Four of Diamonds – comprising of members Lauren Rammell, Sophia Saffarian, Yasmin Lauryn and Caroline Alvares – have made quite the impact on the music scene. They released their debut single ‘Name On It’ (featuring Burna Boy) earlier this year – which has, to date, received over 1.2 million combined streams across all platforms.
The girls have now released their phenomenal second single ‘Stupid Things,’ with the track featuring American rapper Saweetie.
The four-piece appeared on ‘The X Factor’ in 2016, mentored by Louis Walsh. They finished in overall eighth place and since coming off the show, they have been working hard at establishing their music sound and working on their own original music.
Here at CelebMix, we had the opportunity to exclusively speak with the Four of Diamonds girls about their new single, their musical influences, further music releases and more. Keep reading to check out our interview with them!
You released your debut single ‘Name On It’ (featuring Burna Boy) in June and now you have released your second single, ‘Stupid Things’ (featuring Saweetie). How does it feel to be able to release your own original music?
Lauren: “It feels incredible! We have been working on our own material now for so long that it feel like Christmas being able to finally release it for people to hear! We are so passionate about every song we do and hope everyone loves them as much as we do!”
What does ‘Stupid Things’ represent to you?
Sophia: “‘Stupid Things’ is a fun, playful, light-hearted VIBE. It’s super relatable….I know we’ve all been in the situation before. Even if you’ve never mixed up your drinks, you’re probably able to relate to the concept of ‘Stupid Things.’ It follows on from ‘Name On It’ – do everything with conviction and stand your ground, be true to yourself.”
Saweetie features on the single. What was it like to work with her?
Caroline: “Working with Saweetie was so much fun! We met her on the day of the video shoot and let’s just say, she really is as stunning and fabulous in person! She is sassy and we absolutely loved her accent. We did some interviews with her the next day and so got to know her more – she really is a girl’s girl!”
What was it like shooting the music video for the single?
Yasmin: “It was amazing! We hired an incredible mansion for the video. There was a swimming pool and everything! We basically just had a massive party and filmed it – so you can imagine how fun it was! We had all our friends as extras, which made it extra special. It was a very long day – we started at 6 am and didn’t wrap until about 10 pm, but it was so worth it and we just wanna do it all again!”
Going back to your time on ‘The X Factor,’ do you feel the show was a good platform, in the sense of you establishing yourselves in the music industry and releasing your own music?
Lauren: “The show was the most incredible platform without a doubt. It’s like a fast track into everything we look forward to now. We were able to perform at arenas like the O2 Arena on the tour, which for me was a dream! I’ve seen so many people who inspire me perform there and we got to experience it so early on. It’s just made us more hungry to build our fan base and get back there to do our own headline show!”
What is your favourite memory as a band you have together?
Sophia: “There’s so many to choose from! But the best has to be when we went on a spontaneous trip to Paris to celebrate the release of our first single, ‘Name On It.’ We’ve got so many funny memories from that trip – from ordering Chinese food in French (or trying to, should I say) to me annoying the girls singing Shrek on the way back from Disney Land – which is where I got the nickname Donkey! It was a really special trip for us.”
Who are your musical influences, both individually and collectively? Do you feel this has an impact on the music you write, produce and perform?
Caroline: “We all have very different tastes in music and are inspired by a range of big artists! Lauren’s would be Beyoncé, Sophia’s would be Alicia Keys, Yasmin’s would be Rihanna and mine would be Shakira. I do believe this has an impact on our performance, as we always channel our inner divas on stage and think about our favourite singers who we have looked up to for so many years! All of our favourite singers have had some massive hits within the industry, so I believe they impact our own music, in the sense that we also wish to deliver some amazing songs and one day attain the levels of success that they have worked so hard to achieve.”
Is there anything in particular you would like to achieve as a band?
Yasmin: “I think the main thing we would like to achieve right now is a Number 1 record in the Charts. That would be insane! It would also be amazing to play the big arenas again one day on our own tour and have fans sing the lyrics to our own songs back to us! Now that would be an achievement.”
Can more music releases be expected in the coming months – potentially an EP/album?
Lauren: “Definitely, definitely, definitely! We have spent a year and a half in the studio, working on material behind the scenes, so we have lots of stuff ready and waiting. We will definitely be releasing an album at some point, but we need to focus on building up to it and making sure we don’t rush the album!”
Finally, do you have a message for your supporters?
Sophia: “We’re just eternally grateful, grateful for all the support we’ve got – in whatever shape or form. We have people that have stuck by us for two years, even though we went quiet. They didn’t know we were working on things behind the scenes, yet they continued to support us and that’s priceless. So if you’re reading this…we appreciate you so much and are blessed to have you.”
‘Stupid Things’ (featuring Saweetie) can be bought from iTunes by clicking here, streamed on Spotify and is also available through all responsible music purchasing outlets.