Music Crush: Lavender Diamond

The folk delight Lavender Diamond originated from Bird Songs of the Bauharoque, an operetta inspired by the work of American painter Paul Laffoley. Vocalist Becky Stark wrote and created the piece with a friend, and she starred as a character named Lavender Diamond, a charming part-bird/part-human who wants peace on earth. An album of Stark's songs was sold on tour, and Lavender Diamond became a four-piece band when Stark relocated from Providence, Rhode Island to Los Angeles.

Lavender Diamond has a knack for creating songs that feel both fresh and timeless, blending percussion, strings, guitar, and piano into gorgeous, folksy arrangements. But I think it's the delicate yet sure voice of Becky Stark that I love best. Stark can sound despairing, hopeful, vulnerable, and triumphant within the space of only a few minutes, especially on songs like "Rise in the Springtime," "Oh No," and "You Broke My Heart," which sounds like someone's heart swelling until it bursts.

Lavender Diamond - "You Broke My Heart"