DIANA PILQUIST TALKS EYES ON EARTH
"Don’t think the words were really there yet"
Daniel John
There is a lot of sorrow resting in 'Eyes On Earth', but what also makes it especially beautiful, and strong, is the inexhaustible love and warmth it radiates. They're very powerful emotions, ones that's impossible to shield oneself from. What did it mean to you to be able to write this song?
Being able to write a song about my mom felt like a very important thing to do, both for my grieving process and for my mom’s sake. But especially I wanted to help others get through similar things. For me, music has always been a shoulder to lean on. That is exactly what I wanted 'Eyes On Earth' to be for others. A song that makes people feel strength and motivation to fight their way through difficult times. My mom and I have always been so close, and she has always been my biggest fan. So writing this song, was for me a way to honor her and to let her legacy live on through me.
Were the words you needed close at hand or did you need time to process in order to express these emotions?
At first I don’t think the words were really there yet, but it was one evening a few months after she had passed away that I started writing 'Eyes On Earth', when I sat down at the piano, it was almost as if the words just came to me. It was a short while before her birthday, the first birthday without her, and the first thing I wrote was the bridge, where the lyrics include, among other things, “And your birthday’s coming up real soon, but I’m not in a party mood. Looking at heaven will do.” Then, I started writing the chorus. And after that, the rest of the lyrics came quite quickly.
Was your mother someone you very much shared your love for together music with?
Yes, she really was. She loved that I wrote music and sang. Every time I finished a song, I used to run downstairs to my mom and show her right away. She was always at my concerts and showed my music to everyone she knew. She was a real pillar of support. I’m so grateful that I got to share the beginning of my music career with her by my side.
You must have been around sixteen when you released your first single, which in itself is very young. But you sang and danced long before that, how early did your disco daydream begin?
Yes, that’s right. I was sixteen when I released my first single, 'She Is In Your Arms', which I wrote when I was fifteen years old. From an early age I have always loved music. I danced a lot when I was little and I was incredibly fascinated by all kinds of music videos. When I was thirteen I picked up a guitar for the first time, and that's when music really became my main focus. Shortly after that I started writing songs and truly found my calling. But I think my disco daydream probably started a few years later. I have known for a long time roughly what kind of artist I want to be and what kind of music I want to make, but I couldn’t fully put it into words. 2023 was the year that it hit me that I want to make pop music with disco–influences and once I had figured that out and wrote my song 'Top Of The Moon', it felt completely clear that this was the right direction.
For a while you did variety theatre in Spain?
That’s right! When I was between thirteen and sixteen, I did variety and musical theatre at a British theater in Spain. I lived in Málaga for a few years when I was younger, and the theater became like my second home. It’s really one of the most educational experiences I’ve had in this industry, being truly thrown into a world with skilled and serious actors and crew is something I still carry with me today.
Did songwriting itself come into the picture just as early, what were you writing about back then?
Yes, songwriting came into the picture when I was thirteen, so around the same time. Back then I wrote a lot about young love, teenage heartbreak, and other teenage problems such as feeling lost and being uncertain about the future.
Last year we got a lot of new music from you. A whole EP, even. How do you say hello to this year?
I can’t say too much yet, but yes, you can get ready for new music from me in this year. Keep a little extra lookout in the spring.
By late summer it will also be five years since your debut single. Will there be a chance to celebrate that with you?
Wow, already five years? Time really flies when you are having fun. Yes I definitely think so! During 2024 I had quite a few shows, and I believe, and hope, that this year will be no exception.
