{{Short description|American band}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2008}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> | name = Lavender Diamond | image =Lavender_Diamond_2007.jpg | caption = Becky Stark in Brussels (2007) | image_size = 250 | landscape = yes | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Los Angeles, California, USA | genre = Folk, country, indie rock, folk rock, punk | years_active = 2003-present | label = Matador Records<br>Rough Trade Records<br>Paracadute | current_members = Becky Stark<br />Steve Gregoropoulos<br />Ron Regé Jr.<br />Jeffrey Rosenberg | past_members = Devon Williams }}
'''Lavender Diamond''' is an American, Los Angeles-based band, fronted by singer Becky Stark. [[File:Becky Stark at Newport Folk Festival in 2008.jpg|thumb|150px|Becky Stark, performing at the Newport Folk Festival (2 August 2008)]]
==History== While living in Providence, Rhode Island, Stark began performing as Lavender Diamond in a play that she and puppeteer Xander Marro wrote, created and toured with called ''Birdsongs of the Bauharoque'' inspired by the work of artist Paul Laffoley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/462 |title=Dusted Features [ Destined: Lavender Diamond ] |publisher=Dustedmagazine.com |date= |accessdate=2014-07-23}}</ref> A self-produced CD of Stark's songs accompanied the tour in a hand-sewn, silkscreened sleeve. Lavender Diamond became a duo and eventually a four-piece band after Stark relocated to Los Angeles. With the help of local patrons Brian Kaneda and Josh Scuteri, Lavender Diamond self-released a four-song EP and performed at L.A.'s ArthurFest, at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and at the CMJ New Music Seminar in New York City. In 2006 Lavender Diamond signed to Rough Trade Records in Europe, and Matador Records in the U.S., and toured and performed with The Decemberists for three weeks.
In 2007 the band released its first full-length album, ''Imagine Our Love'' and appeared on the Madonna tribute/charity record, ''Through the Wilderness.'' In 2009 they covered "Purple Rain" for SPIN Magazine's tribute to Prince's ''Purple Rain''.
The band parted ways with Matador and went on hiatus for a few years while its members continued to work and play in other projects. In 2011, the original Lavender Diamond lineup reunited for a few concerts in the Los Angeles area, and in 2012 released their second album, ''Incorruptible Heart''.
Bandmember/cartoonist Ron Rege Jr. furnishes Lavender Diamond with all of its artwork.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}
==Members== * Becky Stark — vocals * Steve Gregoropoulos — piano, vocals * Ron Regé Jr. — drums, artwork * Jeffrey Rosenberg — guitar, vocals
==Former members== * Devon Williams — guitar, vocals * Jeff Kwong — guitar
==Discography==
===Albums=== * ''Artifacts Of The Winged'' 12-song solo CD (2003, self-released) * ''Imagine Our Love'' full-length album (2007) * ''Incorruptible Heart'' full-length album (2012) * ''"Now Is The Time"''full-length album (2020)
===Singles and EPs=== * "When Are You Coming Home?" b/w "Wild" (2003, self-released) * ''Themepark Ashtray'' 7" with Vague Angels (2004, Pretty Activity) * ''Cavalry of Light'' EP (2005, self-released) * "Christmas Time Celebration / The Song Of Impossible Occurrences" 7" with The Queens of Sheeba, Devendra Banhart (2005, Cold Sweat records) * ''Open Your Heart'' EP (2007, Rough Trade Records, with Colin Meloy) * "Everybody's Heart's Breaking Now" (2012, Paracadute)
===Compilation appearances=== * ''Hen House Studios Anthology 3, 2003'', performing "Lavender Diamond- Emptiness is a Conductor" (2003, Hen House Studios) * ''Through the Wilderness'' a tribute to Madonna performing ''Like A Prayer'' (2007, Manimal Vinyl Records) * ''Purplish Rain: A 25th Anniversary Tribute to Prince's Purple Rain'', performing ''Purple Rain'' (2009, SPIN Magazine) * ''The Switch (Music from the Motion Picture)'', performing "Open Your Heart" (2010, Rhino Entertainment) * The soundtrack of game Space Ducks, performing ''Moment of Laughter'' (2012)
===Mystical Unionists (Becky Stark and Ron Regé)=== * ''An Introduction to The Mystical Union of Souls'' 5-song CD * ''"Sketches" for The Craft of Consciousness'' 7"
==See also== * New Weird America
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070328172057/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/13883400/rolling_stones_10_artists_to_watch/3 Rolling Stone] * [http://www.arthurmag.com/magpie/?p=2301 Arthur Magazine] * [http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/notebook/2007/03/12/070312gonb_GOAT_notebook_frerejones New Yorker]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavender Diamond}} Category:American folk music groups Category:Indie rock musical groups from California Category:Matador Records artists Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles Category:New Weird America Category:Rough Trade Records artists