Diana Silvers is seriously making waves with her sophomore album, ‘Daughter of Sorts,’ and no cap, this record hits different. The well-known model, actress, and singer-songwriter has crafted a deeply personal and profound collection of tracks that navigates the raw emotional landscape of grief and growth. It’s a compelling journey that, as the article states, she hopes listeners will ‘see themselves in it,’ a sentiment that resonates powerfully given the album’s origins.
Straight up, the track she penned last April, ‘Daughter,’ was already a deep dive into growing up, reflecting on her own mother’s early marriage and children by the age Silvers now finds herself. The song, with its soft, mellow tone over finger-picked acoustic guitar, captured a universal yearning: ‘I don’t want to be grown,’ she crooned. However, life threw a curveball when, just six months later, her father unexpectedly passed away. This tragic event imbued ‘Daughter’ with a heavier weight, transforming the album’s trajectory and giving rise to tracks like ‘Plans,’ which heartbreakingly echoes the earlier sentiment: ‘I don’t want to be grown/ I want to go home.’
The article notes a two-and-a-half-year gap in communication with her father before his passing, making the shift in the album’s focus from general ‘growing pains’ to profound grief even more poignant. What was originally conceived as a record about the challenges of one’s twenties evolved into a musical exploration of his memory and the inevitable passage of time. Silvers reflected on a conversation with her acupuncturist, where she realized that ‘everything I do is gonna be for my dad now,’ only to be met with the insightful retort: ‘Wasn’t it always?’ It’s giving realness about their complicated relationship.
Beyond these deeply personal tracks, ‘Daughter of Sorts’ is a whole vibe, exploring the entire spectrum of life’s transitions. From the hopeful gaze towards the future in ‘Magnolia Tree’ to the trials of young love in ‘(Un)Lovers,’ and the harsh realities of maturity in ‘Dorothy,’ the album showcases Silvers’ versatility. Tracks like ‘Riviera’ bravely tackle turbulent parental dynamics, while ‘Birdsong’ delves into the aftermath of loss, culminating in the acceptance found in the sparsely-worded elegy, ‘Going, Gone.’ It’s a masterful blend of devastating honesty and uplifting introspection, cementing her status as an artist wise beyond her years.
Recording in the iconic Laurel Canyon at the Houdini Estate, Silvers teamed up with producer Jason Lader, a Rick Rubin collaborator, to build out the album’s sonic landscape. This collaboration was lowkey dope, bringing in unexpected talent. Dylan Minnette of Wallows lent his voice to the duet ‘(Un)Lovers,’ with his bandmate Cole Preston also contributing drums. Adding to the serendipitous magic, Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes dropped by and ended up contributing bass and string arrangements respectively to ‘(Un)Lovers.’ The creative synergy made the process feel like ‘really good energy in the music,’ turning personal tragedy into something that ‘gives other people life.’
But perhaps the track that just hits different for real is ‘8.8,’ the final interlude featuring a voicemail from her late father. Silvers, who learned ProTools to produce four minute-long interludes herself, found this voicemail just two days after his passing. His deep voice expressing a desire to ‘catch up a little bit,’ captured their strained connection, with ‘a tinge of disappointment’ in his tone, as the artist observed. Including such a vulnerable moment was a deliberate choice to immortalize his voice, drawing comfort from similar artistic decisions, like Phoebe Bridgers’ inclusion of her late father’s voicemail on her album, ‘Lost Weekend,’ as the article mentions.
As the article states, despite the immense personal upheaval, Silvers admits this challenging year ultimately forced her to grow up, and for the better. She quoted her acting teacher’s words of wisdom, ‘You’re finally going to let some air into your life,’ which proved true. Dealing with grief paradoxically untangled unhealthy thought patterns, granting her a newfound freedom to create, love, and genuinely enjoy life. She realized ‘sh_t’s just gonna happen, and it’s not because I’m a good or bad person.’ This profound shift allowed her to embrace saying ‘yes to the world,’ leading to new friendships, a boyfriend, and a rewarding experience filming two movies back-to-back, a testament to her resilient spirit.
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Livia Dorne covers film, television, music, and pop culture with a keen editorial perspective. She delivers engaging commentary, reviews, and behind-the-scenes insights that keep readers connected to the entertainment world. Her style blends critique with storytelling.
