With two #1 ARIA albums and five ARIA Awards to his credit, American-born Australian musician Diesel is not resting on his laurels.
Set to embark on a national tour to promote his next album 'Pieces Of Americana', due for release mid-2016, Diesel is excited by the prospect of the trip.
You are touring to promote 'Pieces Of Americana'; how does it compare to your earlier work?
With '...Americana' you can hear my influences, going all the way back to my earliest musical memory at age three. It's safe to say that there are some songs on the record that I probably wouldn't have tackled earlier on, but with 13 records behind me I feel I have enough hindsight now. There are definitely some obvious sonic parallels to this album and my first recordings for the simple reason of these songs being the inspiration from the start.
You spend a large chunk of of the first half of 2016 on the road touring... do you ever tire of the lifestyle?
I'd be lying if I said I never got tired 'from' touring, but thankfully I'm not tired 'of' touring! I love being in different places all the time. Every time you get on stage you have to make music from nothing. That is to say, it's a challenge every time but I like the spontaneity of it and, of course, the instant gratification that goes with it.
You were born in Massachusetts, US but came to Australia when you were young. Did your bicultural background play a role with the type of music you listened to as a youth?
There's no doubt that my fascination of American music probably would not have been so strong had it not been for us moving back and forth from America to Australia. I have been lucky to have experienced a great period in Australian music growing up, which definitely shaped who I am.
Your 2004 album, 'Singled Out', was a retrospective of your career. How does reinterpreting your own material compare with reinterpreting that of others?
It's actually very much the same. I find with so many of my songs the recording and even subsequent touring has been such a blip in my mind that when it comes to a reinterpretation of a song it's as if the song is by someone else. I tend to take liberties depending on where my musical head is at.
You have played everywhere from regional Australia to the bright lights of New York City. How do you approach such differing crowds/ atmospheres?
I am malleable to a degree when it comes to gauging and catering to a crowd, but there is an element of unpredictability. My general M.O. is to give all I have on that day. That gets a little tricky when you have nine shows straight, but thankfully match fitness usually kicks in. I wish I knew more about crowd psychology. I will eternally live in hope that if someone sees some guy up there sweating and trying to draw music from every fibre in his body then it might be contagious.
As someone who's been making music for quite a while, how do you think rock & roll has changed since you started?
In my mind it's been changing all along so it's hard to remember how it was when I started. I was a different person no doubt then so it's all relative. It seems to have become more organised and less make-it-up-as-you-go-along but that might be just me knowing some of the pitfalls. I do wish there were more venues but that's been been seemingly on the decline for a long time as we were told when we arrived on the scene we were 'a bit late' and we 'missed the good time'. I'm not entirely sure I subscribe to this, that is the mentality of 'the good old days'. There is then and now. For bands and artists coming up now, these are the days!
You've won five ARIA Awards, had two No. 1 ARIA albums; put simply, how does it feel? Do you keep the ARIA awards on display?
It's a great feeling, a bit strange the whole awards idea but best not to over think. When all is said and done, it's a good feeling being recognised by the industry you work in. As for where they are, I've learned that they can be dangerous if you try to stow away as they are incredibly sharp so they in a safe place in my studio.
If you'll excuse the terribly cliché question, do you think fame has changed you as a person?
I'd like to think not, but I'm sure it has, hopefully for the better?! Walking through Bunnings and hearing your music I'm reminded that I'm famous, the rest of the time I'd like to think I'm just the guy who takes out the trash.
What do you hope the future holds for you as an artist?
I'm hoping the road will keep laying out for me musically. I've never had a plan per se, things just seem to happen. It's really an existential thing playing and singing for me, the fact that I've managed to make a career out of it still amazes me.
And finally, there's a wonderful anecdote you tell when you were in school, trying to understand algebra, when it occurred to you: 'Hang on, I don't have to do this. I can do music as a job!' What advice would you give to young musicians with similar ambitions today?
This actually makes me laugh ( and shudder) now. I would say do the algebra and the fucking calculus! Seriously, I was so incredibly dogmatic and headstrong at the age of 13, I'm not sure it's recommended though! I think anyone can really ask themselves 'is music everything to me?' and the universe will usually answer that question for them.
Diesel plays the Blues On Broadbeach Music Festival on the Gold Coast, 19-22 May. He also plays Solbar (Sunshine Coast) 26 February and Woolly Mammoth (Brisbane) 27 February.
