Dianna Corcoran has over four hundred awards under her belt, including, but not limited to, Female Artist of the Year (Australian Country Music Awards) and New Talent of the Year (Australian Country Music Awards). Dianna has ten Number 1 hits; multi-platinum records; and Number 1 music videos. Dianna is now “in America” and ready to try her hand at success in the United States, starting with her debut Nashville single “God Did Good.”
While “God Did Good” is about a man who is the ideal specimen for Dianna, the fact is, God also did good when He led the singer-songwriter to the country music genre. Yes, the marriage of Dianna and country music must be attributed to some higher power because she has “no idea!” how she got to where she is today.
I grew into country music. My parents sort of listened to it, although they listened to a lot of different music, but country was definitely in their collection. And I was a little kid, but I gravitated toward country, so I would always choose the country songs. And it didn’t matter what kind of country — it could have been old, it could have been the new stuff — but I was just obsessed with it. I always gravitated toward it, and to this day, even though I listen to all types of genres of music and writes lots of genres, I always, once a country song comes on in my car stereo, I just kind of relax back into the seat and go “uh, that’s where I belong!”
In fact, Dianna was always so enraptured by country and its varying artists that she has trouble pinpointing specific influences; however, being from Australia, there is one artist, her mother’s favorite, to whom she has been compared: Olivia Newton John.
I know that my voice is kind of similar to hers, but I don’t know whether that’s where it came from. I think that my first influence came from Olivia Newton John and then I became obsessed with all the country artists like Jo Dee Messina, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, and you know, the list goes on.
What is, perhaps, the most interesting about Dianna’s list of influential artists is that her love for them extends beyond their vocals and lyrics. She is also a huge fan of the production of their songs. Dianna even admitted to immediately being drawn toward the liner notes of each album she bought, just to see who was playing on the records. It was ultimately her infatuation with the production that occurred in Nashville that drove her to make the trip around the world — one that she had been anticipating her entire life — and set up shop in country music’s capital.
Now wasn’t the time. The time was a long time ago when I was a little kid, but I had to wait. I guess I started in career as a kid in Australia and then I got signed to an album deal, or a record deal, over there, and I basically had to see that out. And I don’t mean that in a negative way; I had so much success in Australia, and I love the people I was with and I just love it and I wouldn’t trade those years for the world, but ultimately this was the goal.
With the amount of success Dianna had in Australia, it would be easy to assume that there is an exorbitant amount of pressure on her to perform in the same way in the United States, especially in the form of expectations she has placed on herself. However, Dianna doesn’t see it that way at all. She actually sees it the exact opposite, which is likely creating a more enjoyable transition for the country music superstar.
I really feel like nobody has any expectation of me, and maybe I’m wrong. . . . I genuinely just don’t think of myself as having that success puts me on any different level to anyone else, so to me it was refreshing to have a fresh start and feel brand new and not have anyone have expectations from me.
Then again, there is no denying that Dianna is a bonafide star already, and when you look at the name of her co-writers on her first American single, the proof is in those liner notes she appreciates so much. Dianna is coming out the gate with “God Did Good,” a song she penned with songwriter Jeff Cohen and multi-talented musician and recording artist Kristian Bush.
The first song we wrote is on the record and it’s called “When These Wheels Hit Tennessee” . . . it was the first song we wrote together as a team, and I sort of pulled that out and said “I want to write this song, it’s called ‘When These Wheels Hit Tennessee'” and had this idea, and I think that was the moment we sort of all decided this is a good idea. I wasn’t just an artist who was gathering songs, I was also a writer. . . . And we continued to write together after that.
One of the products of those other writing sessions was the first single Dianna has released on American soil; a song that is receiving nothing but positive feedback so far. Although she and her team have not gone full force just yet with the single promotion, what she has heard at this point has humbled her and excited her for what is yet to come.
I’ve been super excited, and because I don’t have expectations, I guess. Like, I don’t expect people to just like my music here. It’s just that thing where if somebody does and they talk about that or they write about that, it seriously just makes my day. I can’t stress to you enough how much I appreciate everybody’s support on this.
Moving forward, what is to come is a full-length album, aptly titled In America, which Dianna describes as a roller coaster. The ballads are defined as “incredibly emotional,” which matches who Dianna is as a singer and songwriter, while the ride upward to the more fast-paced tracks leads listeners to a “quirky” personality, which mirrors Dianna, as well.
There’s something on there for everyone, and hopefully you land in a good spot!
As someone who has sampled quite a bit of Dianna’s In America album, I can wholly endorse the project and guarantee that every listener will, indeed, find a home for his- or herself on the track list. And, if you need help finding your particular niche on the offering, Dianna is ready to come to a town near you and treat you to an in-person showcase to help you find your way.
I like being new. I love getting up on stage and meeting a completely new set of fans who . . . start following me on social media. I think the most exciting thing is just being able to meet the people of America, and that’s all I want to do. I want to hop in the car and go and sing in every possible state and little country town there is and meet everybody I possibly can.
When you meet Dianna face-to-face as she makes her rounds, there is one thing that is important to note about the decorated international phenomenon — she is true to herself and will always be exactly who she tends to portray. Not only will your conversation relay the realness she possesses, but the music she shares with her fans will additionally highlight the real person behind the song. So, when you pick up a Dianna Corcoran album, each track you hear and each lyric that resonates with you is a little piece of the artist with whom you are currently falling in love.
Dianna Corcoran’s In America will be released on January 29, 2016 and is available for pre-order now by clicking here. Dianna cannot wait to meet each of you and navigate the United States with her music in hand, relating to and touching a new fan base, but, until you get your chance to see her live, you can follow her across social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and her website.
Listen to Dianna’s “God Made Good” (co-written by Jeff Cohen and Kristian Bush).
