Delain’s Diana Leah: The 10 songs that changed my life

Having lived in Italy, Canada and Romania, Diana Leah’s 32 years on the planet have been soundtracked by a rich and diverse variety of music. Let's jump in, shall we?

“I’m going back to when I was about three years old with this one! I heard it on MTV while my mom was cleaning the house or cooking – she would always put MTV on while she was doing things around the house. I would have been dancing around to that, aged three. The 1990s was a fun time; I miss those years.”

“I remember coming back from school one day and switching on the TV – this song and its video [from 2007] seemed to be constantly playing. Me and my friends grew up with this band, and Jared Leto’s vocals have been such an inspiration for me as a singer, and that particular song is so powerful. The message behind the song really resonated with me.”

“The first bands I would go see when I moved to Italy from Romania were Within Temptation and Nightwish. Ice Queen was the song that helped me discover those bands, so when I first got to see Within Temptation that was the track that truly got stuck in my head. I found myself singing it for months afterwards.”

“I got into metalcore and even screamo, but it was Linkin Park that really opened my mind to heavier music. It’s not that heavy as a song, but its intro and the way it builds up… wow. I became obsessed with it, as it was so different to anything I’d heard previously. That chorus is iconic – I was hooked, and after that it was easier for me to relate to the intensity of the metal genre.”

“This might sound like a weird choice from someone in a metal band, but it was quite a moment when I first heard this. I had no idea a human being could do such things with their voice. All those high notes, the power and control. It inspired me through the years to learn how to do the same. When I truly understood how much hard work and patience are involved in building a singing voice, my respect for Celine grew all the greater.”

“It’s from the new album Dark Waters and very close to my heart. The lyrics are inspired by the videogame World Of Warcraft. The Draenei race say, ‘Favour the road less travelled.' I’d had that quote as a motto for years, so when I was writing these lyrics it came to mind and eventually became ‘you chose to walk the road less travelled’. It’s me talking to people who don’t live life superficially and aren’t scared to take risks.”

“This just melts me, whenever I hear it, and it awakens so many different feelings within me. There is a sense of freedom and transcendence. It’s from the movie Gladiator and very much connects with it, but even beyond that it is so moving and powerful.”

“It involves such a broad range of my vocals – it really challenged me to work on my craft. It has a key change at the end; the last chorus is really high. Originally we weren’t gonna go for it because it seemed too high for my voice, but I convinced Martijn [Westerholt, Delain founder and keyboard player] that I was gonna work extra hard, and we’d get there. I’m so pleased because I love the results!”

“She won Eurovision with this. While I am not a fan of Eurovision, this song has gone way beyond that. It is powerful, infectious and memorable. You can imagine it being done in a rock style, or any style, really; it’s such a great song. Also, the lyrics just stick to you. Loreen has actually become one of my favourite singers.”

“The World Of Warcraft game meant so much to me, and helped me cope with so many aspects of my earlier life. I admit I’m a real nerd when it comes to this, but when I needed a place to escape, I’d log in and stay there for hours. I think this song is so special and captures the spirit of the game so well, and I want that same spirit for my funeral. That sounds weird, right? (laughs)”

Delain's new album Dark Waters is out now and is available to stream, download and order physically.

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