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First Published: November 2006

This is an OutUK Archive Item and so some of the links and information may be out of date.

When The Dresden Dolls play London's Roundhouse at the beginning of November, supporting them will be an exciting young Australian performer Jacob Diefenbach. He's amassed a great reputation on the gay music circuit in his native country and this is his first trip to London. His first album Ripping Stories For Boys is an impressive debut and displays a wide variety of influences and Jacob's distinctive soaring voice. He's been telling OutUK's Mike Gray more about his music.

OutUK: The title of your CD "Ripping Stories For Boys, where did that come from?
Jacob: I was browsing the Brunswick Street markets here in Brisbane on a Saturday morning and this big red book jumped out at me from a second-hand book stall. That's how Ripping Stories For Boys came about. The book appears in all the artwork for the album. That glossy depiction of manhood seemed to encapsulate an entire code of behaviour - the "boys' own" code - that remained so elusive and so alien to me for most of my life. To take the title of that book and make it my own - to take the word "ripping" and enliven it with a sharper meaning - gave me some power over my own demons.

Before the album had a name, I had a clear idea of what it was going to be about. The songs were written and on the way to being recorded; it was going to be a CD that dealt with masculinity and sexuality in a practical sort of way. By "practical", I mean that the story is told in the doing of it, not by bandying about abstract emotions and debatable political ideology. These Stories, whether people love them or hate them, are undeniable. They happened all the same.

And that's pretty much that. People choose to take what they want from them. These are the collection of stories that I bundled together for this album to give it continuity and purpose. They are the first stories, and there's definitely a feeling of catharsis and closure. For that reason, there's not going to be a "Ripping Stories: The Return". It would be a little bit sad if this sexuality-driven angst propelled all future projects. I'm past that (as I should be).

The next CD is well underway and it's going in a very different direction. I suppose there will always be that so-called "controversial" element, because I refuse to change pronouns so that my more conservative relatives can listen to my music at Christmas time. I say "he", because I mean "he". "He" was a "he", as it transpired in my life, so I'm writing bloody "he". That's something I'm not willing to fudge or blur.

OutUK:Is this your first trip to Europe?
Jacob: Not my first, but definitely the most exciting and my first time in the UK. I'm coming over to perform with the Dresden Dolls. That's pretty bloody exciting! My first trip to Europe was in 1997 with a high school tour group. I did the whole "whirlwind sightseeing tour of Europe" thing. I ate a lot and put on a lot of weight. I learnt how to ask for a Nutella crepe in French. I was 12. Now, I'm all grow-ed up and am planning to have a lot more fun. London look out.

OutUK: What are your career ambitions?
Jacob: I think my biggest ambition is to really make music my full-time career. I still work a day job. Pursuing a career in music takes a lot of time and money, so at times, it feels like I lead a double life. That being said, I'm pretty good at compartmentalising the "business" side of music from the writing. I write and play, because I need to.

Get Jacob Diefenbach Downloads from www.jacobdiefenbach.com and www.myspace.com/jacobdiefenbach.
You can also download and rate Jacob's music here.

See Jacob with The Dresden Dolls at London's Roundhouse on 3rd & 4th November.

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