For a while, I wrote and released songs under my real name: Nik Lloyd. For a long time, it was all I ever wanted to do and I could never imagine it any other way, but I started finding myself tailoring everything I did to this certain “Nik Lloyd” style: lyrics, sound, structure, everything.
I had always thought that a way to get out of this routine would be to one day start a side-project under a different name, but then speaking to the people closest to me in Music, they suggested I was free, right now, to break out creatively and be the alter-ego who’s music and voice couldn’t be held back. It was something that had never occurred to me before, but I loved the idea and went with it.
When picking the name, I wanted something that would not give away whether I was a band or an artist, something that was not gender specific, something that would just hide who or what I was from the outset and almost create this faceless entity that had just emerged from the shadows.
I knew that this name would give me the opportunity to tap into a darker side, let out some of the aggression and frustration that I’d been holding onto, explore brand new avenues of experimentation with sound and lyrics and I’ve loved every minute of it so far and I know I will continue to do so.
I knew I wanted the name to have some kind of reference to the ocean or being deep down in the abyss, as that’s where I’ve been a few times over the last few years, but I wanted to wear that rather than hide it. After all, battling the “deep down” is what makes me who I am as a person and coming out the other side every time has given me strength.
The name ‘Diives’ just hit me one night, it’s like... everyone goes through ups and downs in their life, & at the time I came up with the name, things weren't great, but my philosophy is that things will always look up, you always have to come up for air. Diving into water is almost like taking a step into the unknown, a new World, a new space.
That's what the name means to me, it's about creating something positive out of the unknown darkness that we sometimes find ourselves in and when we need to, we can always head for the light to catch our breath.