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Pittsburgh Artist of the Week: Avi Diamond

Avi Diamond’s latest album “Barefoot” was inspired by a winter relationship. She’s happy to say she’s grown a lot since that winter.

“I actually used to date someone who I literally would chase through the snow in bare feet. It’s a symbol, but it’s also truly something that I did and I think I’ve come so far since then. ‘Barefoot’ really shows how much I’ve changed and how I’ve gone from somebody who’s willing to compromise a lot to someone who really knows what their morals are and what they’re willing to compromise and what they’re not willing to compromise,” says Avi Diamond.

That unwillingness to compromise also shows up in her musicianship. It’s an area of growth she’s particularly proud of.

“I think I’ve also come into my identity as a musician. That’s been really cool. I feel very much in control and proud of what I’ve created,” says Diamond.

“Barefoot” is full of fun and emotional songs, cemented by Diamond’s rich, jazzy voice. One song that stood out was the raw and punchy “Not Sorry.”

“Oh boy. I think I get in trouble if I start talking about, really specifically, what “Not Sorry” is about,” says Diamond

Well, let’s just say it was inspired by a relationship. One that didn’t work out. However, that’s not the only relationship that inspired “Not Sorry.”

“I also had a dog at the time who was very difficult to train and was kind of a big, clumsy, sweet thing and, I don’t know, I really saw myself in her. I clung onto that metaphor of that dog and that was really how the song came together,” says Diamond.

The song came together nicely with some help from Mac Inglis from the Pittsburgh band Buffalo Rose who plays on it.

“It’s not hiding anything. It’s just raw emotion and I like showing these different sides of myself,” says Diamond.

Just don’t expect an apology for that. She’s definitely not sorry about it.

“We can be strong and we can be advocates and we can also be cheeky and punchy like “Not Sorry,” says Diamond.

Joey Spehar is a Pittsburgh native who started as a volunteer D.J. at WYEP, fresh out of college in 2006. He took on any job they’d let him do like editing audio, engineering remote broadcasts, and shoveling snow.