My Brightest Diamond is the project of US singer-songwriter Shara Nova, from El Dorado, United States. It is described as a chamber pop band, with roots in folk and indie rock.

Background

Nova is born in 1974 and grows up in a musical family. Her grandfather is an Epiphone-playing travelling evangelist, her father is a National Accordion Champion, and her mother is a classical organist. The family moves around the United States every few years, and she grows up hearing a changing mix of Spanish tangos, gospel, classical music and jazz.

She records her first song at the age of three, studies piano and performs in community musical productions by the age of eight, and later sings along to Whitney Houston videos and Mariah Carey albums as a teenager in Michigan. She then studies music at the University of North Texas, where she also immerses herself in the work of Henry Purcell and Claude Debussy.

New York period and early releases

After college, Nova moves to New York City. She studies opera on the Upper West Side by day and spends nights at downtown venues including Tonic, Knitting Factory and The Living Room, where she sees artists such as Antony and the Johnsons, Nina Nastasia and Rebecca Moore. She later shifts from repertoire work towards writing her own material on guitar.

She forms a group with bass, drums and additional textures including music boxes, wine glasses and wind chimes. In 2001 she releases AwRY and Quiet B Sides, along with a remix album titled AwRY.

Style and influences

Nova’s performances mix theatrical and musical elements. Her vocal approach draws on Kate Bush, Nina Simone and Portishead, while her stage presentation sometimes includes superhero capes, ball gowns and Tudor corsets. Opera remains important in her work, which also brings together baroque songs, French carols and Prince covers. Her guitar style is linked to PJ Harvey, and her wider influences include Nat King Cole and Henry Mancini.

She studies composition with Australian composer Padma Newsome of Clogs and adds a string quartet to her live shows.

Work with Sufjan Stevens and later albums

Nova meets Sufjan Stevens at The Medicine Show, a variety show hosted by Sage at Arlene’s Grocery. This leads to a year-long break in which she performs as one of the Illinoisemakers, taking part in cheerleading routines and becoming cheerleading captain.

In 2004 she begins work on two records: A Thousand Shark’s Teeth, built around songs with string quartet accompaniment, and Bring Me The Workhorse, a fuller rock album with Earl Harvin on drums, Chris Bruce on bass, and Keith, her father, on accordion on one track. Bring Me The Workhorse is released on Asthmatic Kitty Records in 2006.

Songwriting

Her songs often focus on compressed, vivid details rather than broad explanation, turning small moments into concentrated emotional scenes. The material moves between grief and humour, and her work is framed by a strong interest in theatre, opera and storytelling.