Diane Birch is a US singer-songwriter and pianist from Michigan, born in 1983. She works in indie pop, singer-songwriter and soul, and her music also sits within folk and blues tags.

Early life and training

Birch spends her childhood moving between Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia before her parents settle in Portland, Oregon when she is in her early teens. She is the daughter of a preacher. She trains as a classical pianist using the Suzuki method, learning by ear at a young age, and develops an individual approach to composition and performance.

Career

She later moves to Los Angeles to pursue music, where she supports herself by playing piano in hotels and bars while also performing her own songs in clubs around the city. Her work attracts attention from musicians and industry figures, including invitations to jam with Prince and his band at his home, write music for a film, and perform for studio executives.

As her reputation grows, she goes to England to focus on her career as a singer-songwriter and secures a publishing deal with EMI. She receives strong notices for her live performances and is later signed by Steve Greenberg's S-Curve Records. She then returns to New York and finishes her debut album.

Recordings

Her debut album, Bible Belt, is released in 2009 and is met with positive critical response. All of the tracks on the album are written by Birch. In 2010 she releases the covers EP The Velveteen Age, backed by the Phenomenal Handclap Band.