“When Nothing Changes”: David Diaz And Miguel Larsen Talk About Their New Collaboration In An Honest Light
Samantha Colleran, February 2023
Ahead of the release of the live acoustic version of David Diaz and Miguel Larsen’s collaboration, “When Nothing Changes”, I had the pleasure of sitting for an interview with the two to discuss the collaboration process, what it was like to record the alternate version of the track, and what they learned from each other through working together. You can read the full interview below, and stick around until the end to watch the recently released live version released on February 17!
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SC: Hello, guys! For those of you who are new, I’m joined by David [Diaz] who I’ve written about a few times before, but today we have a very special guest who is featured on one of David’s new songs! If you guys would like to introduce yourselves to new and returning readers…
DD: Absolutely! My name is David, I’m an independent recording artist, singer-songwriter, human being, burrito lover. I’m happy to be here again, I love Sam and I love VIBING ON VINYL and doing these interviews!
ML: I’m Miguel Larsen, I’m based in Orlando and I’m an independent artist as well. I do a lot of live events and have been creating music in the area for a while. Dude, I love burritos too, but I’m not going to lie, chimichangas all the way, man! It’s a burrito but fried!
SC: Gotta love a good burrito, gotta love a good chimichanga. [Everyone laughs] So, we are here today to talk about a collaboration between the two of you guys. I’d love to know the inspiration behind “When Nothing Changes”, which was recently released, David if you’d like to speak on that, and Miguel if you’d like to talk about how you met and collaborated and what the process was like.
DD: The song came about maybe two years ago, it’s been a really long time. I wrote it around the same time “Only I Get Sad” came out. I initially had so much trouble figuring out what I wanted to do with the song, so I sat on it for a while. The song is about my feelings of being stuck. I was in a place where I just finished my EP and I wanted to change my sound and I felt like I was being held back by what I had already done. On top of that, my life in general was really crappy, I didn’t know what I was doing in college and all that. I wanted to write a song about everyday being exactly the same and nothing ever really changing as much as I try to change it, but I always go back to that place in my head where everything feels the same and I feel stuck. Even though the song sounds happy, it’s about the feeling of not knowing what’s happening and wondering when things will change. There was another artist I was going to work with but it fell through. After a year and a half I met Miguel and thought he would be a really great fit for the song, so I’m glad I got to work with him!
ML: For me, we met through David’s manager Amanda who happens to be my boss in a part time job I work at, Cox Media Group. Even from the interview, Amanda’s always mentioned David, so his name has always been in my mind. When I met him and got to listen to his music, I fell in love. I’m a huge The 1975 fan, so I feel like it has that sort of poppy feel. Lyrically, it has a Motown feel, Motown is lyrically sad but it sounds so happy and lively. That’s what made me relate to David’s music. When he asked me to be involved with “When Nothing Changes”, I was very thrilled to be part of it.
David had the lyrics and everything written already, I added my vocals and changed the verse just a little bit to make it more of my own. To me, the song felt like being in that stagnant stage in life, which everyone can relate to being in. Especially as someone in music, I relate to that “Nothing is changing / Never had a reason / Never felt like this world was mine” mentality. It really hit, and I was absolutely honored to be a part of it as well.
SC: That’s so special! Also, the fact that you guys met through Amanda is so awesome, I love Amanda!
DD: She’s great!
SC: What about this track specifically made you feel that Miguel was a good fit? You mentioned having another artist lined up but that not working out, so what made you feel that this would be a good fit?
DD: It mostly had to do with his vibe. After I met him personally- I knew a little bit about him from Amanda [Do Nascimento, David’s manager], so I knew he performed and was involved in the Orlando scene and he had some live events. When I got to meet him, I thought he was just a really cool human being. I asked Amanda her thoughts on having Miguel on the song and she said it was great. That’s all it was! When I work with someone, I like to know who they are as a person and feel out their vibe. I don’t want to work with someone if I don’t like their energy. We clicked right away when we met, so I really wanted to work together, and it worked out well!
ML: This is my first time hearing this, so I’m glad I passed the vibe check!
DD: Absolutely, you passed!
SC: You’ve definitely passed the VIBING ON VINYL vibe check as well! I love hearing you guys bounce off of each other’s thoughts. For the stripped back acoustic version of “When Nothing Changes”, how do you feel it adds new meaning to the track, or how does it make it more impactful for listeners?
DD: I think you can take that one, Miguel.
ML: Oh, heck yeah! We’re already in sync! For me, I do more live shows and performances compared to David doing recordings. That was in my comfort zone; I hear a song and I can strip it down. It was cool that David gave me the freedom to use my loop pedal and make it not just vocals and guitars; we have some percussion in there, some vibes we could roll with and make it sound unique and not just two people in a room. Experimenting with that and recording and playing it was a lot of fun! We did a few takes, and even after a good take we would say ‘Do you wanna do another take?’ and we did because it was fun. It wasn’t tiring or strenuous at all.
DD: The reason why I like doing stripped versions of songs… even though the original has that original sound that I want, the stripped versions give you the ability to really hear the words if you’re the type of person who likes to listen to music just to have noise. For people who listen to everything as a complete package, it gives the opportunity to hear the lyrics. Like Miguel said, there’s guitar and percussion and our voices, you get to understand the meaning of the song more which really comes through with the acoustic version.
SC: I love stripped back, acoustic versions of songs. I think for this one it’s incredibly special watching the two of you bounce off of each other musically. You mesh so well together. What was the actual process of creating the video for the acoustic version? Were there any moments that made you realize how meaningful it was to be creating something so magical together?
ML: Me personally, I thought it was just the vibes. We did it in the place Amanda and I work, we work at a studio with a live stage and I work sound. To be able to plug in and already be familiar with the area made the whole process swift and comfortable. We set up the couch, the plants, just made it homey. I feel like that’s what made it exciting, and like you said having a stripped down version is different and showcased new elements of the song. Not only are we able to showcase those elements, but to do it in a comfortable setting with people who we’re familiar with- we had Amanda get everything together, but we also had our boy Kahlil [Collazo] do the video. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have the video. It was really cool to have our close friends come together and create this project that David and I have been workin on, but mostly David, this is his baby. To be able to help him make this come to life has been great.
DD: Thank you! It was super fun because it was all people that we knew that were helping out, it was so fun putting things together. It was little things that most people would’ve assumed were already set up. We had to move plants around and we found pillows, which I don’t even think you can see because we were sitting on them. We wanted it to be a vibe and we wanted to be comfortable and have everything look good. It was fun to put everything together. Even the music had to be put together, Miguel had to record everything and loop it, everything was done meticulously.
SC: It looks so cozy and homey! I think ‘homey’ is the perfect word to describe it, it’s so intimate and the lyrics really shine through. What is your favorite lyric or a favorite part of the song you enjoyed singing?
ML: Think hard, bro!
SC: I know it’s hard! If there’s one moment specifically in the song where you feel like, ‘This is it!’…
ML: I know mine!
DD: You go first Miguel!
ML: My favorite is the chorus, I just love how lyrically it sums everything up, “I just can’t stop myself from feeling / What pulls me back inside my brain”. A lot of people do that when they have depression and anxiety, in a lot of those moments you can’t stop your thoughts. Depending on the situation, it can be such a dark place to be in your own head, and for some reason we go down that rabbit hole. I feel like that is the most relatable lyric anyone can feel. On top of that, the melody was a lot of fun to sing, I love doing falsettos and that’s what attracted me to the song originally. I love that David was able to conduct such a catchy yet simple melody for the chorus. Even after recording it, I’m still singing it in the shower, hitting the high notes and everything. I would say the chorus is for sure my favorite.
DD: I don’t know, for me it’s between the first and the second verse. I feel that people know my hooks more, but for me I usually have a favorite that’s in the verses or the bridge. I have to say the second verse is probably my favorite just because… I don’t know, it meant a lot to me, specifically the one Miguel does, “I never had a reason / I never felt like this road was mine / Do I need some time for healing? / Or am I just losing my mind?” It says the same thing in the chorus but in a different way. When I was writing it, I didn’t feel like I had my own path, I felt like I needed the time to heal but I also thought that taking the time to do that would be crazy or maybe I was okay and I didn’t need to heal. It was a whole mess, and I think the lyrics in that verse encompass everything in the song.
SC: Both of those answers are so beautiful. David, I know we’ve talked about this before, mental health is such an important thing for you to convey in your music and vulnerability is also important and it shines through in your lyrics. Miguel, do you feel that mental health plays a part in any of the music that you perform, or do you feel after working with David it’s taken a different perspective for you in terms of music, songwriting, or anything in general you feel you want to continue diving into?
ML: Yeah! The thing I think David opened me up to was being able to be vulnerable and talk about the down moments. It doesn’t mean the music has to be sad, but a lot of the time I tend to write lovey dovey songs, but when it comes to mental health awareness, I’ve learned that it’s okay to talk about those things. Listening to David’s music and collaborating with him has opened my eyes to that. You can still make a catchy song and it doesn’t always have to be about the happy things in life, life isn’t always beds of roses and sunshine, there can be darkness. It’s like yin and yang, and that’s important for everyone to be aware of and say “It’s okay”.
SC: Miguel, that was so beautiful. David, is there anything Miguel has taught you in terms of music or through your collaboration process?
DD: Being comfortable in a live format. I’m way more comfortable in a studio setting where I can record and do things multiple times. That was one thing working with Miguel helps me do, learning to be more comfortable in a live environment. When I had my first few shows where I had my fans I felt comfortable, but the more I do it, the more I get used to it. That’s one thing I took away from working together.
SC: You guys are like yin and yang, it’s so cute! [Everyone laughs] What is one thing you hope listeners will take away from this new version of “When Nothing Changes”?
ML: It’s hard to say because this is David’s music and a lot of his fans will know it better. I don’t have a lot of discography on my own. For a little background, I was in a band called Raising Cadence for a little over seven years and most of my priority and discography was through that. Once we disbanded, I was figuring out my identity as a musician. I’d like fans to get a sneak peek of my identity both solely and collaboratively and see me take part in something I want to be part of and share something with another artist. I’d like to open that door of new possibilities instead of clinging onto the past.
DD: What I want people to take away from this particular version is that although it may sound similar to the original version, having another voice and energy on there gives it a contrast. Sometimes just hearing a difference in the person singing it can give a different perspective or make it sound like it’s coming from two different perspectives which can help with getting the message across. I want fans to know that sometimes you need a small change to be able to make something that’s already out sound a little different. Everyone brings something unique to the table, even if it’s just singing the same lines to a song that came out a week before. New energy put into something that’s already been done can make it feel entirely new, and that’s what I hope people see and take away from it.
SC: I like that you said two different perspectives. When artists collaborate… if they’re different genres or they come from different backgrounds, they can bring something completely different to the table and put a whole new spin on something. Fans will really resonate with that, and I’m so excited for them to hear this new track. Is there anything else you’d like to add about the song, about working together, maybe possible future collaborations or shows in the future…
DD: I don’t think I have anything else. Miguel, if you have anything you’d like to share.
ML: I’m excited for the next song we do! David’s got a show coming up, March 17th, and I’m excited for it!
DD: Oh, yeah! I have a show!
ML: I love how you said ‘Oh yeah’! It’s funny, I love the irony of this… David and I are releasing a song called “When Nothing Changes”, but a lot’s going to change after this. New opportunities and possibilities, I’m excited to work more with David and get his vocals on one of my songs and see what the future holds.
SC: I’m so excited to see all of the positive changes in terms of your careers and thank you so much for being here!
DD: Thank you!
ML: Thank you!
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The official acoustic performance of “When Nothing Changes” is available to watch below as well stream on Spotify, Apple Music, or any other service you may use! To keep up with David and Miguel on social media, you can follow them both on Instagram. Thank you to both David and Miguel for sharing such wonderful answers and giving readers a deeper look into the track, and congratulations on the release!