Lavender Diamond
| Lavender Diamond | |
|---|---|
 Becky Stark in Brussels (2006) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Genres |
Folk Country Pop electronic |
| Years active | 2003-present |
| Labels |
Matador Records Rough Trade Records Paracadute |
| Members |
Becky Stark Steve Gregoropoulos Ron Regé Jr. Jeffrey Rosenberg |
| Past members | Devon Williams |
Lavender Diamond is a Los Angeles-based band fronted by singer Becky Stark.
History
While living in Providence, Rhode Island, Stark began performing as Lavender Diamond in a play that she and puppeteer Xander Marro wrote, created and toured with called Birdsongs of the Bauharoque inspired by the work of artist Paul Laffoley.[1] A self-produced CD of Stark's songs accompanied the tour in a hand-sewn, silkscreened sleeve. Lavender Diamond became a duo and eventually a four-piece band after Stark relocated to Los Angeles. With the help of local patrons Brian Kaneda and Josh Scuteri, Lavender Diamond self-released a four-song EP and performed at L.A.'s ArthurFest, at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and at the CMJ New Music Seminar in New York City. In 2006 Lavender Diamond signed to Rough Trade Records in Europe, and Matador Records in the U.S., and toured and performed with The Decemberists for three weeks.
In 2007 the band released its first full-length album, Imagine Our Love and appeared on the Madonna tribute/charity record, Through the Wilderness. In 2009 they covered "Purple Rain" for SPIN Magazine's tribute to Prince's "Purple Rain", and Becky Stark was featured on The Hazards of Love rock opera album by The Decemberists.
The band parted ways with Matador and went on hiatus for a few years while its members continued to work and play in other projects. In 2011, the original Lavender Diamond lineup reunited for a few concerts in the Los Angeles area, and in 2012 released their second album, Incorruptible Heart.
Becky Stark also performs solo and had a band called The Mystical Unionists with Lavender Diamond's drummer/cartoonist Ron Regé Jr. Rege furnishes Lavender Diamond with all of its artwork and also collaborates on a TV show with Stark called "We Can Do It."
Members
- Becky Stark — vocals
- Steve Gregoropoulos — piano, vocals
- Ron Regé Jr. — drums, artwork
- Jeffrey Rosenberg — guitar, vocals
Former members
Elvis Perkins also played guitar on the band's first single.[citation needed]
Discography
Albums
- Artifacts Of The Winged 12-song solo CD (2003, self-released)
- Imagine Our Love full-length album (2007)
- Incorruptible Heart full length album (2012)
Singles and EPs
- "When Are You Coming Home?" b/w "Wild" (2003, self-released)
- Themepark Ashtray 7" with Vague Angels (2004, Pretty Activity)
- Cavalry of Light EP (2005, self-released)
- "Christmas Time Celebration / The Song Of Impossible Occurrences" 7" with The Queens of Sheeba, Devendra Banhart (2005, Cold Sweat records)
- Open Your Heart EP (2007, Rough Trade Records, with Colin Meloy)
- "Everybody's Heart's Breaking Now" (2012, Paracadute)
Compilation appearances
- Hen House Studios Anthology 3, 2003, performing "Lavender Diamond- Emptiness is a Conductor" (2003, Hen House Studios)
- Through the Wilderness a tribute to Madonna performing Like A Prayer (2007, Manimal Vinyl Records)
- Purplish Rain: A 25th Anniversary Tribute to Prince's Purple Rain, performing Purple Rain (2009, SPIN Magazine)
- The Switch (Music from the Motion Picture), performing "Open Your Heart" (2010, Rhino Entertainment)
- The soundtrack of game Space Ducks, performing Moment of Laughter (2012)
Mystical Unionists (Becky Stark and Ron Regé)
- An Introduction to The Mystical Union of Souls 5-song CD
- "Sketches" for The Craft of Consciousness 7"