We often don’t know the back-story of musicians.  It can seem like they just come out of nowhere. In the case of John O, aka Diamond Rings, his inspiration and persona came out of a stay in the hospital. Having been in punk bands and floated around, it was a 2008 bout with Crohn’s disease that started him on his current career path.

"At the time that I got sick and ended up in the hospital I was sort of in an in-between point in my life. I had just moved to Toronto and was looking to change my passion for art and music into a career. Like a lot of people who have a passion for the arts I found myself questioning whether what I was doing and wanted to do was useful or valid as a way to spend my time and give something of myself back to the world. I spent a lot of time writing music because I had nothing else to do. Eventually people started to recognize me in the hospital with my IV pole and my guitar. After awhile the nurses and doctors would stop in and ask me to play them songs while they were on a break as something special for them. Having that realization that these people who had nursed me back to health and had these important careers - a doctors role is pretty clear in their role in society – and seeing these people take pride in what I was doing gave me a lot of encouragement to pursue what I was doing whole heartedly once I got better," he said. "I was really thrilled and felt liberated to be able to walk around and be an artist in a major city in Canada, it had always been a dream of mine. I wanted to do something within my means that was as spectacularly ostentatious as possible. I was happy to be able to make music and contribute. I had always had a penchant for dressing up and performance and wanted to take that to my own extremes for what I was comfortable with and manage on a thrift store budget."

GayCalgary Magazine caught up with John on the phone before a recent visit to the Hi-Fi Club, where his high energetic performance left fans wanting more. The Diamond Rings persona is quite different from John by day.

"There has always been a difference between who I am during the day and who I am on stage, that goes back to when I played in punk bands. The stage has always been a really special place for me, a space I can let loose and be free and really, truly be myself. There are opportunities you are afforded as a performer that the average person just isn’t. That is what I really enjoy about performance, to be more than oneself. There is no way I could sustain that kind of energy 24/7. Being on stage is a lot of fun, but it is exhausting. During the day and leading up to the show is all about conserving my energy for that 60 minutes under the lights."

Diamond Rings was touring in support of new album Free Dimensional. This sophmore album is getting rave reviews. I asked how creating the new album was different from 2010’s Special Affections.

"The biggest change was having the time to devote myself 100% to making music and striving to become better at it. It has always been my goal to do the best work I possibly can with the skills and tools I have at that time. The new album sounds and feels a lot more polished than the first one, because essentially it is. I have never had the intention of repeating myself, it is about trying something new and pushing myself to improve."

Listening to the album you can hear many of the iconic artists that have influenced his style.

"Because I write and record primarily on my own, I don’t have to make many compromises with anyone else which is a blessing and a curse. I have taken Diamond Rings as an excuse to go all out exploring whatever sort of sounds I want at any given time. I knew early on, making this record, that it was going to be pretty diverse sonically. I embraced that, and that is partly why the album is called Free Dimensional. It is about embracing and exploring every side of who I am as an artist but also as a music fan. There are echoes of a lot of groups; I listen to a lot of Kraftwerk, Kylie Minogue, Devo, Pet Shop Boys, Robyn, Public Enemy, NWA. Any kind of group that has a really defined visual and sonic esthetic, I gravitate to."

After performing solo, he now has a band with him. Things are exploding, with opening spots on recent tours with Robyn and Stars.

"It is always a thrill to open for an artist or band that I respect or in some cases like Stars I remember listening to. It is great to be recognized by your peers as someone they want in an opening spot. I took the opportunities really seriously and pay attention and learn from what the other artists do to prepare for the show and perform. They are in the position they are in because they worked very hard and dedicated their lives to their art. More than anything that is what having those opportunities made me realize. If you want to do music at a higher level you have to take every aspect of the job seriously. It can be a lot of fun, but it can be a lot of work. It is the best kind of work. I played probably close to 200 shows solo. Towards the end I was becoming pretty proficient at it and felt like I was bumping up against a glass ceiling. After touring with artists like Robyn and seeing their energy live, it made me want to capture that for myself. So [I went for] the next logical progression."

The opportunity to play late night television is one that most artists can only dream of. Diamond Rings impressed with recent appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

"It was really surreal, a lot different than playing a show. I thought it would be similar to playing a big show but it is more like running a 100 metre dash. There is a lot of prep, energy and tension at the beginning, then they say go and it is one take, you don’t really get to start again. Then it is over before you know it. It was really surreal in that respect, by the time we were done you couldn’t really remember it happening. Watching it back on TV and sharing that moment with my band and team was really special. I remember seeing a lot of bands on late night television - to be there myself was a real honour."

Diamond Rings won’t be playing clubs for long. His stage show and unique sound will take him far.

"We do costume changes, loud beats, it is a fun time. I have been making music for awhile and know what it is like to drive all day and show up in a city and have a handful of people come and see me perform. It is great to have anyone come, but now that I am fortunate to be in a place where I can fill up a club and draw a sizeable [audience]. I try to be appreciative of the fact that people are spending the money and time to be with me and spend time in my world. That means a lot given how much great music is out in the world."

The support of gay fans has been a huge part of his success thus far, and he wrapped things up with a heartfelt thank you to the community.

"I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing if it wasn’t - not only for the support of the queer community but, the influence of the queer community on the work. Early on I [saw] groups like The Hidden Cameras and Peaches as real, tangible inspirations. It is great to be inspired by Grace Jones but without having had the support of people on a local level I wouldn’t be where I am at now. They are my people - and the ones that dress up."