SkiP HappEns Podcast
Melodies and Musings with Dionya Marie: A Journey Through Genres and the Heartbeat of Nashville
Have you ever wondered where the soul of a song comes from? Take a seat and get cozy as we chat with the ever-charismatic Dionya Marie, who joins us from the sunny vibes of Southern California. Dionya opens up about her musical journey, spilling the beans on her gospel beginnings before branching out into a variety of genres including rock, hip-hop, and pop. She even lets us in on her unexpected yet thrilling collaboration with Snoop Dogg, showcasing just how versatile this songstress is. But it's her return to country and the story behind the hit "Miss You So Mad" that will have you hanging on every word.
Strap in for a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes magic of songwriting. We get real about the influence of Nashville's creative heartbeat on the craft, and I'll even let you in on how a simple, everyday observation can spark the next chart-topper. Dionya and I riff on the quirks of regional dialects, the charm they bring to our identities, and how something as simple as laughter can inspire the genuine human element in music. It's a conversation that's as much about the notes on the page as it is about the stories behind them.
As we wrap up, Dionya's infectious energy is palpable as she talks about her upcoming EP, album, and the buzz of hitting the road. Learn how she uses social media not just to connect with fans but to share her life beyond music, including her love for horses and dedication to charity work. We even take a moment to ponder the future of country music, musing over the role of AI and what it means for the industry. Join us for a heart-to-heart that's as diverse and engaging as Dionya Marie's own repertoire.
Thanks for listening! Follow us at youtube.com/c/skiphappens
Have you ever wondered where the soul of a song comes from? Take a seat and get cozy as we chat with the ever-charismatic Dionya Marie, who joins us from the sunny vibes of Southern California. Dionya opens up about her musical journey, spilling the beans on her gospel beginnings before branching out into a variety of genres including rock, hip-hop, and pop. She even lets us in on her unexpected yet thrilling collaboration with Snoop Dogg, showcasing just how versatile this songstress is. But it's her return to country and the story behind the hit "Miss You So Mad" that will have you hanging on every word.
Strap in for a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes magic of songwriting. We get real about the influence of Nashville's creative heartbeat on the craft, and I'll even let you in on how a simple, everyday observation can spark the next chart-topper. Dionya and I riff on the quirks of regional dialects, the charm they bring to our identities, and how something as simple as laughter can inspire the genuine human element in music. It's a conversation that's as much about the notes on the page as it is about the stories behind them.
As we wrap up, Dionya's infectious energy is palpable as she talks about her upcoming EP, album, and the buzz of hitting the road. Learn how she uses social media not just to connect with fans but to share her life beyond music, including her love for horses and dedication to charity work. We even take a moment to ponder the future of country music, musing over the role of AI and what it means for the industry. Join us for a heart-to-heart that's as diverse and engaging as Dionya Marie's own repertoire.
Thanks for listening! Follow us at youtube.com/c/skiphappens
And here we go. Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of what I call Skip Happens. Skip happened already. I'm just saying we got it on, we got it working and things are going good and we're like I want to say we're like coast to coast tonight.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Because, Deanya, tell everybody where you are.
Speaker 2:Right now I am in Southern California.
Speaker 1:And right now I'm in upstate New York.
Speaker 2:Well, there you go. What are you going?
Speaker 1:to do. There's a lot of crap going on in between us. You know there's a lot of storms in the mid country. I mean, I was watching the news earlier. That's a little bit crazy, what's? The weather like where you are right now.
Speaker 2:Oh it's beautiful. 73.
Speaker 1:Perfect. It's amazing A little wind, wind a little breeze yeah, no, how's the humidity, are you like right on the coast?
Speaker 2:no humidity at all, I think I well. No, I'm about 20, maybe 30 minutes from um santa monica oh okay, all right out there and visit you. That's what a great breeze going on here I love it.
Speaker 1:I love it. We're talking with, uh, dianya marie tonight, and she is no stranger to the skip happens podcast and she just keeps putting out lots of great music. I can give you a little, uh little, taste of her latest effort. I'm gonna do that right. Wait a minute. No, no, no, I want to start from the beginning. Stop gosh, this is what happens. Skip happen. So here we go it's so good not so bad. There it is. Ladies and gentlemen Deonya, Marie, Lies and loss. Ladies and gentlemen, Listen to this. Here you go everybody.
Speaker 2:I miss you so bad. I miss you so mad. It's hard to be happy when you're all that I have. I wake up alone trying to pick up the pieces. I miss you so bad. I miss you so mad.
Speaker 1:Wow, miss you so mad. Wow, miss you so mad. Yes, good job.
Speaker 2:That was a little blooper mistake.
Speaker 1:This song was a mistake.
Speaker 2:Well, I miss you so mad. I was waiting for an appointment sitting in my car and I was supposed to write Miss you so Bad and I wrote mad and I don't have any idea why I wrote it. But I looked down and I was supposed to write Miss you so Bad and I wrote Mad and I don't have any idea why I wrote it. But I looked down and I was like, oh wait a minute.
Speaker 1:But it works.
Speaker 2:It works. I wrote that song in 20 minutes.
Speaker 1:And that's why it's working.
Speaker 2:That's why it's working.
Speaker 1:Before we went on he already said that you're hearing from all the radio stations that are playing that song and right, and so I totally get that. But let's talk about you a little bit. I mean, how long have you been doing this type of thing? I know in the past we've had you on and we've talked about that. But just kind of refresh everybody a little bit about Deanya.
Speaker 2:Yes, I've been doing music since I was on stage or with anybody important, since I was 13. I sang gospel with the gospel messengers, went around, did some music for some other people and then, you know, I went into rock and then I was in hip hop and did some things for Snoop Dogg and all them and pop, and then back to country.
Speaker 1:So Whoa, whoa, whoa whoa, Snoop Dogg.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you didn't know that. Huh, yes, I did. I did some music for Interscope Records. I did music with different underground artists.
Speaker 1:I did hooks for rappers for like five years. I don't think you ever told me that I did hip-hop and R&B yeah. You kept a secret from me.
Speaker 2:I did. I did. It just makes it to where every single one of my songs I mean this actually is another crossover song, cause it's hitting the pop charts and it's hitting the adult contemporary. So you know it, just you know who knows everything.
Speaker 1:I mean me being a country guy and I give it a listen, I go oh yeah, this is cool, but I can also hear this on a pop station or with it they would call an adult contemporary. If you want radio language, I could hear it. You know what I mean. And that's not uncommon for the songs that are coming out today, Even on country. Today we started playing a brand new Post Malone.
Speaker 2:Yes, oh, yeah. And then Taylor Swift. She went to. You know, I mean, there's a, there's a lot of them from country to. I listened to Dan and Shay and a lot of times their songs even sound like they could be, you know, some type of a pop song, yeah.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I talked to Dan pretty much on a regular basis online and you know they're coming to town, but we're going to get them on the Skip Happens podcast they promised me. But he says the same thing about the music Nowadays, the way I'm thinking. That country has evolved and it changes just like anything else.
Speaker 2:It's evolving.
Speaker 1:It'll never stop. No, it won't.
Speaker 2:The great thing about it is I've done so many genres and whatever comes out of my soul like hands, definitely came from me doing gospel. You know, when I did Girl With no Last Name, that's definitely from when I was in rock music. So you know the Keith Urban I mean he brought that rock music too. It's amazing, it's a free-for-all kind of thing, you know. It's amazing, it's a free-for-all kind of thing, you know.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and why not? And are you doing this from where you are in California, or do you actually head to Nashville?
Speaker 2:Oh yes. So I went to Nashville and recorded this with Johnny Garcia, who is a guitarist for Bird Brooks and Trisha Yearwood and he's also a producer. Him and I are working together right now on the album EP, and so it's we're excited. He came down and I like four songs in less than three days and I go back up there and record, and then he comes back down. I've already written four more, and so we're getting ready to do it.
Speaker 1:It's exciting and getting ready to do it. It's exciting. And getting ready to, but you don't have the date set yet, or anything like that.
Speaker 2:No, because this song right now we're focused on and this song is just getting so much, and so we're going to be doing a music tour again and you know, even in California we're going to do a Northern California tour, arizona and New Mexico. And then we're going to do a Northern California tour, arizona and New Mexico, and then we're going to go to Illinois and some other states.
Speaker 1:So I'm just excited you got to come east girl, you got to come east.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm going to.
Speaker 1:We get you in there. You know, hit New York and then come upstate.
Speaker 2:I'm going to come up there and visit you. You just wait and see.
Speaker 1:Ah, and my door is open, girl, you just show up. We'll put you right here in the pod zone too.
Speaker 2:Well, just keep the bees away.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, Did you? I know we follow each other on Facebook, did you see?
Speaker 2:Yes, bee, mess, I only have two EpiPens. I can't.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh have two epi pens I can't. They were honeybees and, um, apparently I did something I shouldn't have done and, uh, this is gonna be another whole podcast. By the way, after you and I we talked a little bit last night off here, but after that I contacted the beekeeper that actually came over and took the bees. Uh, would you want to do a podcast? He goes I would love to do that. So he's actually coming out on the 22nd. Nice Sounds crazy, but I think it's really interesting to do this, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Honey bees, because they're almost endangered. I did not realize that.
Speaker 2:So did he give you some honey.
Speaker 1:Not yet.
Speaker 2:Not yet Okay. Yeah, not yet they are a brave person.
Speaker 1:You know I will say this. He put his hand right in there like a handful of bees and said hey, are they, don't say.
Speaker 2:I said, oh no, dude, no, no, no, no One of them. To be a little bipolar, you just never know yeah they know exactly.
Speaker 1:Let's get back to you and the music, and it's just what you're doing, and you've been doing it for a little bit. You are signed. Are you still with Grassroots? You are right.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, and that's they're the ones loving the song. If you see my post, I just posted something for them that you know. The song's available now and they wrote down some really cool stuff about me. And Grassroots really believes in me and I'm just. I am so excited. Every time I go to a radio tour they're just like, oh my gosh, you must be doing something right, cause grassroots is behind you all the way, and I'm like, yes, I tell that to everybody I talk to.
Speaker 1:If you signed out with grassroots, you got the right people, you got the questions, you got radio people. It's a great group of people that know what you need, they need to do and what they tell you need to do.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, and I'm all on it when they're, when they tell me I need to get something going and and I need to uh, you know, get my backs packed. I mean they're packed.
Speaker 1:I love it. How often do you get to Nashville?
Speaker 2:Uh well, now I'm going to be going in May, june, july, so it's going to be more often, which is great for me, because when I go to Nashville, even in the plane or whatever, it just gets my writing going. And then you're hearing these little quotes, you know, these little country quotes. And it's so funny because when I'm home I'm like, you know, I need some coffee, I need to talk to some people, you know, and then when I go to Nashville I turn. Y'all are just so silly.
Speaker 1:It just happens automatically.
Speaker 2:Once you have an accent in your family. I mean, I was raised by Puerto Ricans, Italians, you know, I had all this famina and all these accents. I just go to an I don't know what it is, but yeah.
Speaker 1:I think it happens to all of us. I mean, we head out to Nashville on occasion and it's like, okay, you know, here I'm just the upstate New York boy. But once I landed in Nashville it's like y'all come over here a minute. I love it. I love I have a terrible upstate New York accent, but everybody seems to know. But I only realized that you know, I sound like I sound so how do you say coffee? It's what's that.
Speaker 2:How do you say coffee?
Speaker 1:Coffee.
Speaker 2:Oh, coffee.
Speaker 1:I have a coffee, you coffee. A daughter a daughter Boston. It's the errors. I don't know what it is, the car in the garage oh, my cousin, there's so many average trees out here.
Speaker 2:What are you doing with all these averages? He's from Queens there you go.
Speaker 1:yeah, um, a good friend of mine, uh, is from Long Island and she's even upstate long for quite a while, a long time now it's yeah you still hear, it never goes away.
Speaker 1:And she doesn't even realize she sounds like that. But yeah, you can hear it. You can hear it. So let's talk about you and your writing. You say you know you're on these flights, maybe somewhere longer than others, or you're driving, or you know. How do all these thoughts come to you and what do you do? How do you save them and how do you?
Speaker 2:put them on paper. You know, it's like with hands. I was on a plane to Nashville and I saw an older person's hand with a younger person's hand on it and I was just like, wow, you could see the life they live through their hands. And then I just went to the window of my seat, you know of the plane, and I turned on my phone and I was like a woman from Kentucky and I just I don't. I don't write down words. I think of the words with the music and I thought that was normal, but I guess it's not.
Speaker 1:Well, I think everybody's unique in how they do it. Everybody's got their own way, their own style.
Speaker 2:But I know the music has to hit the words. Like when I wrote I Miss you so Mad, I was like, ooh, I miss you so mad. And then I was just like, ah, and then what's mad? I miss you so bad. And it's just all the music and the words just started filling in.
Speaker 2:Mad and bad, can almost seem, can mean the same thing oh yeah you know what I mean yeah, it's kind of telling people what mad means, right? So yeah, I guess so but the song is is you know, for me, I mean it could be for anybody who lost someone, um, in any way, um, you know, through death or through a relationship or through a ship that just ended, you know that you guys, just you know, it's just, it's missing somebody People say get over it, or you know what, it's time for you to just move on. Well, guess what? I'm not ready.
Speaker 1:All right, you don't have to put the podcast to music.
Speaker 2:All right, you don't have to put the podcast to music. I'm not ready. No, that's my favorite part. I love it, though. Dream it at the end.
Speaker 1:Next time you do this, you're going to go Skip Happens. Oh, I'll do it, Skip Happens.
Speaker 2:I'll do it no piece included.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I love that.
Speaker 2:You didn't get that, did you?
Speaker 1:No, I didn't, Okay. Good, why, what did you say? Go ahead, give it to me again.
Speaker 2:I said I snorted by accident when I was laughing you snorted.
Speaker 1:Is that what happens when you start laughing? You start snorting.
Speaker 2:Just when I breathe in, it's a little. You know, when I laugh hard it comes out it's not me, it's the Gemini.
Speaker 1:If you would have said it, I would not have known that you snorted.
Speaker 2:My dear, that's not me.
Speaker 1:No, no, no not at all. But so the song I Miss you. So, mad, is it something to do with you? Is it a personal thing? Did you go through just an experience that you know? Maybe you're missing somebody, or is it just from you seeing other people go through?
Speaker 2:I think every song has to do with something in my life and I do remember when my husband passed away even though it was a very tumultuous relationship, it it was a lot of people saying, um, you'll get over it and meet someone else, you'll do this and you'll do that. You, you know, you should, you should, and it's it's like people should never tell anyone be over something when they're not ready. And in that, that's where I started writing that song, because I, you know, I had, I wouldn't have. My girlfriend broke up with somebody and you know she's like you know, I, everyone keeps telling me to just date someone else or just let it go, and and he was this anyway, and I just told her when you're not ready, or you know, you'll know when you're ready yeah, no yeah and I get frustrated when people tell me no, don't act that way, no, don't do that, don't you, don't wait a minute I'll decide right what.
Speaker 2:I've learned this and this is where I went, aha, finally. So songs are getting shorter now, and here I'm Italian with my hand. So songs are getting shorter now and I'll start doing sign language in a minute, you be nice. Songs are getting shorter now and the producer said the most thing that I get stuck on are the bridges, and I'm like gosh, I keep getting stuck on some bridges and sometimes I feel don't need a bridge. And he goes guess what? No one does bridges anymore and my brain went to and songs are just flying. Now they're just flying.
Speaker 2:There's some country songs that have a first verse and a chorus and then a little, you know, not even not like a bridge, but kind of like a little uh pre-chorus kind of thing. And then they repeat, repeat yeah all these different? Yeah, and I'm going wait a minute. It's changed and so for me, my brain clicked and went stop making it harder than what it is true, I get it yeah, so it's been flowing so much. Oh, you have no idea the new songs I've written, oh can't wait to hear some.
Speaker 2:I'm so excited. Johnny went to Nashville and he just wrote to me yesterday and he said oh my gosh, these songs are coming out amazing. There's so much.
Speaker 1:These are your songs.
Speaker 2:These are my songs. Yes, oh yeah, I'm going up there to record four in a row are my songs.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh yeah, I'm going up there to record four in a row. So tracks down. Diana, did you put the tracks down and he's putting them all together, or is he putting the instrumental down and then you're going to add your vocals to it after?
Speaker 2:um, I'm going to add my vocals to nashville very cool he took the song.
Speaker 2:He came here with a guitar. Actually he played my guitar and he didn't sign it. I I have a movie signing my guitar. I have, you see, a few of the guitar players that I work with, like Mark Needham, and then Tim McGraw's guitar player, davey, that comes over here. He's, you know, signed my guitar, but we just played, grabbed the notes, went back to the studio, called me again and said, hey, can we go a little bit higher, because I'm feeling you know, we need to know whatever. And then boom, wow, put in all the instruments and, yeah, how cool is that Now you're going to did?
Speaker 1:I hear that you're going to be at CMA Fest or you're working with the CMA.
Speaker 2:I just got my CMA card, hey, but they spelled it wrong and that's the reason why it's Dionya. Now it's D-I-O-N-Y-A, because every time we use the tilde, we change our name. Every time we use tilde, it's for Alexa purposes or Spotify for anything else. It just didn't click, so we had to change something. Marie is my middle name for Alexa purposes or Spotify, for anything else. It just didn't click, so we had to change something. Marie is my middle name, but my card says D-I-A-N something mark Y. You know, when you put it in the-.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:It does all those little tricky things, so it just looks like it's yeah, it's a mess.
Speaker 1:Or just leave it alone. But you want something that if you go on Alexa or something else and you say play Deanya Marie, I mean you want it to be able to play Deanya Marie.
Speaker 2:Well, you should hear how she says it. It's hilarious. Like she doesn't say Deanya, she says just say Miss you so Mad. And then she says bye, De-I-O-N-E-A-Marie, oh, Deanya.
Speaker 1:Deanya.
Speaker 2:I sound like something that happens to your stomach after you eat a Taco Bell burrito Deanya, deanya, I sound like something that happens to your stomach after you eat a Taco Bell burrito.
Speaker 1:Dianaya, dianaya, never mind, I get it. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it's just crazy.
Speaker 2:Better than the weather.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly Mayfest, are you going to be there?
Speaker 2:That's what all of this is going towards. I already have a band. Johnny's putting that together and, because he's been through the whole thing with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood and everything, he's getting together the tour people that he knows and we're going to start touring and once we do that, we're going to head over and try to get into stagecoach and everything I need to be in. So it's happening.
Speaker 1:I'm so proud of you.
Speaker 2:It's like an open for Trish and Garth. I mean, the guitar player's already there. He's like well, I'm already there.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love it and the band. Have you played? Have you been with these guys before? Have you been with these guys before? Have you played with these guys?
Speaker 2:No, not yet, Not yet. Yeah so yeah, but it's he says it's going to be pretty much an all-star band People that have played with other people and he, you know he's like do you want young guys? You want I said no, no, I know. I want fun Seasoned. Yes, yes, I call them seasoned. I don't need all those hot guys on. You know, I don't need you know the performers, I don't need the winker, as you know.
Speaker 1:Hey, check out the chick on stage.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, right Backstage, you mind? Yeah, do you mind? Yeah, I do mind.
Speaker 1:I want the married and the buried ones, you know, buried and buried, buried and buried, let alone, but having the season to professionals, I mean, they know they can handle pretty any situation and you know, and they catch out really quick with the music too, I mean.
Speaker 2:Their stage presence is amazing because they know what they're doing. It's just you know they're about the music and about the artists and that's you know. When I go with John, john Luzzi is the guy that I do a lot of my radio tour with and I'll be going. He'll be joining me again, which is really exciting, and he is just so pro you know we'll go and we'll. He'll sit there and you know he's like this is all you. If the radio says and who are you? And he's like I'm John Lucy, but it's all her and that's you know. It's just I'm so happy with the people that I've been given Again, with grassroots and everything. I just really thank them and thankful for everything that's happening. And you know, when you feel like it's finally happening and you know that, yeah, I'm just ready to move on, I when you feel like it's finally happening and you know that, yeah, I'm just ready to move on?
Speaker 1:I'm just ready to. I'm ready. You're ready to go? Let me loose, I'm ready.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is, this is what I've been dreaming my whole life and you know, since I was young, it's just, it's people say well, how long you know.
Speaker 1:It's all I know. It's really all I know. Deanna, do you get to perform where you are now, Do you?
Speaker 2:play anywhere out there on the West Coast. No, I don't. I don't For one. Like I said, we're just trying to get all these songs together to put together in the EP. We're going for the EP or the album, and then that's when I'm going to put everything out and just, you know, play. Just I'll have a whole list of the itinerary and I think it's better that way. Yeah, cool, get some fans out there. That's what we're working on you know I'm trying to get some fans out there my gosh did you see my TikTok where I was going to like a antique store?
Speaker 2:but I will look well, there was a fan that had jesus on it, big jesus with jesus, and I said jesus is my biggest fan and that's what's good about you.
Speaker 1:You have a personality to go with everything else and you know, it's all a plus, it's all a plus.
Speaker 2:It's all a plus, thank you.
Speaker 1:You got the whole package, you make it work and you have a lot of fun doing it.
Speaker 2:Life is fun. It's seriously, you know, when people you know go back to things where they say, oh my gosh, my life, my life, I mean, okay, if they knew what my life was, they don't think I'm very happy and all this stuff. But I've been through a lot and to me it's just like why let something? Let you down, make, do the best you can and do everything right, and the people that are sitting there that did things to you are going wow, okay, she's succeeding, that's all you can do your own thing and do the best you can that's what I do it's gonna come back and they're going to go.
Speaker 1:What?
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, I hope they become my fans.
Speaker 1:Do you have horses? Do I remember? Did you have horses or no?
Speaker 2:I think when I was little.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm trying to think. I remember seeing some videos or something, or maybe last year.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, so the seen some videos or something, or maybe less, yes, so, um, the horses when I go to I have a girlfriend named laurie and she has a whole stable full of horses and, which is amazing, I get to ride them or use them for my, my videos. Uh, another one of my girlfriends, karen and she is a karen that says she loves my song, calm down. K, so it is Karen approved.
Speaker 2:She has a horse that won a lot of awards and in rolling heels, and I actually sang the national anthem for one of their events.
Speaker 1:Nice Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I have a lot of friends with horses, my friend Ashley. I yeah very, very blessed with friends that have you know ranches and I just love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very awesome. What do you do for fun? I mean you say the whole thing, but I mean for fun. You're so involved in your music and you must like. Maybe every once in a while you just say you know what, I don't want to do this today.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go and maybe take a walk, maybe just go shopping and kind of everything else my shopping is oh, I have been so obsessed with the Goodwill.
Speaker 1:Nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 2:It is an obsession. Well, I have this thing on my phone now. It's Google, where you put the camera and then you, you, you take a photo of something and it tells you how much it's worth. And I've just been going to goodwill's going. Oh my gosh, nobody knows. It's worth 300 and it's 99 cents. You know I'm such a dork, but I'm getting ready to do again. In june we have for kids with Down syndrome, we do a three-day event. Yes, and it's Don't Ya Know.
Speaker 2:And it's an amazing event at the Burbank Tennis Center and we bring out music and art and comedians and they play tennis and we teach balance and all kinds of cool stuff. So it's coming around that time again and my favorite people I get to ask to be married. They get on. You know, I always have someone get on one knee and say, will you marry me?
Speaker 1:I'm like yes, yeah, you know my son Zach, he's 20. Oh my goodness, he doesn't have to get down on one knee and ask somebody to marry him.
Speaker 2:See, we got to get Jonas, jonas and Zach to do a podcast together.
Speaker 1:Yes, we do, and we do a thing called Zach Attack with Dad and. But number one, we talked about bringing him out last time and you know, if I can get him out of the house and get him on a plane, then I've accomplished a lot. But yeah such a homebody If there's a baseball game.
Speaker 2:He will definitely go to the baseball game here.
Speaker 1:Look, yeah, I've seen that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, great kid, great kid.
Speaker 1:We gotta get on his podcast I know, I know he's upstairs, you know with andre yeha oh my god. No, we're so proud of you.
Speaker 2:This is andre yeha and he, he wears it all the time. I just he loves it. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we can expect an EP in the near future. You're working on the album.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes, yes, we are working on it. It should be done by July or August. I'll start touring probably in August or September. Very good, you'll be. I can't wait. I can't wait.
Speaker 1:And you'll be out there on the road, but I'm sure somebody's going to be with you, or you will be with somebody, I would assume.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, oh yeah, Probably my karate cat.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Borrow some beans in a jar from you.
Speaker 1:Somebody wants it. If we can get on your socials, where do they go if they want to find out more about DI?
Speaker 2:Yes, so everything is being changed. It's DIONYRE, it's DIONYA, the way it's spelled right. The way it's spelled. Absolutely, it's phonetic. Now we're phonetically correct. Good thing to do, by the way. Yes, yeah, you know what it just. It just happened to turn out that way and so we're excited about it because I again, it's easier for people to find me so and I didn't change it on yet, because everybody's like, why don't you just change? And no, I'm doing you.
Speaker 1:Why would you change it?
Speaker 2:just kind of phonetic spelling maybe right, we just had to do a little bit I on tiktok when I, when I'm, you know, when you put it just kind of genetic spelling, maybe. Right, we just had to do a little bit I in on tiktok when I, when I'm, you know, when you put it on the message and or captions and I say hi, it's dionya, that's exactly how it comes up. So there you go that's why we did it why do it?
Speaker 1:any?
Speaker 2:I'm not talking to you now she turned on. Oh, oh, my god, can I?
Speaker 1:help you yeah, she's listening you know, we all depend on those things. That's why I know I have them all over the house too oh, all the time I ask her questions, we fight, we do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I was whispering in the kitchen one time, going where did I put whatever? And she goes why are we whispering? I'm not kidding you.
Speaker 1:She said that oh my God.
Speaker 2:Try to whisper and she will ask you what's whispering. It's just amazing how far everything has. Try to whisper behind her, yeah, and she will ask you what's keeping you whispering.
Speaker 1:It's just amazing how far everything has come.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Now we've got AI too, which artists like yourself and a lot of others have to just kind of keep an eye on what's going on. It could be good, it can be bad, but it just amazes me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did have somebody who told me think of a song, think of something you know, and I said okay, the sky is blue, the air is whatever. And then they let me listen to it and I said, okay, well, that's, you know, that's nice, because there's no, there's no heart with it. You know it was a song, but there was no feeling.
Speaker 1:Right, it's boring.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not too worried. I'm not too worried, but it's good because Eddie, my friend Edward James Olmos, he's an actor. He said he's happy because you know they can bring a younger version of him. That's true, Right.
Speaker 1:Look what they just did with Randy Travisvis right his song it's amazing, it's amazing. He gave permission to the label to everybody. So, yes, let's do it. And I, I had tears, I said everyone in the room.
Speaker 2:I was watching that and I was just like you. You can. Only I'm gonna wonder, wonder if they're going to do it with Linda Ronstad.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, that's it yeah.
Speaker 2:Could you imagine that?
Speaker 1:With the Beatles.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Not too long ago.
Speaker 2:We need to know.
Speaker 1:I know, oh my gosh, see, I remember Linda Ronstad from the stone ponies.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a couple of her songs on my spot Now.
Speaker 1:I'm short of age but yeah, oh my gosh, it's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you before I let you go what do you think of all the stuff that's going on now with music, country music, I mean, and I love the music, don't get me wrong. But like today, you know they dropped the Post Malone, you've got a brand new, you got Shaboosie, who's out there, post Malone, all these artists, they got Marshmello, kane Brown with Marshmello. Now Right. How do you feel about all that?
Speaker 2:You know, post Malone, that guy can do anything. I mean, he is just a star. I just love him. And that that again, he just did a song with taylor swift. He's just, he's amazing. Um, the thing with beyonce, I mean, she said she's from texas. You know, the only controversy I have with that is she.
Speaker 2:That song was written by barbara williams or something I'm not sure, yeah they had it on a tiktok and they had it where she sang it, the woman barbara, I think that was her name and it was the exact song and she actually beyonce sounds like her and beyonce sped it up and it's a song and to me it's like that's fine. But I guess my thing is is she's not giving thank yous or putting yeah, so you know that that was the only thing. I mean. It's, it is a, it's a cute song, you know. Um, but bringing people into country music, I can't really say anything because I love. I always say more like Bonnie Rae, I love Bonnie.
Speaker 2:Rae she did country, but then she did a little jazz but then adult contemporary. I just think there's so much variety out there that that's what makes music. If you talk about Dolly Parton and how she said people coming in, I don't think it was Dolly, I think it was um. Why can I not think Kentucky?
Speaker 1:Kentucky um.
Speaker 2:Loretta Lynn.
Speaker 1:Loretta Lynn yeah.
Speaker 2:She was talking about how country is evolving to something that she didn't like, right and um. I just think sometimes, when you get into an era where things start getting, it's harder to accept maybe. But I do love. I do love the country pop, I do love the country rock, like I said when Keith Urban came in with that guitar. So I think it's to everyone, whoever's liking. If you like grass, you know, you know that type of countries and but tell you what I think.
Speaker 1:Okay, I think it's awesome and I'll tell you why I think it's awesome because it's opening up our format, the country format, to maybe new listeners. Yes, people that have been fans of Beyonce and now are kind of maybe exploring the waters and country post the same thing.
Speaker 2:I mean Marshmello started a lot of that too, and he started coming into country music and people were saying no and stage coach was turning off his amps. You know it was uh yeah but he pushed his way through and I think, just like you said, whoever wants to come into it, um, I think we should just open ourselves up, it's not?
Speaker 1:they're bringing their fans into a format that otherwise they would not have checked out, so I think it's a good thing. For what?
Speaker 2:we're doing Jelly.
Speaker 1:Roll, jelly Roll, and I'm going to be honest with you. When Jelly Roll first came out and we were having a music meeting and one of the consultants that was in the room, I forgot who the other artist was that we were talking about, but she goes. Okay, would you play this? And it was. I forgot who the artist was. Clean Cut Kid sounded really great. Yeah, okay, now would you play this? And it was. I forgot who the artist was. Clean cut kids sounded really great. Yeah, okay, now would you play this? Open it up, and there was jelly roll, and you know, jelly rolls got the tats and all that and we're like you know. But now look, it's just the opposite and I will admit that, but it now, it's just, it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2:He's got a Johnny Cash background.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And it just, it's like I said, it's evolving from you have. Okay For me as a songwriter, I've written so many different songs, but I had to learn the new way of speaking for younger audiences. So a lot of words, like you know, you're not using darling and you're not using, you know, so you have to evolving, as it could be difficult. You don't know where you don't keep up to speed, it's true. So that that, to me, is I'm so glad that my mind can go into the cool, you know.
Speaker 1:I think that's awesome, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love it. I love all types of music. I was raised with so many different. You know genres of music and to me I just opened my arms to everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, same here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:When I want to really feel good. Sometimes I put on some R and B or some of the throwbacks from when I was growing up and I'd crank them. Other times I want to hear some country rock. It even comes down to hard rock. At times it's like, yeah, I just want to.
Speaker 2:Well, maybe it's a pad. It's kind of like little oldies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how many times have I told you, when I've started to play it and we've been chatting, that not now but earlier that I said I love this, it's, it's, it's got a groove Well.
Speaker 2:I heard the Chris Stapleton and then I heard there's another guy and he started on adult contemporary and it ended oh swims, teddy swims. And I heard his song and I was like, and then that's when my mind went to I wish you so bad. There's a thing about that song. Also, when I was in nashville I was singing that song and I got a really bad cold. I mean, I was day before and they could just go back to your hotel. If it doesn't work tomorrow, you can come back again. I came back the next day, my voice was coming back and if you listened to the song, all the cracks and everything that was from being we. We lowered it down, you know I think a half an oct or you know it was supposed to be higher. I missed you so bad.
Speaker 2:But you would have cracked even more if you lowered it down and all those sweet spots and everything. That's all because it but it was right, perfect, so yeah he goes, I can. I've never had a sick person come in and all of a sudden it sounds better. Perfect, yeah, but it's good. Yeah, I was talking about my voice.
Speaker 1:I was talking about my voice. You know, deanya, it's always a pleasure to talk to you. I just want to chat with you. You know it's been a little bit. I know you've been on the podcast before and I want to have you on again. When I hear you got new music coming out and what you're doing, and just see the smile on your face and knowing a little bit about your background makes me feel good, makes me feel good, makes me feel good. And you got a great, you got a great team behind you and everything about you know everything that's going on in your world right now. Man, that that's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes.
Speaker 1:You are blessed. You will continue to be blessed.
Speaker 2:Yes, I hope so. I'm diving into everything from body shaming women to the song. It's definitely like I said, some of these songs are definitely going to hit. They're going to be, in a kind of a way, that's a little bit country.
Speaker 1:All right, just don't be a parent, that's all.
Speaker 2:Country don't bother me, because you know it doesn't bother me. Don't let it bother you I love it.
Speaker 1:Deanya, it's been great chatting with you, finding out what's going on. The song is out there, we're going to send some viewers and hopefully you'll get some new listeners, some new fans. I always say it's like one fan at a time and then it just builds and it's pretty cool. So, and come on, it's not that hot there.
Speaker 2:I got a mane going on here.
Speaker 1:Not me. I got mine cut today, so we're good.
Speaker 2:You're all over me. I'm like freaking cat hair.
Speaker 1:I got a huge yellow lab running around here, so all right, Deanna, it's been great. I hope we get to touch base soon. I'd love to see you in person somewhere.
Speaker 2:Not to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to have to get Zach on a plane and say, come on, we're going to go visit Deanna.
Speaker 2:Maybe I'll get Vince and Jonas to come over there and we'll meet you there.
Speaker 1:All right, or we can meet in the middle.
Speaker 2:There we go.
Speaker 1:Yania, thanks for joining us tonight on Skip Happens. Great info and best of luck to you.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Skip.