“The first memory I recall (must have been about age 5 or 6) of vinyl was my parents’ collection. They had a record player and their records stored in an armoire under the TV set in the living room. I remember hearing the Tale of Peter Rabbit and noticed the other records in the collection. I remember being just fascinated looking at the collection for the first time.”
“They had the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Rolling Stones, Carly Simon, The Beach Boys, and few others. They would play those records from time to time and I have such a special connection / vivid memory because I remember right around that time was the first time I felt mesmerized by instruments—I recall looking at the records and watching a classical violinist in a small symphony of sorts on TV. I was so excited. I remember trying to get my mom’s attention and was asking her about it—that’s when I first felt a true connection to music. I felt some unexplained urge that I wanted to play too but didn’t really realize what it was at that age.
The first record I ever bought was a used Nirvana record called Verse Chorus Verse. I bought the record at Rhino Records in Westwood where I worked for a short time before they closed their doors and went out of business.
I love vinyl because it’s very hands on (a lot like an old car) and organic. I recently bought an old 1972 RCA vinyl console and had to get a new needle for it, which entailed taking it apart a bit—a lot of those old players have random, rare, or hard to find parts. I work at a recording studio and one of the guys who I work with, Sean Cox (an amazing guitar tech) taught me a lot about those old players and helped me find a replacement that I had to special order online.
When I finally got my new needle I had to do some troubleshooting to make my turntable work. I also discovered my turntable’s arm works best with a quarter and a penny on it!
My favorite records to listen to on vinyl are particularly older records, like old country blues or folk like Lead Belly, or classic records from the ’60s or ’70s, like Tom Petty. Some nights I’ll listen to a few songs to get inspired. I love vinyl; it’s such a fun thing to collect.
For the physical release of Diamonds Under Fire’s last full length CD as well as the new “Hearts on Hiatus” (Deluxe Edition) EP, I designed the actual disc to look like a vinyl record as well as the packaging with an insert and clear plastic sleeve. I did this to pay tribute to vinyl and give our fans and listeners something extra fun when they buy the actual CD.
It’s to recall where music first came from, to remember our roots, and to keep the spirit of music natural.”
—Vanessa Silberman, vocals, guitar
Diamonds Under Fire’s “Hearts on Hiatus” (Deluxe Edition) EP featuring demos, B-Sides, and remixes landed on store shelves just yesterday, 12/10/13.
