by Isabella Soares
The rise of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected people in various ways, especially in the arts/entertainment scene. With tours cancelled and album releases postponed, musicians were challenged to innovate their way of creating music and promoting themselves. While many would say that their experience under quarantine has been far from positive, there are others who were able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. To singer-songwriter Heather Thomas, these months in isolation gave birth to a new music identity that was free from genre restrictions and remotely collaborative. The musician, formerly under the name ATLAAS, has chatted with Stylus Magazine about the wake of her new persona called Diaphanie, and how quarantine made her reevaluate the next steps in her career.
After having a tour booked and cancelled consecutively, Diaphanie emerged as a breath of fresh air during a time where inspiration was running dry and music was becoming rather systematic to Heather Thomas. “Right before COVID happened, I had a whole tour planned. Obviously things changed and it made me re-evaluate what I wanted out of my career and where I was headed.”
Diaphanie’s first single, “Something Better” is a soothing acoustic guitar-led track that was created in a place just as cozy as its sound. The singer revealed to Stylus, “I wrote this whole song in my bed with a little BETA 58A mic and it was completely remote. I am excited to go into my own “little cave”, making something and showing it to others.”
Not only was the song made in an isolated environment, but the music video as well. The visually peculiar looking video was shot in a field with only five people involved in the making of it. The basic concept behind it was to feature a normal day in Diaphanie’s life, from spreading peanut butter onto bread during breakfast to taking an air bubble shower, adding a couple bits and twists to add onto the aesthetic.
Now, if you think the rest of the music will sound like “Something Better,” I must admit that you are utterly mistaken. The whole idea behind Diaphanie is to ultimately release songs that are genre defying and less systematic. While briefly reminiscing on her previous work, Heather was candid when saying that she would like to be more focused in “doing”, rather than conforming to others expectations. “I am really proud of what I have done. With Diaphanie, I have a sense of total freedom in comparison to my other projects in which I felt constrained to a certain idea of myself.”
The singer-songwriter went on to say that she also won’t be dropping an album or putting out concerts any time soon. Instead, she will be releasing a couple other singles and potentially some performance videos alongside them. Her next single, the fun and pop-driven “Crossfaded”, will come out in October and she hinted on what the song will be about. “My song “Crossfaded” is about getting overwhelmed by life and falling back on some unhealthy coping mechanisms.”
Fearless of sticking to a particular sound and expressing feelings in a way that is relatable no matter the way you perceive it, Diaphanie is ground-breaking and the perfect soundtrack to kick off the fall season. As we wait to listen to her versatile tunes that will be coming our way during the next months without any rush, it is safe to say that each track will have a life of its own, and made in a very tranquil and polished manner.