Diamond Rings (musician)
| Diamond Rings | |
|---|---|
Diamond Rings in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John O'Regan |
| Born | July 6, 1985 |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Pop, Indie pop, Electronic, Synthpop, Indie rock |
| Years active | 2009–2013 |
| Labels |
Astralwerks Secret City Records Tomlab One Big Silence Hype Lighter |
| Associated acts | JG Ballad (2016) The D'Urbervilles (renamed Matters) Habitat |
| Website | diamondringsmusic.com |
John O'Regan (born July 6, 1985) is a Canadian artist and musician. He is best known by his stage name Diamond Rings.
O'Regan got his start in music as one of the founding members of post-punk quartet The D'Urbervilles (renamed Matters in 2011), where he was known as John O alongside Tim Bruton, Kyle Donnelly and Greg Santilly.
O'Regan also formed the Casio-pop duo Habitat in 2006 with his partner at the time, Sylvie Smith of The Barmitzvah Brothers.
O'Regan began writing Diamond Rings songs in the summer of 2008 after graduating with a degree in Studio Arts from the University of Guelph. The inception of the new moniker and his earliest songs were written during a lengthy hospital stay while being diagnosed and treated for Crohn's disease.
According to O'Regan, the roots of Diamond Rings came from wanting to challenge people's expectations for a male pop star: “I wanted to do something that would unsettle not only me, but the audience too... I spent my whole life up to that point as an artist playing relatively nondescript indie rock. But I felt there was a part of me that really needed to get out. I wanted to express myself in ways that were beyond just musical—something that was dramatic and flamboyant and beyond myself in a way. And that became Diamond Rings.”
His first release was a limited edition split 7" vinyl single titled "All Yr Songs" that was distributed through his own boutique label Hype Lighter in August 2009. His friends PS I Love You were featured on the opposite side of the single. A music video for "All Yr Songs" was featured by CBC Radio 3, Exclaim!, and Pitchfork Media. The music video attracted controversy in December 2009 when it was removed from YouTube at the behest of Sony/BMG on grounds of copyright infringement. Apparently this was due to confusion between O'Regan's stage name and the song "Diamond Rings" by UK based rapper and Sony UK artist Chipmunk. When word of the slip up caught on throughout the blogosphere Sony/BMG withdrew its claim and issued O'Regan and video director Colin Medley a formal apology.
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