Arts & Entertainment
5 Quick Questions w/ Temecula Musician, Diana Rein
Rapidly-Rising Rein To Release Third Studio Album, Queen Of My Castle; 2019 Dates Include Open Air Blues Festival in Romania This July
"I think of Temecula as being a mini-Austin because you can always hear the sound of
music in the air when you are walking through Old Town." - Diana Rein (Guitarist-Vocalist)
Diana Rein, a Temecula-based, blues/rock guitarist-vocalist-songwriter, is set to release her upcoming album, Queen Of My Castle, the follow-up to her critically-lauded 2016 release, Long Road. Queen Of My Castle is being co-produced by Michael Leasure, drummer with one of the biggest blues-rock bands in the world, the Walter Trout Band.
"The new album is a collection of fifteen songs, and one song is a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan," says Rein. "There's a lot of traditional blues, high energy, upbeat, and a few blues-rock songs that I know you guys will love. This album will be lucky #3 for me, my first full-band album. I loved making my last record on my own, but I am really looking forward to challenging myself this
time around and collaborating with the pros."
Find out what's happening in Temeculafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Rein continues to be a compelling media presence, with features in national publications Huffington Post, Vegan Street Blog, a Cover Story in Guitar Girl magazine, and more. Locally, Diana performed at The SoCal Divas of Blues Festival in October.
Temecula Patch recently did a 5 Quick Questions interview with Rein. Here's how it went.
Find out what's happening in Temeculafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Temecula-based, blues/rock guitarist-vocalist-songwriter launched of a crowd-funding campaign for her upcoming album, Queen Of My Castle, the follow-up to her critically-lauded 2016 release, Long Road. Queen Of My Castle is being co-produced by Michael Leasure, drummer extraordinaire with the Walter Trout Band.
Patch: What's new and exciting for Diana Rein in 2019?
DR: I am currently working on finishing my next album called Queen of My Castle which is being Produced by Michael Leasure. I am also excited about booking more band shows to perform my original music at Blues events in Southern California as well as regionally. And like always,
just getting better at my craft as a guitarist and songwriter is something I look forward to with each passing year. I'll also be performing live at the Arcadia Blues Cub on Saturday, January 19 with a great guitarist from Florida, Shaw Davis.
Patch: Let's talk about the Temecula Blues scene, that seems to be really growing quickly. What are your thoughts on this?
DR: I think it's fabulous that there is interest and excitement around keeping the Blues alive and giving it an outlet here in Temecula. Last year to say that we had two Blues festivals makes me proud. I think of Temecula as being a mini-Austin because you can always hear the sound of
music in the air when you are walking through Old Town. There's an appreciation for music and I have been so grateful that Blues and my playing and original music have been welcomed. If anything, I would love to see more original music being played in town and to have venues where I can go as an audience member to see national and touring original bands.
Patch: What do you recall most fondly about the recent SoCal Divas of Blues Festival you performed at in Temecula?
DR: My most fond memory is the audience's response to my music and how gracious people were to come up and talk to me afterwards to tell me how much they enjoyed it. I was also so happy to see family in the audience, to feel how proud they were of me because they know how hard I
have worked to get to the point of performing my music. I was so anxious and thought I would faint as I got up to the stage but then as soon as I hit the first note, I got to relax and just enjoy my set.
Patch: How were you able to secure a performing slot in the 2019 Romanian Blues Festival?
DR: Idon't know for sure, but I am pretty active on Facebook and I think the promoter's may have found me from a video that I circulated on Facebook as an ad of me playing at Old Town Blues Club with a band for the first time. It was pretty wild because I had just talked to my husband about how
cool it would be for me to be able to go back to Romania and perform because I was born there. So I guess, you wish for something enough....it just might come to fruition if it's meant to be and the
timing is right.
Patch: Balancing a music career and motherhood must be a tough task. How do you accomplish it?
DR: You train your family to be in your band!!! Seriously, my son is six and I would love for him to play with me one day but until then, it takes a lot of planning in order for me to be able to get time to do music and it takes help from my husband and family. There are also times where I have to be the parent in charge to support my husband and his career, which can get depressing if it takes me away from music for too long. But somehow, day by day, we figure out what we can do and what we can't, try to make peace with it and just know that somehow it will all get done. It might take longer than if we weren't raising a child, but being a parent has put life into perspective the way that nothing else can. It grounds me and allows me to see what is truly important. A few months
ago I caught my son emphatically clapping for me with the biggest most excited smile on his face. I literally felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest. At that moment I realized that I don't have to move mountains in my career. I just have to do what I love, do my best and it will be enough. There is no need to put extra pressure or stress on myself because if I did, the result of that wouldn't be authentic. I'm happy with whatever should transpire, no matter how long it takes, as long as I remain true to myself and my art.
