Italy’s Diplomatics Ask “Is It Time To Fly?” On New Album

Diplomatics had clear ideas for the third studio album, Is It Time To Fly? looking for a wave and punk-funk evolution, without losing their DNA. The sound recalls contemporary bands such as Amyl & The Sniffers, Parquet Courts and Viagra Boys. The songs that most reflect this style are 7 Notes, Go High, You Are Nothing and the previously released single, Nevah. While the counterpoint is provided by the three soul-funk songs Back To You, Dancing All Alone and Irish Whiskey, inspired by iconic bands The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Stone Roses.

The band paid great attention to the lyrics and vocal lines, both sung and ‘spoken’ in the style of Lou Reed. The main topics are alienation, the desire to run away, loneliness and capitalist society’s hypocrisy, but also themes very dear to them like partying as a time of escape, self-expression, gathering together and the happiness of touring life. This lyrical dichotomy is echoed in the album’s mood, which links Diplomatics with new wave bands.

The album was recorded during the pandemic and this affected the sound, making it darker than before. Recording sessions took place at Il Baito, a studio deep in the woods on the slopes of the mountains. The six musicians fully immersed themselves in this environment, free to search for new sounds and to experiment with different songwriting solutions, with no time pressure. At the time, listening to Gang Of Four, Talking Heads, Wire, The Clash and Liquid Liquid played an important role in the writing of the album, especially in the track Jungle, the third single and official video.