Luciano thought that was the extent of her involvement with Bowman, until he called to let her know he’d secured studio time to record a few of their Garage/Punk/Pop songs. The resulting five-song EP, Over Easy, was the first volley in Diet Cig’s improbable success story.
Through a regimen of constant touring, Diet Cig built a fiercely loyal fan base that eagerly devoured Over Easy and the band’s follow-up 7-inch release, “Sleep Talk”/”Dinner Date.” That slight but potent catalog attracted the attention of Frenchkiss Records honcho Syd Butler, who signed the duo for a debut full-length, the short but compelling Swear I’m Good at This, which was released last April to rave reviews.
The significant difference between Diet Cig’s initial releases and latest album is that its earliest songs were also Luciano’s first attempts at songwriting, which she did alone in the creative vacuum of her bedroom, while the songs on Swear I’m Good at This are more collaborative between Bowman and Luciano. The other obvious difference is that Luciano has become a better guitarist in the crucible of hundreds of shows, and the already strong chemistry between her and Bowman has grown immeasurably over the past year.
Even with the more deliberate approach that Luciano and Bowman are taking with writing and recording, the pair’s focus remains firmly focused on having the best possible time. And even as Luciano’s lyrics become more reflective and revealing — on “Barf Day” she sings, “I just wanna have ice cream on my birthday/Blow out candles and wish all my pain away” — there is little doubt that the enthusiasm, energy and joy that characterizes every Diet Cig show is as authentic as a Tennessee accent and as infectious as a baby’s laugh.
Take a big, healthy drag off of Diet Cig and prepare for the time of your punk-ass life.
