What's Your Sign? - Diana Degarmo on her new album, 'Gemini'

JAMES GRADY

Diana Degarmo is perhaps most widely known as the runner-up on Season Three of American Idol, but she’s also become a beloved stage presence, appearing on and off-Broadway and touring nationally with various shows. She also has a long-term relationship with Nashville. Having done a stint here a decade ago, she and husband Ace Young have now lived here for a few years. Last month, nearly fifteen years after her debut Blue Skies, Degarmo released her second full-length album, Gemini.

Tell me about this newest project, Gemini.

All right, Gemini is my newest album that has been three years--well, technically 15 years--in the making. But three years, I guess from the moment we really started writing it. I finally got the nerve to just say what I wanted to say and do what I wanted to do and quit trying to please other people. I wanted to just please myself, and thought, if I was going to make one more record, and I was going to die tomorrow, what would I want to leave the world? What would I want my legacy to be or my impression on this world?

So many of the people I look up to musically have these incredible albums I used to love... And I wanted to do that for myself, selfishly, but also in a giving way. So I got together with my dear friend, Dylan Glatthorn, out of New York, and I told him I wanted to meld my Southern roots with my musical theatre career…

It was fun to just create, there was no one sitting in a suit in a big office building somewhere we had to please. There was no timeline, there was no... We were just creating to create, which I think has been lost in our industry. I get it, we all need to pay our bills. Everyone wants to be popular because that’s what helps.

But at the end of the day, the artists I’ve always looked up to didn’t always care about being popular. They wanted to be authentic and true to themselves. And that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to make a record that, when you listen to it, you’re like that’s Diana DeGarmo, that’s who she is 100 percent.

My friend put an incredible band together for me. And I was like, “Okay, what’s your rate?” He was like, “I know you really

can’t afford.” But I said, “Nope. I want to give you guys what you’re worth, because I know everyone is giving their time and energy but that little bit of extra respect, I think, really let people bring themselves to the record. It wasn’t just a day in the office for them. They knew how important it was to me, and how important the day was. This was not some big bank writing a check and no one’s going to care about the details. This was someone whose blood, sweat and tears were paying for those hours.

It was magical to hear these songs that Dylan I had written on just piano ... you know, the magic of Nashville musicians... Oh my God, there’s really no way to fully describe it. But to see these songs transform instantaneously in front of me at Blackbird was, I think, one of the top three days of my life. It’s just been a big family affair for a love letter to Nashville and New York, I guess you might say.

So many people do come to Nashville and start working on a career. What do you what do you attribute your ability to make it in this scene to?

Relationships. I wasn’t worried about being famous when I came to Nashville. I wanted to meet people and build true, honest relationships. Those will stand the test of time: popularity will come and go celebrity will come and go, money will come and go, but true friendships will stand the test of time... And that’s actually a testament to this record. So much of this record has been created on relationships with people that, when we met, we were babies! Dylan was at NYU, he was in college, and I met him…

Relationships are important. And so many people forget that the human element of art is so important. Just keeping the heart and the human element will make sure that the art is created in the best way.

Tell me a little bit about your connections with theater here in Nashville and how that’s been for you.

My husband and I moved back in 2013. I was lucky that I had made some great friend-

ships with folks in the Nashville area with community theater. And they were like, hey, if you guys ever want to do something in your realm, let us know. And we were like, “We’re available, and we’re not doing anything. We like to keep our bills paid. And we love to be creating.”

The heart of a true artist doesn’t care what the size of the stage is. They just want to create and give art and have fun. Some people like to sit behind a desk: I aint one of them. You know, give me a little popup stage of four-by-four feet, and I’m like, “Let’s do this, guys!”

So, yeah, I started with Matt Logan and Jake Speck, who started Studio Tenn, really welcomed me with open arms. We had mutual friends in both Nashville and New York. And Matt is actually still designing costumes for me. So, we built our relationship there.

We were very excited that Ace and I got to do Grease one last time last year. We called it “senior Grease.” We’re glad we got it out of our system. I officially don’t think we can play teenagers anymore! But it was so fun because it was like a family affair. My friend Laura, who did background vocals for my record, played Rizzo; Melinda Doolittle played Teen Angel. These are all our friends, and we got to work with wonderfully talented Belmont students, who are now like half of them on Broadway kicking ass, it’s amazing.

Are you currently scheduled to do any shows in Nashville, either for music or for theater, in the next few months?

I am definitely trying to! But it’s hard to do a live show in Nashville and not have a million dollars. For the middle class performer, it’s been a little out of the realm... Either you’re playing Bridgestone Arena, or you’re playing downtown, which is great. But when you want something kind of in the middle, Nashville is actually lacking in venues that are supportive of the kind of middle class performers. So I’m trying desperately to put together another Gemini show. I’m in talks with a couple other folks you know trying to use all my Southern charm not to have to pay $100,000, like it’s a Nashville wedding!

We’re focusing a little bit in this September issue on theater. Are there shows that you are excited that are going to be in Nashville that you may or may not be in?

I’m really excited about Studio Tenn doing Mamma Mia and Nashville Rep’s Urinetown! Studio Tenn is also doing a reading of a musical they’re making about the story of Lesley Gore, the singer. I’m excited about that. I love that Studio Tenn is working to do a lot of new work. And, of course, you know TPAC has a banging new season, with Hamilton and everything coming in. Nashville is going to be so spoiled this year! Also Cinderella, with Studio Tenn, is going to be pretty great!

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about your about your album?

I would say if you’re looking for a record that’s going to make you feel and have fun, and take you through all the things. I promise that... If you are looking for the dramatic, I am more than happy to bring it to you big band country style. And I can guarantee you’ve never heard anything like it!

For more information about the album, DeGarmo, and her performance schedule, visit dianadegarmo.com.