On the Rise
Beau Diako

Beau Diako - abbreviated from Diakowicz, grew up surrounded by music. Raised in Fareham, just outside Portsmouth, his dad was a strong formative influence, playing a multitude of instruments from guitar to bass to drums. “My dad’s got a drum kit in the living room. It’s a bit controversial, and annoying,” he smiles.

Soft and considered in his speech and a little shy, Diako occasionally looks up from under his thick dark-brown curls to smile across our Zoom. “My dad was playing a lot of Van Morrison and Red Hot Chilli Peppers and stuff like that,” he continues. “Radiohead’s OK Computer was the main thing that got me started.”

Growing up, Diako was a big football fan, even trying out for Portsmouth and rivals Southampton’s youth teams. But as he began to get older, he found his attention wandering. “It just started getting a bit stressful, getting up on Sunday mornings,” he smiles.

At the age of fifteen Diako broke his leg, and suddenly found himself with a lot of time on his hands. Picking up one of the guitars his dad had left lying around the house, he began to teach himself how to play songs by his favourites; Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and Sufjan Stevens.

Diako started to play guitar in a local math rock band, just as the scene was peaking. Taking cues from the Big Scary Monsters roster and favouring bands like Tubelord, Tangled Hair and This Town Needs Guns, he cut his teeth on the local gig circuit.

After the band disbanded, Diako formed lo-fi electronic pop duo Zoology with then girlfriend, Emily Krueger. The pair picked up notable press and artistic acclaim, but it was short-lived. Coming out of the relationship, he instinctively found his own path. “Zoology was trying to do my own thing but with just one singer,” he explains. “I’d like to be able to sing, but I think I’m just too quiet to be able to. But also, it's just my favourite thing to have someone else join in and change a song or add their part to something I’ve made. I think it’s one of the biggest reasons why I do it.”

Diako began documenting his songwriting in short videos, at first posted to Instagram and later edited into longer videos for YouTube. Silky, swift guitar licks, effortlessly played, the intricacy and melodic flair of his former math rock years glimmering through, he created short bursts of soulful creativity. It marked another change in direction for Diako. “I think I just keep going through phases. Before math rock I was into acoustic, like Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsome and stuff. Then I just suddenly changed to be into math rock, and then maybe some electronic stuff. Then I think the soul stuff is another phase, like D’Angelo, Bilal, Robert Glasper and stuff.”

Steadily, he began to build fans and followers, with artists reaching out for session or writing work. “I think my first ever session was with Paloma Faith and one of her writers just invited me to a session and that was the first thing I did, so that’s how it got started,” he says. “I didn't really enjoy it. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Nonetheless, he persevered, working with a broad range of artists while honing and refining his own music, eventually culminating in debut single “Flamingo” featuring Jordan Rakei, who Diako had previously sessioned for. It kicked off a series of collaborations, each building on the opportunistic creativity of a digital connection.

Diako’s way of working creates a charming parallel. Deeply introverted, he flourishes when collaborating with other artists, his process a remote correspondence. “Most of them, the artists, I’ve never met in person. Most of it’s just emails and messages, which I think I prefer. It’s always a nice surprise when you get the files back,” he smiles.

In fact, for Diako, the restrictions imposed over the last two years came like a lucky break, forcing all collaboration into the digital space. “It’s better for me as well because I get the excuse not to go out. Which is just what I did before anyway,” he laughs.

What began life as a follow-up EP to his 2019 debut EP Flutter, evolved into a debut record across the months of lockdowns. Nylon, out at the start of April, is a delicate, soulful, diverse and rich record. Diako’s intelligent production is complemented by the curated talent shining from track to track. Bas and Etta Bond swoop off each other on “Fretless” while Miso’s silky vocals drift over the serpentine “Afloat”. It’s a big cast list, but never feels overwhelming. “Mostly it’s people that I’ve worked with. Now and then I’ll reach out to someone if I’ve heard their music or if we have a mutual friend,” he explains. “I think my manager’s been really stressed having like, sixteen people to deal with.”

Out today, new single “Birthmark” is a fluttering lick of sun-kissed guitars that feels as spacious as a coastal view. Featuring the rough and rich vocals of long-time collaborator Emawk, the track’s arrival in Diako’s inbox came as a surprise. “I sent him like, four ideas and then that took a while, then six months later he just sent back two tracks. I didn’t expect them to be on the album, but suddenly he just sent stuff back,” he smiles. “He’s been one of my favourite artists for a long time. He’s just really talented, so he was one of the first people I had in mind to send stuff to.”

Even as live music returns, Diako has no intention of forsaking his quiet bedroom for the stage. “I think I’m too quiet to be able to stand in the centre of a stage,” he shrugs. “I don’t mind playing live stuff, I just don’t like being in the centre. I prefer to just be making something. I think I’m better at making than performing. That’s what I’m more comfortable with.”