Diamond Back started as a desire to make something that would be one of those songs you put on your car stereo as you drive down a long and lonely road with the windows open.
Taking the idea literally we used the Diamond Back as being a snake-like road in front of you and gave it a bluesy groove and a repeating double kick beat to mimic the sound of the road.
Phil created a sliding chord pattern that alternated every other phrase by hitting an extra chord inside a triplet.
We put an extra beat in the intro to push the groove sideways just before the lyrics start to set a sense of catching up for a moment and to rhythmically suggest that this is where the journey begins.
Lyrically it's a contemplative look at one's own life through the lens of a mind that is lost on an internal journey from past to future.
We originally wrote this as a gritty southern rock style jam influenced by artists like The Black Crowes.
When we played this live we would alternate hitting the guitar with our thumbs to mimic the rumbles of the road.
In studio this song came together smoothly, once I finished writing it.
Phil and I had always assumed we'd put a third verse, but never wrote one, so I decided to add a solo section and revisit the chorus instead which I think works a lot better.
The band rocks out with crunchy guitars and thumping rhythm that take you on a ride along the long, black diamond back, still giving me the sense of that Black Crowes influence which is awesome.
I think it turned out pretty much the way we originally planned as a gritty, southern rock band style bar song.more