Dianthus

THE NAMM SHOW 2022 INTERVIEWS

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Jack Lue

The twin sisters of Dianthus, Jackie and Jessica Perry, stopped by The Highwire Daze Booth at The NAMM Show for a fan Meet and Greet. An interview was also conducted, where Dianthus discussed their Realms endeavor, upcoming shows with the legendary Angel, working with topnotch producers since as Steve Evetts and Jinxx of Black Veil Brides, an upcoming comic book, and more...

Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Diathus.

Jackie: Hello this is Jackie and I play guitar and sing lead vocals in Dianthus. Jessica: Hi, this is Jessica Perry and I play drums and sing background vocals in Dianthus.

How has NAMM been going and what have been some of the highlights?

Jackie: NAMM is really great. We’re having a lot of fun – not just the music part but actually seeing new faces and seeing old friends. I think that’s the best part too. It’s been really great networking. Jessica: It’s been really fun networking with familiar faces and also getting to see a lot of boutique companies as well. A lot of the brands that we play have been here, so it’s been a blast.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming tour with Angel?

Jackie: We’re just really excited to hear them live. It will be our first time hearing them live and also playing a show with them. We’re really great friends with Charlie (Calv) because he’s on the same label as us. Jessica; We’re very excited to be sharing the stage with all those legendary bands. Charlie of Angel is really down to Earth, and we’re going to see everybody in person finally – so we’re looking forward to that.

Is there any story or concept behind the title of your new album Realms?

Jackie: Yeah, there is a story we’re trying to tell with each song. Each song is actually a different realm. That kind of

ties in with our comic book too – we have a comic book coming out. But each songs tells kind of a story. It’s kind of like a journey with music. Jessica: We’re very excited to have it out. It’s kind of a different version of us for sure. We found our new sound with more progressive stuff. And the recording process was a lot of fun. We worked with Steve Evetts – he worked with Butcher Babies and Suicide Silence. That’s the sound we wanted and we finally got it on the record. It’s very raw.

That was one of my questions about working with Steve Evetts. That must have been a real treat.

Jackie: I think it was our label and the connections we had at the time. They kind of directed us to find a local studio to us. Steve happened to be very close to us. It wasn’t a problem driving to that studio and we got some really killer tones. The guitar tones were really great. And Steve is a bass player, so he was able to help us out with some really good bass tone and we’re really happy with it. Jessica: Steve really brought out the best in us. We really came out of it as better musicians. As a drummer too – I was able to attack the kit in different ways that I wouldn’t normally have. Just hitting the snare drum – lots of rim shots – getting the real raw tone. It was a great learning process too! and the movie kind of kickstarted the new album really with that song. Jackie: It’s almost like our own version of Bohemian Rhapsody – because you know how that song combines so many different styles? That kind of what Realms is. It’s just a big combination of everything we are.

You’ve worked with Jinxx of Black Veil Brides in the past. What was that experience like?

Jackie: We went through Jinxx of Black Veil Brides for our first record Worth Living For. And it was really great working with him because we both share a classical background. Jinxx plays violin and he does all these string instruments – guitar – you name it. He’s experienced with that, and you can kind of hear his strings on songs like The Unveiling. He was very great – he helped me with guitar tones as well. And he’s a super humble guy, so it was great. Jessica: Working with Jinxx – we’ve been fans of the band Black Veil Brides for ages before Dianthus. So working with him was pretty humbling. It actually kind of helped us focus more on the music too because there was no ego with Jinxx. He’s a humble guy and music is always first with him. He actually helped us out live with some shows too. It just shows how humble he is.

A Space In Silence – tell me about that song and inspiration behind it.

Jackie: We were actually doing the finishing touches of that song amist the whole pandemic situation. I believe it’s just one of those songs where it’s important to find a quiet place to just reset, refresh – get rid of negative feelings if you’re feeling down. Honestly just things like listening to your favorite band. It’s important to find a quiet time just to refresh – so that’s what that song is about. Jessica: That song too has a corresponding music video as well. It’s very Victorian – it’s kind of got that creepy, mysterious Shining twins kind of vibe. That’s what we wanted to go for, cuz this song itself – the lyrics – it’s kind of deep and dark – but there’s always a positive outcome. That’s what we really try to do.

Is there any other song off the album you’d like to talk about?

Jackie: I’d like to talk about the title track Realms. That one was actually the first song we wrote for the record. We really took our time with that one. I think it’s a good title track because it’s got everything that we are. It’s got classical, it’s got progressive rock elements, it’s got metal – even some pop vocals. It’s just a good combination of everything we are. We’re really proud with that one. Jessica: Realms was actually the first track we wrote for this new record. It’s kind of interesting to share the back story of what inspired it. We were watching that Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody back in 2018. We were just finishing promoting the first record and we were on to the new record –

What’s the best and not so best part about having your sister in the band?

Jackie: I think it’s really good to have a sibling in a band with you, because they’re always there. If you have an idea that you just want to rip out, they’re not too far away – sometimes they’re right in the next room. So it’s really easy to song write – to get immediate feedback – and also rehearsing too – it’s really great, because we live in the same house. It’s not too complicated. Jessica: I’m trying to think of a real negative. I kind of have a little one. When it comes to performing live, we have session guys with us. And I remember a while back, we had a show and it was us, a guitarist and a bassist – and then something happened with the backing tracks and got off – but then Jackie caught on – but the other guys were completely lost. And I think it’s because we kind of have a twin telepathy onstage – it can become a trainwreck for other people that they can’t catch on.. I guess that’s one of the negatives at live shows – we read each other super fast.

And what’s up next for Dianthus?

Jackie: We do have a lot of shows coming up. We have a show coming up with Angel at The Whisky. We’ll also be playing the Orange County Fair July 16th – we will be at the Hangar Stage. It’s going to be a great time. Jessica: I’m also excited to announce that we’re going to have a comic book coming out very soon. It’s going to support Realms. It’s a very deep story behind that record and we wanted to bring it out in a different medium and go more into what the characters are about. Very excited!