Sarah Anderson and Paul DeHaven have been writing music together for a very long time—21 years, to be exact. They met in the Denver music scene in the early 2000s, playing in different projects and at open mic nights, and were two of the founding members of indie folk group Paper Bird. Today, they are the principal songwriters and two of the five members of the band Heavy Diamond Ring, alongside Blake Stepan, Tate Ignelzi, and Mike Lang.
On the subject of their storied history as collaborators, Anderson and DeHaven agree it's mostly been "smooth sailing." And it's not surprising to hear this, as they often finish each other's thoughts throughout the interview and are so in sync that when Sarah jokes that she has "Buckskin Root" in her herbal coffee, Paul somehow knows she means "Burdock." Their level of familiarity and compatibility likely comes from many years as songwriting partners. Or perhaps it's their innate compatibility that has allowed the songwriting partnership to thrive for as long as it has.
After Paper Bird, the two musicians wanted to keep working together and began writing. The early ideas they came up with in the period that followed would become songs for what is now Heavy Diamond Ring. When asked if there was any idea of the sound they were going for initially, DeHaven affirms that he had a "loose vision" of what he hoped the project would become, while Anderson admits she didn't have any expectations. Both agree, however, that what the band has grown into has far exceeded their original goals for the collaboration.
While working on their first album, the two had various local session musicians come into the studio to record and ended up meeting the remaining three members of Heavy Diamond Ring.
What they have now is a locked-in and well-polished band of seasoned all-stars who have as much fun on stage with each other as they do engaging with their audiences. Anderson fronts the band with her dynamic voice, one moment gentle and lilting, the next powerful and emphatic. DeHaven's guitar lines provide texture and grit beside Lang's gospel-like piano playing. Stepan's emotive baselines and Ignelzi's energetic drumming drive the undercurrent of each song.
The band's music can sound like many things all at once. There are moments of Americana, Folk, Country, early 70s rock, and times when we hear a sound that is uniquely their own. This range can be felt by listening to their albums as well as seeing them live. "All Out of Angels" is an epic, coursing anthem that gets the crowd dancing and singing along, while songs like "Golden Days" offer wistful contemplation about life's simple beauty.
When asked what he hopes people will feel through his songwriting, DeHaven says it's not so direct. "I just want people to feel something… I want the world to feel like a more real place."
Typically DeHaven will send Anderson a recording with the bones of a song, and the latter will fill out the melody and the lyrics. Then they'll bring the result to the rest of the band, and everyone will collaborate on the arrangement. Together, their musical prowess is felt by fellow musicians and casual listeners alike, as it translates to what might be the single most apparent quality of their project: harmony.
There is harmony in the way the songwriting matches the music. There is harmony in the way the arrangements balance the soaring vocal harmonies that blanket the band's beautiful instrumentation. There is harmony when you're at an outdoor concert in the summertime in Colorado, and you watch them play as the sun is beginning to set. The music perfectly scores the scenery. Things just feel right.
Both Anderson and DeHaven feel grateful for where the band has ended up, especially with how difficult it can be to be an artist today. Two major life events that have happened for the duo since the band's formation are DeHaven moving to Santa Fe and Anderson becoming a mother. Either one of these milestones could easily threaten the continuation of a band, and yet, if anything, it's made the importance of what they have clearer for each of them. DeHaven feels like the project is more intentional and focused now, and Anderson feels her appreciation for the band has only grown.
"After I had a kid, it was just very, very, very clear to me what in my life made sense and what did not. And this is one thing that makes sense still," says Anderson. "I'm also really pumped that [my daughter] gets to be a part of this. And she loves these guys so much. It's so funny."
Heavy Diamond Ring is a band where you can get a different version of a song live than you do from the album, yet still walk away inspired with the same emotion. Their comfortability with one another and their shared vision allow them to continually explore new ideas and reinvent their own inspiration.
As performers, the goal is clear: simply to connect with more and more people. DeHaven comments on how rewarding this exchange can be and adds, "Nothing really feeds me as much as people saying, 'What you're doing means something to me.' I don't think that'll ever change."
A sense of community and family is felt at every one of their shows. There is a feeling of accessibility, where anyone can join in. DeHaven calls this a "happy accident," with Anderson suggesting that it's reflective of who the band members are as individuals.
"I love connecting with people, and I love when people feel welcome at our shows," says Anderson.
It's clear that they value relationships, which is probably why they have a sprawling community of friends and family and an ever-growing fanbase. Many members of their community have been in their lives from their earliest days of music-making, including fellow Denver musician Nathaniel Rateliff. Anderson and DeHaven met Rateliff many years ago when all three songwriters were just starting out. They remain friends and collaborators to this day, with Rateliff featuring on "When You're Away," a hauntingly beautiful offering from the band's latest album.
Heavy Diamond Ring have a new album on the way, set to be released March 2025. Anderson and DeHaven agree that this is their most realized and cohesive effort to date. The band will begin releasing singles in early 2025. Keep an eye out this Spring for an album release show and tour dates through 2025. Find these dates at HeavyDiamondRing.com and follow them at @heavydiamondring.
“I love connecting with people and I love when people feel welcome at our shows.”