DIIV at Lee’s Palace (529 Bloor West), Friday (June 15), 10 pm. $12 or NXNE wristband/pass. nxne.com. See listing.
In an era when many bands enjoy hype before playing their first gig, it’s refreshing to come across an act like Brooklyn shoegazers DIIV. Granted, the band is barely a year old, but much of the attention is the result of relentless hometown gigging.
“When we first started out, we were playing three shows a week,” recalls main man Zachary Cole Smith. “It definitely helped get the word out, found us a label and helped us hone our sound and get the songs together before we went into the studio.
“Playing shows is definitely fun, but a band can only play three a week for so long before people lose interest. I’m secretly glad that chapter of our career is over.”
DIIV have also found time to release singles as they record them. Their excellent debut album, Oshin, drops on Captured Tracks on June 26. When a band gets so much early blog love based on singles, they run the risk of falling out of favour before an album comes out. But Smith sees real benefits in fine-tuning their identity publicly.
“I think it’s important for the audience to be able to chart the progress of a band, from lo-fi home demos to studio record, from basement shows to big-venue shows. They root for you and relate to you. I always intended for us to grow up in the public eye.”
benjaminb@nowtoronto.com | twitter.com/benjaminboles
