Islands Feel Abandoned by Fans, Plan Break-Up Album for Valentine's Day

Nick Diamonds never repeats himself. Whether he's focused on indie-rock supergroup Mister Heavenly or his main project, Islands, Diamonds -- who also co-fronted the now-defunct Unicorns -- is never short on inspiration. But his constant experimentation apparently leaves some listeners feeling a little put off.

"I feel like I've lost a lot of fans over the course of five years," he tells Spinner. Islands' new record, 'A Sleep & A Forgetting,' signals another sonic revamp, too, as it's a quieter affair, largely stripped of the band's usual animated pop melodies.

"It's not a lot of fireworks, not a lot of pizzazz, and I don't know if it'll fit in [with the rest of our output], but I think that's the point with Islands," says Diamonds. "I never want to repeat myself; I want to be making different kinds of records."

'A Sleep & A Forgetting' is a complete departure on almost every level imaginable. Sonically, as Diamonds says, "there's no razzle dazzle, just kind of barebones and kind of sad bones." Although Islands songs aren't always so rosy (for example, morbid themes of death underpin 2008's 'Arm's Way'), the new disc certainly brings darker subject matter to the forefront, with Diamonds drawing from personal heartbreak.

"I like soul that deals with themes of loss and heartache, like Jackie Wilson," says Diamonds, who wrote many of the new songs on a piano, the only instrument he had after relocating from New York to LA following a breakup. "I wasn't necessarily trying to recreate soul music, though, not even close to it. There's a subconscious influence that I borrowed from but the filter is way different -- it'll have my smell all over it."


So what does Diamonds think about the record that was inspired by his breakup being released on February 14th? "We started recording last year on Valentine's Day and it was just one of those weird coincidences," he says. "It just kind of happened to be the prime release date. It wasn't a forced thing."

And when it comes to performing the songs in a live setting, Diamonds is planning on making some drastic changes.

"We played a few shows in New York a couple of weeks ago, having just a piano and doing seated shows," he explains. "The focus is going to be the new record and rearrangements of the old material to suit it; it's a bit more chilled out, sort of an old-person affair."

Till then, Diamonds will be rocking out with Mister Heavenly, with Islands taking priority in the New Year.

"There's a good amount of distance between the two projects that gives me time to focus on each one," he says. "It makes me a bit busier, but I like being busy -- and it's awesome to play loud rock music."