The NYC artist invites her contemporary to weather life's complexities together.
Diane Gentile is a songwriter and recording artist that has burst onto the scene, captivating listeners everywhere with her poignant yet charming lyricism and ability to paint vivid soundscapes with her music.
Currently based in New York City, her music brims with sharp wordplay and compelling narratives, painting vivid pictures of flawed yet endearing protagonists drenched in NYC's classic rock n' roll swagger. Together with her band, The Gentle Men, Gentile is set to release her latest album, "The Bad and the Beautiful," every sign points to being a must-listen.
Regarding her upcoming album "The Bad and the Beautiful," Gentile says, "Private pain and unquenchable longing are tucked away under tattoos and matted hair, transcended through blissful dance sessions and carefree trysts, and bravely addressed in quiet solitude."
This is Gentile's profound artistic ability operating at its best; in "The Bad and the Beautiful," she weaves an entire story with complicated yet lovable characters that ultimately draw the listener in, engrossing them in the vast musical world Gentile has woven together.
"Walk With Me" featuring Alejandro Escovedo is Gentile's latest offering and a tantalizing glimpse of the good things to come on "The Bad and the Beautiful." As nostalgic rock n' roll instrumentals evoke emotion and set the stage for Gentile and Escovedo, their impressive chemistry is fully displayed.
Seamlessly trading lines as their duet progresses, lines like "Like a number, you don't win/used to play it, time and again" and "You don't tell anyone about it, you're just afraid you can't live without it" tug at your heartstrings, melting you away. If the rest of "The Bad and the Beautiful" even barely maintains the (admittedly high) standard Gentile has set for herself here, "The Bad and the Beautiful" is sure to be a must-listen project.
As Diane Gentile looks ahead to the future, she remains committed to her artistic growth, growing little by little and continuing to enchant as she continues to grow. Whenever you're ready, tap in and stream Gentile's new release, "Walk With Me" ft. Alejandro Escovedo. Watch for her new album, "The Bad and the Beautiful," on September 15th.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Diane Gentile! We loved your release "Walk With Me"; it felt like we were caught up in your storytelling and lyrics! We had to ask what inspired this release and how you decided you wanted to have Alejandro Escovedo on the track as well?
The song was written after I returned from a tour opening for Jesse Malin and Joseph Arthur. I had stopped by Alejandro's abode for a coffee. His place is serene. I had been in a critical accident the year before in Italy, and I was still healing while doing this tour. I was still kind of "out of it," really. Many people around me at that time were going through their own issues. If we can't help, perhaps just supporting someone simply by walking side by side with them could help. Maybe it was a walk down Alejandro's driveway - the serenity and peace I felt for the first time since my crazy accident, that triggered the song. After I wrote the song, I heard Alejandro's voice. His voice is sexy and expressive. When I sent it to him, I was surprised he would sing it with me and liked it. We had a blast, and I am grateful to him.
Your new album, "The Bad and the Beautiful," is slated for release this fall (September 15th). What's been your favorite part of bringing the vision for your album to life, and are there any projects on there you're incredibly excited for your fans to hear?
James Maddock produced the first track, "Lace Up Your Sneakers." He came into the studio and said, "Now, I have a suggestion, and I don't know if you are going to want to try it or not, but we really should." In his Leicester accent, he started talking about doing the song with a disco beat. The entire session was, thus, an upbeat, joyous time. Jesse Malin's fantastic ear for production brought out the sex in "Sugarcane," and Paul Garisto on drums on that track is something else. My favorite part of bringing my vision for the album to life was working with the most excellent musicians, having an intuitive engineer and co-producer like Merle Chornuk, and having the best mixer, Geoff Sanoff, send me final mixes. Every single one of them gave love to this project. I must list the players: Colin Brooks, Rob Clores, Jason Victor, James Mastro, James Cruz, Danny Ray, Paul Garisto, Dave Immagluck, Charlie Giordano, Craig Dreyer. Colin Brooks, Jason Victor, and Rob Clores have worked with me long and appeared on the last album, "The White Sea." Colin also plays on my first album, "Caught in a Wave."
What inspired you to first start making music, and what words of advice would you give your younger self when they were starting off?
I started writing at 10 years old. My advice is not to let anyone or anything sway you from doing what you want to do. Believe in yourself and work really hard.
What's been your favorite part of being a musician so far? Do you have any favorite music-related memories you'd like to share?
My favorite part of being a musician is writing. My second favorite part of being a musician is learning something new with my writing, voice, and playing. For me, discovering something new in my approach gets me excited. It might sound kind of boring to others, but to me, it's like riding a motorcycle for the first time. And, of course, playing the songs out in front of people where it sometimes is a communal experience.
What goals would you like to achieve through your music, and if your listeners could take one thing away from your music, what would you want it to be?
I never think about what I want listeners to take away. That's their business, really. If they like a song, for whatever reason, it tickles my fancy. My goals are making enough money to tour, writing and recording another record that doesn't break the bank again, getting a synch license, getting asked to write for a film, and more collaborative projects. - And to be able to continue to play with great players! I am somewhat of a workaholic, but it is because I truly love my work.