Start Listening To: Diners

Unmasking Diners' bold evolution in new album Domino.

While Domino doesn't explicitly reference Broderick's trans identity, it reflects a broader theme of personal growth and evolution. The album became an avenue for them to fully embrace their artistic desires, a sentiment influenced by their decision to come out as trans. In this illuminating Q&A, Diners invites us into the heart of their creative process, revealing the inspirations, challenges, and personal growth that have shaped their latest album.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new album, Domino, and how it differs from your previous work?

Most of the inspiration for Domino came from a lot of the rock and power pop albums I’ve loved and listened to for years. Like Big Star, The Shivvers, Thin Lizzy, and Beatles stuff. I love my previous two albums a lot, but I started realizing that the music I was making wasn’t exactly matching up with the music I was listening to. 

What led to the decision to work with producer Mo Troper and engineer Jack Shirley for this record? How did their input shape the sound and direction of the album?

The decision to work with Mo came from a text they sent me in 2021 that said that they wanted to make a loud and heavy Diners record. I loved that idea. Around that time I was itching to play loud. So in 2022, while “Four Wheels and the Truth” was coming out, I started writing songs with Mo’s production in mind. A huge thing that shaped the album was that about a month before we were scheduled to record, Mo started recording out of the Trash Treasury recording studio. I think the excitement of working out of that studio inspired so much of our playing and our choices. We also had an incredible lead guitar player and personality with us, Brenden Ramirez, to add to the pot. It was perfect. As for the mixing, we liked the idea of recording these scuzzy and unhinged tracks and letting a rock engineer balance it all out. I believe on the first day of recording, Mo suggested we give the album to Jack Shirley to mix and that’s what we did. I thought Jack knocked it out of the park and made the music so much prettier and fuller than we imagined.

How did the relocation to Los Angeles and coming out as trans influence the creation of Domino? Did these personal experiences impact the lyrical themes explored in the album?

I didn’t end up moving to LA until a month after our recording sessions. But I think the feeling of saying goodbye to the bay area and also being fully out made me feel like I had a license to do whatever my heart desired. Strangely, I don't even think those things affected the lyrics in a literal way, but I think the circumstances had me tapped into what I was wanting out of life and that made for a flurry of ideas. 

Were there any challenges or surprises that arose during the recording process of Domino? How did you navigate them?

I wouldn’t say challenges, but most everything felt surprising in the recording process. Mo, Brenden, and myself had only practiced and rehearsed together for the first time a few days before going into the studio. So we had to workout the kinks every step of the way. 

How would you describe the evolution of your sound from Four Wheels and the Truth to Domino? What elements did you intentionally incorporate to create a more rock-oriented record?

I think “Four Wheels and the Truth” gave me the taste of recording like a band again, so it felt like the right thing to push forward with that. With “Domino” my biggest goal was to create guitar parts that were as concise and to the point as possible. On top of that, I wanted to utilize all I could out of having two guitar players by having each guitar assigned different roles and parts. In the past, I would have both guitar players double up on the same parts, maybe with different tones or registers, but this time, the goal was to double guitar up parts as little as possible and create two guitar roles that could play off each other, in a playful way, creating one big cool guitar part or whatever. It’s funny that it was a breakthrough, because I think I lot of people learn that kinda thing early on. 

While Domino doesn't explicitly reference your trans identity, how do you feel it reflects your personal growth and journey? In what ways did your experiences shape the overall tone and message of the album?

I think it was freeing to be out at the time of starting the record. To me, Domino feels like a band’s first album and I think it’s because being out was an easy excuse for me to do everything differently. I had even considered dropping the Diners name and starting fresh. Glad I didn’t. But I had done every other album more or less the same way with the same routines. 

What was the significance behind choosing the album title Domino? How does it tie into the overall concept or themes explored in the record?

Honestly, it was so difficult picking a name, I figured it was finally time to name an album after one of the songs and finally have a “title track.” The song Domino was the first and easiest song to come together in the songwriting, in the rehearsal, and in the recording process. Seemed like the appropriate song to name the album after. The mental imagery that I have associated with a domino is positive. To me, it’s about taking things one step at a time or one day at a time. 

How do you see Domino fitting into the larger discography of Diners? Do you view it as a natural progression or a significant departure?

I think it was a natural progression, I plan to continue in this direction and push it a little further on the next couple records until I get tired of it. 

What do you love right now?

I love being home.

What do you hate right now? 

I hate that everyone I know is struggling to stay afloat under capitalism.

Are there any specific upcoming shows or tour dates you're particularly excited about? 

I’m just excited to hit the road again and to play all these new songs for people! This is the first real Diners tour I’ve done since before the pandemic. 

How do you prepare for live performances and bring the energy of Domino to the stage?

I hadn’t really thought about it like that. I’m usually just so excited and nervous to play that I think the adrenaline does the rest. I never know how to prepare for a set, but I should really learn how to.