Tiny Diamond

Piera Leone’s music is the highlight of the day for her kindergarten class. As Leone strums away at the strings of her acoustic guitar, her young students smile and bob around the classroom, dancing to the melodies that Leone often incorporates into the music of her band, Tiny Diamond. On Saturday, April 9, the Providence-based all-female trio hope to elicit similar kindergarten-like reactions from those in attendance at their self-titled EP release at Jimmy’s Saloon in Newport.

“Piera being a music teacher is just part of who she is,” said Jess Teixeira, the band’s drummer and co-founder of Vinyl Guru Record Shop in Newport. “She’s the mom of the band. She’s also the band’s lawyer, manager and main motivational speaker,” Teixeira said. After helping her students sort out their musical problems by day, Leone’s natural teaching abilities take over by night with Tiny Diamond, explained Mia Dady, a guitarist and vocalist in the trio who also serves as a major lyrical contributor for the band, which plays all original music.

“She takes a lot of my negativity and really processes it into something positive and wonderful,” Dady said. That redirected negativity has resulted in a beautiful heap of relatable and honest content which makes up the band’s seven-track debut recording.

“I was always kind of an oddball growing up,” Dady explained. “Even in local music I was kind of on the fringe of everything. As a rock-and-roll musician you want to be cool, but I always feel a little strange. I do get nervous and I reflect that in my music. Deep down, I think everybody feels that way. So when I feel like that? I write it.”

Dady’s lyrical prowess and unfiltered honesty served as a major factor in the formation of Tiny Diamond with Leone and Teixeira back in 2014. A classically trained cellist, Leone began asking her husbands bandmates in ocal act Glass Machines if they knew of any girls who could play music for an all-female band she wished to start. Immediately, Glass Machines bassist Jake Dady recommended his sister, Mia.

“He said, ‘You should talk to my sister, she’s one of the best songwriters I know.’ That next Monday we practiced together and right away we knew we had something,” said Leone. The two played and recorded a bit together, but felt they were missing something.

“I’d been playing music and recording alone for years,” Teixeira said. When her friend Dady played her a recording of herself and the new musician she was playing with, Texieira saw an opportunity to branch out. “I told her, ‘If you ever want a drummer I think I could add something to this.’”

“I’d known Jess for years,” Dady said, “but she kept the whole drumming thing a secret until we got the band going.” Accepting Teixeira’s offer, Dady introduced the once-closeted drummer to Leone and, after one practice, Tiny Diamond was formed. After a few local shows the band began picking up speed, catching the attention of fans clamoring for a way to hear their music outside of the live shows.

“People kept asking us where they could buy our music,” said Dady. Capitalizing on the demand, Tiny Diamond recorded seven songs in the basement of Leone’s Providence home, which they took to calling Seventh Street Studios.

“We recorded each song in a single take three times and picked the best recording in the end,” Leone explained. “We wanted to create something organic; stripped down and authentic. When you hear the EP, it’ll sound just like seeing us live.”

“We’re excited to get our stuff out there for the first time,” added Dady. “It’ll be nice to finally give our fans something they can hold in their hands that has our music on it.” Ultimately, when it came time to set up the first offering of their recorded music, Jimmy’s Saloon felt like an obvious choice, explained the band.

“Jimmy’s has been really good to us,” Teixiera said of the decision. “We’ve played there a few times and when we approached them about the EP release they were like, “Great! Definitely!””

“Newport has a really exciting music scene right now,” Dady added. “There are a lot of really great local bands and great art happening down there. The energy is contagious. It’s been really nice to be welcomed into that scene.”

Alongside a live performance and the initial offering of their EP, Tiny Diamond’s release show is also scheduled to feature performances by Glass Machines and the debut performance of a new group called Echo Rider.

“It’s a great chance to enjoy the night with our friends and hopefully make a lot of new friends,” Leone said. “I hope the fans feel what we’re playing. When we’re up there we’re just having a blast. Every time we play a show together I’m on cloud nine,” she continued. “It’s just the best.” - Paul Bubluski

Since their start a couple of years ago, Providence indie rock trio Tiny Diamond have become quite the musical amalgamation. Mia Dady, Jess Texieira, and Piera Leone bring an interesting mix of vintage alternative rock and harmonious folk and twee-pop to construct a sound that has a bit of an edge along with resonating mellow tones. During a time in Providence’s music scene where it seems like new bands are popping up on a weekly basis, these three ladies succeed in straying from the pack by keeping things authentic. They possess a unique sense of vigor and melody and it shows with their debut self-titled EP that’s being premiered on Vanyaland today.

Each track was recorded live in one take at Leone’s basement studio Seventh Street Studios in Providence. What makes the EP so great is the continuous harmony shown when the trio sing in unison. It puts the listener in a trance and it soothes the senses, each member of Tiny Diamond brings something different to the table with their voices melding together wonderfully. Leone’s cello playing also adds a gothic and orchestral vibe. All of these contrasting dimensions and compatible harmonies make Tiny Diamond not a typical run of the mill alternative rock act.

Leone’s skills on the keys set the vibe in “New Perspective”, the harmonies in unison led by Dady that are exhibited throughout the entire track make it truly special. That vintage alternative rock edge comes through on “Godman”, the way the Teixiera’s guitar sounds harks back to the styles of the late ’80s and early ’90s reminiscent of Nirvana and P.J. Harvey. On “Anxious” there’s that gothic vibe that was mentioned earlier and Leone sings the chorus with a lot of soul and emphasis.

Tiny Diamond will be ringing in the release of their new EP at Jimmy’s Saloon in Newport with garage rockers Echo Rider and jazzy jam heads Glass Machines this Saturday, April 9. While there, pick up a copy of the EP, but for a taste of what to expect stream it below via Soundcloud and enjoy. - Rob Duguay