Jimmy Diamond’s sweeping blend of roots rock and americana enshrines fleeting moments like a grand ritual fire. It comes with the territory for Jim Zwinselman, Ruud Gielen and Floris Poessé. Their base of operation isn’t some frenzied metropolis like Amsterdam, Paris or New York. The Dutch trio hang their coats and hats amidst natures splendor of Lemele, Overijssel, where the quietude spells out the gravity of one’s surroundings. The symphony of frogs and crickets at night, the hiss of rustling plant life in the breeze, the soft rumble of distant tractor engines: in places like this, everything you absorb naturally amplifies tenfold.
Contrary to Jimmy Diamond’s grounded habitat, their genesis is, quite frankly, the stuff of fairy tales. Through their mutual tour manager, the band were handpicked to become Strand Of Oaks’ European touring band. In main songwriter Timothy Showalter, they immediately found a spiritual kin, a mentor and a biggest fan. It was in fact Showalter who unknowingly coined the group’s name, assigning Zwinselman “a touristic name”. “Jimmy Diamond” which had quite a nice ring to it…
The band were set to record music for their forthcoming record, so the three musicians hired a camping van and embarked on a road trip across the EU, mining experiences along the way as fuel for a fresh collection of songs; laughing like children, howling like wolves, sleeping like dogs.
Jimmy Diamond’s journey eventually led them to the US where they had an eventful two-week recording stint at Kevin Ratterman’s Invisible Creature studio in Los Angeles. It was a dream come true, since Ratterman produced many of the members’ favorite records – for example Madrugada - Chimes of Midnight / Ray LaMontagne - Ouroboros / Jim James - Uniform Distortion. With Ratterman acting as the de facto fourth member– filling the melodic space with synth and piano textures – many of that week’s day-to-day affairs freewheeled their way into the recordings that ultimately led to the You Radiate LP (Excelsior Recordings 2023).
Jimmy Diamond takes us to the americana and roots rock of the seventies infused with modern indie rock. Music that represents an epic reviving sound of a new dawn through raw guitars, blissful pedal steel and intrinsic tunes.
Jimmy Diamond is
Jim Zwinselman (Vox, Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar)
Floris Poessé (Bass guitar, Backing Vox)
Ruud Gielen (Drums)
Releases
Airplane (Single) 2020, own, through Diamond Brothers
Honestly (Single) 2021, own, through Diamond Brothers
Common Sense (EP) 202, through Final 500
Elephants (Single) 2021, own, through Diamond Brothers
Commotion (EP) 2021, through Final 500
So Do I (Single) 2022, through Excelsior Recordings
In The Dark (Single) 2023, through Excelsior Recordings
Chase The Moon (EP) 2023, through Excelsior Recordings
You Radiate (LP) 2023, through Excelsior Recordings