New Song Of The Day: Dianne Swann – Losing The War On Peace Of Mind

Here’s another glimpse into what will no doubt be a musical highlight of 2021… Dianne Swann with Losing The War On Peace Of Mind is the latest track to be released from her upcoming solo album.

You know Dianne as a member of The Bads, or The Julie Dolphin or When The Cat’s Away…now Dianne Swann is ready to finally release her debut solo album. Here’s the record company blurb with more:

It may come as a surprise that one of Aotearoa’s most prolific songwriters is yet to have released a solo album but come April 16 this will all change as Dianne Swann delivers her long awaited debut solo record The War On Peace Of Mind. The news coincides with the release of Swann’s latest musical offering, the stunning new single ‘Losing The War On Peace Of Mind’.

Dianne says:

“I have had the chord structure, melody and first two lines – “Take a look now at where we have landed, down at the crossroads where the melody’s stranded – Up on the ridge with all dreams abandoned”  for some time. I grew up in New Zealand but moved to the UK in 1991 to live for 12 years. I wrote it with the journey back from the UK to Aotearoa in mind. All we went through in the UK, and now landing back down  to earth on the other side of the world – with a new life ahead. It stuck with me for a long time, but I didn’t finish it. It kept popping into my head and asking me to finish it. I like the way the song speaks of a life lived, solitude, love, uncertainty and reality – but the melody to me is playful and the song builds, incorporating the impossibly long drum fills of Chris O’Connor – fully encouraged.”

The album was recorded in Tom Broome’s Kumeu West Auckland studio, sessions began in winter 2019, but due to numerous lockdowns in both New Zealand and the UK where Steve Power was mixing the record, the finished product took longer than expected to complete.

Debut single ‘Show Your Heart’ gained attention local media including Stuff. Second single ‘These Are The Days’ piqued the interest of bNet radio, being playlisted on Radio One and RDU plus received a video premiere on 13^th Floor alongside coverage on local media.

Swann’s masterful debut album expands on the sentiments of single with almost the same name – Swann was reluctant to have another album title beginning with ‘Losing’ after her band The Bads ‘Losing Heroes’ was released in 2017. ‘The War On Peace Of Mind’ offers an examination of the intricacies of the human mind and our internal battles that we are confronted with.

It courses across stark realities of today, love, loss, and change. Innovative and varied there are guitars, at times heavy, at times refrained, it’s alt-folk, it’s rock, there are pop sensibilities but above all, it’s Swann at her very best. Wings spread and soaring. As she puts it ‘I’ve got a rare, good feeling, I’m going to grab hold of this!