diamond Thug, you are taken on a journey. It’s the effortless vocals, supported by a solid band that tips you over the edge & pulls you through into their world. It’s rare to find a voice that can execute such interesting melodies so effortlessly as well as a band that leaves space for the vocals to shine, yet are able to maintain musical integrity.”
They released their 12-track debut album ‘Apastron’ in April 2018. The record was featured as Apple Music’s New Artist Spotlight, an accolade much revered in the South African music industry. They have also received significant playlisting on Spotify gathering over 3 million streams on the album. In May 2018 the band released ‘Gaiafy’, an EP dealing with themes of mental health and other issues important to them. The EP found international support on Apple Music and Spotify, with features on Indie Shuffle.
The band is passionate about South African music, in 2017, bassist, Danilo Queiros started an independent record label: Kudukudu Records to promote other great South African acts to the world.
‘The Woods’ is the first of a series of singles due for release over the remainder of 2019 and early 2020.