Diana Silvers has released her second album, Daughter of Sorts, via Capitol Records. The project marks a significant shift in tone from her debut, From Another Room, as it delves into themes of grief, mortality, and the complexities of adulthood. Silvers, who is also a model and actress, wrote much of the material before her father’s sudden passing, but the loss profoundly altered the record’s emotional landscape.
The 29 year old was on tour in Cincinnati, Ohio, in October of last year when she received the news that her father had died unexpectedly. She had not spoken to him for two and a half years prior to his death. The following weeks were a blur of planning his funeral, turning 28, and releasing her first studio album. Silvers describes this period as a frozen moment, noting that the new album reflects her ongoing process of making sense of these events.
The track "Plans" captures this sentiment, with lyrics that echo the album’s opening song, "Daughter." In "Plans," Silvers sings about the desire to remain a child and return home. The song was released as a double single with "Daughter" shortly after her father’s death. She recalls telling her acupuncturist that everything she did now felt dedicated to her father, who had a complicated relationship with her.
Although the album was originally intended to explore the growing pains of one's twenties, it became a broader meditation on the certainty of birth and death. The record balances devastating moments with uplifting ones, featuring tracks like "Magnolia Tree," which offers a hopeful look at the future, and "Dorothy," a character study inspired by the Wizard of Oz that examines the harsh realities of growing up. Other songs address parental relationships and the aftermath of loss.
Silvers recorded the album in March of this year at the Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon, California. She worked with producer and engineer Jason Lader, a collaborator of Rick Rubin. The duo aimed to build a rich sonic world, keeping some tracks acoustic while adding strings, drums, and bass to others. The decision to record in this location was partly inspired by Joni Mitchell, one of Silvers' major influences.
The album features several notable collaborations. Dylan Minnette of the band Wallows sings a duet on the track "(Un)Lovers," which is the only song on the record focused on romantic love. Minnette's bandmate, Cole Preston, played drums on that track and two others. Preston was introduced to Silvers at a Paul McCartney concert in Los Angeles. Additionally, Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti of the Strokes, who were in town rehearsing for Coachella, contributed to the same track. Fraiture played bass, while Moretti arranged the strings.
Silvers learned to use ProTools to produce four of the album's minute-long interludes. The final interlude, titled "8.8," includes a voicemail from her late father. In the message, he gently expresses disappointment that he has not heard from her for a long time. Silvers found the voicemail two days after his death and felt it perfectly summarized their relationship. Including it was a way to immortalize his voice and pay tribute to his memory.
The inclusion of the voicemail resonated with Silvers because she noticed that Phoebe Bridgers also included a voicemail from her late father on her recent album, Lost Weekend. This parallel provided Silvers with a sense of relief and helped alleviate some of the guilt she carried regarding their strained communication. She believes that her father’s essence was defined by his love, regardless of whether she had called him back.
Silvers admits that dealing with grief forced her to grow up in unexpected ways. She describes having lived in a restrictive box of obsessive, compulsive thinking for a long time. The suddenness of her father's death taught her that life events happen regardless of how carefully one follows the rules. This realization has granted her a newfound freedom to create, love, and enjoy life without as much hesitation.
In the year since her father’s passing, Silvers has become more connected to her community, making friends with her neighbors and finding the process of filming two movies rewarding rather than exhausting. She no longer regrets staying out late with friends, a realization cemented by a story about her father reminiscing on a dinner spot from the 1980s. Silvers is now ready to say yes to the world, having transformed a painful experience into art that she hopes will resonate with listeners.
