Diamond J and The Rough originally began sometime around 2004 as a 3-piece group with Jay Russell (formerly of Hot Rod Circuit) on vocals, guitar, and piano, Keith Oko (Hotel) on bass, and Frank Aveni on drums. This threesome played sets made up of equal parts piano songs and guitar songs with a cover or two (usually Graham Nash, Neil Young, or Flying Burrito Brothers) thrown in to round out the set.
After a handful of shows, the band's lineup grew in 2005, with the addition of Katelyn Kazukynas (now Jay's wife) adding vocal harmonies and percussion, and Jim Aveni (Hotel) entering on lead guitar. Jim's electric Tele stylings allowed Jay to move to acoustic guitar and focus on his position as the band’s frontman, which helped their sound and songwriting to further mature and develop, which in turn lead to more shows and exposure.
While working on their first recording, later self-released as a 6-song EP, the one-time 3-piece was joined by Maya Rossi on violin and “Spacey” Casey Prestwood (Hot Rod Circuit, Limbeck) on pedal steel guitar. More recently, Matt “Ace” Wilson (Titles) has taken on the role of the band’s live steel player, while Casey continues to contribute to the band’s recordings.
Now with a full band and full sound, Diamond J and the Rough are no longer a fledgling group, having played shows up and down the East Coast with the likes of The New Amsterdams, Dashboard Confessional, Brand New, Wolf Parade, Mates of State, Vetiver, Dustin Kensrue, and The Figgs. Their catalog of songs continues to grow, even more so as the band prepares to record an LP in the near future. And, they're still excited to see what lies around the next curve up ahead.
Bio by Kate Prestwood
