Denver Americana Outfit Channels Intimacy, Distance, and a Timeless Sound on Third LP

Article Contributed by Win-Win PR | Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Heavy Diamond Ring’s New LP "Wildflower Lane" + Release Show This Saturday in Evergreen, CO

Heavy Diamond Ring released its much-anticipated LP, Wildflower Lane, on June 13, 2025, via Gitcha Records. The album is available on all major digital platforms, with vinyl and CD editions offered through the band’s website. In the lead-up to the release, the band steadily rolled out a series of singles, each offering a glimpse into the album’s emotional depth and sonic landscape.

Wildflower Lane marks a fresh chapter for the band, rooted in the long-standing musical partnership between vocalist-trumpeter Sarah Anderson and guitarist Paul DeHaven, who began collaborating in 2004. After the disbanding of beloved indie-folk group Paper Bird, the duo formed Heavy Diamond Ring and began cultivating a new sound that has been described as “open-road, long-drive music” and “a little bit of twang and a whole lot of beef.” The current lineup features Anderson and DeHaven alongside longtime collaborators Blake Stepan on bass, Mike Lang on keys, and Orion Tate Ignelzi on drums—the same seasoned crew that recorded the new album.

“Heavy Diamond Ring creates a sound that feels as classic as rolling down the windows in the summer—a superhighway to a new frontier,” 303 Magazine praised. CS Indy lauded the band for its blend of “contemporary indie-folk that goes down easy,” highlighting subtle, snaky guitar work, rich harmony vocals, and Anderson’s captivating voice.

Recorded in just five days at Cowboy Cowabunga Studio in Evergreen, Colorado, Wildflower Lane came together under the constraints of distance and time. After DeHaven relocated to New Mexico, the band adapted by exchanging demos via email before meeting to record live with minimal overdubs. “We had to work quickly, but it also led us not to overthink our decisions,” DeHaven said. “We trusted the spirit in the room and moved forward.” The album was produced by Mark Anderson—Sarah’s brother—who has been a consistent creative force behind the band’s previous recordings.

Heavy Diamond Ring features Sarah Anderson, Paul DeHaven, Blake Stepan, Mike Lang and Orion Tate Ignelzi.

The sonic ethos of Wildflower Lane reflects the band’s desire to keep things raw and honest. Though the group initially planned to track entirely to tape, it retained that spirit by limiting channels, recording mostly live, and often sharing a single 10 × 20-foot room where microphone bleed made overdubbing impractical. “We kept it very close to the in-the-room moments we captured,” DeHaven said.

Lyrically, the album explores themes of enduring love, connection, and introspection. “The overall theme is commitment as an anchor in the depths,” Anderson explained. Songs such as “Happy Days” find solace amid uncertainty, while “To Know You” explores intimacy and emotional understanding. “Like Lightning,” written by Anderson, reflects on motherhood and the swift passage of time. Other standout tracks include “Don’t Go It Alone,” a celebration of mutual aid and community, and “Levity,” a stripped-down love song.

DeHaven, the principal songwriter, typically sends Anderson dozens of demos; she curates the ones to which she feels the strongest vocal and emotional connection. “The ones that write themselves are the best,” DeHaven noted. “That clarity is definitely a hallmark of an HDR song.” While DeHaven leans on vignettes and narratives shaped by personal experience, Anderson’s selections elevate the emotional resonance of each track. “I generally don’t write from an overly personal perspective,” she said, “but the songs on this record call inward—away from the world at large—to find order, peace, and meaning.”

The band also revisited “Ticonderoga,” a song once performed live with Paper Bird but never previously recorded. “It’s about the confluence of two rivers becoming one—a beautiful metaphor for partnership,” Anderson said.

The name Heavy Diamond Ring grew from a lyric DeHaven penned during a grueling tour: “My heart is like a heavy diamond ring.” The line stuck. “It’s about the relationship to something you love that isn’t always easy but is always worth it,” he said. “Doing it together has never been a question.”

In support of the new record, the band recently wrapped a music video for “Don’t Go It Alone,” directed by filmmaker Jasmine McGlade, whom Anderson met backstage after performing with Nathaniel Rateliff and the Colorado Symphony. McGlade—who executive-produced the hit film La La Land, which earned 14 Academy Award® nominations and won six Oscars®—is an award-winning artist whose work spans writing, directing, photography, and painting. She has also directed music videos for GRAMMY-nominated artists including Gregory Alan Isakov and for labels such as Atlantic, Dualtone, and Yep Roc.

“Jasmine and I hit it off and became very close very quickly,” Anderson said. Shot at the band’s longtime community hub—a 14-acre Evergreen property affectionately called the Dude Ranch—the video plays with color, texture, and a nostalgic ’70s aesthetic. The property is more than a backdrop: it’s where DeHaven lived for 14 years and where Anderson’s brother now operates the studio. “It’s where we recorded the whole album,” Anderson added.

Watch HDR featuring Nathaniel Rateliff Here: “When You’re Away”

Writing for Wildflower Lane began in May 2024, shortly after the release of the band’s previous record, All Out of Angels, which featured a duet with Nathaniel Rateliff and was produced by Ben Wysocki of The Fray. “That last album took nearly three years to finish,” DeHaven recalled. “This time, we wanted to move faster. It tested us, but it also brought out the best in us.” He added that the band may carry some of this album’s “quick, intuitive” approach into future projects.

Though HDR sits loosely within Americana, the members resist strict classification. “It’s not country, and it’s not folk like Pete Seeger or anything,” DeHaven said. Influences range from Neil Young and Dolly Parton to Townes Van Zandt and John Prine. “We’re rooted in the American songwriting tradition,” he added.

For Heavy Diamond Ring, the new album isn’t merely a body of work—it’s a testament to the staying power of collaboration. “The best part of making this record was the immediacy,” DeHaven said. “It was fast and honest. We showed up with what we had and let the songs guide us.”

Heavy Diamond Ring will celebrate with an album-release party on June 21 in Evergreen, Colorado.

Recent Singles

“Like Lightning” – July 2024

“Don’t Go It Alone” – March 7, 2025

“Happy Days” – April 18, 2025

“Where You Gonna Run To” – May 30, 2025 (video premieres June 6)

Album Tracklist

Ticonderoga

Levity

Where You Gonna Run To

Don’t Go It Alone

Fly On