Play. As a noun it refers to a live performance. As a verb it becomes something we do for fun and enjoyment. Musicians play their instruments. Critics play their records. Play feels good, and like all good things it has become a luxury few feel they can afford. The irony is that play doesn’t cost a pretty penny. Play is not only free, but freedom itself.

My name is John O and Diamond Rings is my solo popular music project. What I do is quite simply founded upon my own desire to play in a way that is truly and honestly uninhibited. I believe play is serious business and can provide a meaningful context for shaping our attitudes and behaviours. The sooner we realize that it’s okay to mess up and experiment and make mistakes the sooner we’re going know ourselves and each other that much better.

My influences are diverse and I wear them on my sleeve. Imagine J.T. and Janet staging an impromptu dance battle on karaoke night in a plywood bar. What if TMZ caught mid-’90s Dennis Rodman red-handed in Grace Jones’ walk-in closet? I’d also really like to know what Bowie and Annie Lennox sing in the shower.

More specifically, I’d compare my music to the Starz on 54 cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” that they did for the soundtrack to the movie 54 starring Ryan Phillippe. I make all my beats in GarageBand and sometimes play shows with my iPhone.

When I’m not making music I’m remixing music, thinking about music, shooting music videos, designing and screen printing T-shirts and running my own 7-inch record label. My debut full-length album is called Special Affections and will be coming out as soon as I sign my life away to the highest bidder…

From: Toronto, Ontario
myspace.com/diamondringsmusic