Diana Silvers on Her Debut Album ‘From Another Room’ and Following Folk Heroes by Speaking Truth to Power: ‘If Your Art Doesn’t Scare You, It’s Not Really Worth It’ (EXCLUSIVE)

At 27, actress and model Diana Silvers, celebrated for her parts in "Booksmart" and "Ma" and her work with luxury brands Celine and Prada, is confidently navigating a major career shift into music. This new direction was launched with a live debut at the iconic Newport Folk Festival last July. Immediately after, she secured the coveted opening slot for Jon Batiste's entirely sold-out "Big Money" US tour. Batiste, the acclaimed artist who has won both Grammy and Oscar awards, provided an unparalleled introduction to the touring life. Remarkably, Silvers embarked on this journey without any official music releases, making the past few months exceptionally transformative. "After I first got home, I just sat on my couch and cried for five minutes," Silvers revealed to Variety during a break at her New York apartment. "I feel incredibly privileged that my first touring experience was opening for Jon, and I don't take it for granted."

Silvers, who meticulously journals meaningful coincidences, described a pivotal moment in Austin, Texas. While searching for coffee in an unfamiliar neighborhood late one afternoon, she found most places closed but stumbled upon a single spot offering a jar of fortune cookies. The fortune she selected advised, "Keep true to the dreams of your youth," a message that resonated deeply, especially as the word "June"—the title of her debut single—was printed on the back of the slip. Her musical roots run deep; growing up in Los Angeles in a household of classical musicians, she initially studied cello. At age ten, inspired by Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne, she secretly learned guitar, defying her father's outdated belief that "girls don’t play guitar." She wrote songs privately for years, only occasionally posting Joni Mitchell covers on Instagram, until her Newport performance marked her decisive public arrival.

Her debut album, "From Another Room," arrives this Friday via Capitol Records. The lead single, "June," is a sun-soaked, Wurlitzer-infused tribute to budding romance. The long delay in sharing her music, Silvers explains, was due to a lack of urgent personal expression until September 2024. A song finally emerged "like a stream of consciousness" on a flight from New York to Calgary, where she was filming the Netflix Western "The Abandons." The demanding shoot coincided with her reading Jon Krakauer's "Missoula," a grim 2015 nonfiction account of sexual assaults connected to the University of Montana's football program. On the plane, a newborn baby's cries provoked visible irritation from a grown man, crystallizing a profound sense of injustice for Silvers. "I was like, this is all so unfair," she recalls. "This baby is brand new to the world and there’s already a man who has it out for her... She doesn’t deserve to know that fear already."

That intense encounter directly inspired her second single, "Airplane," which was released on October 10. The somber acoustic piece articulates the pervasive anxiety women often face, featuring stark lyrics such as "I was only 15/ And now I’m scared" and a haunting, repetitive chorus. In a newsletter accompanying the track, Silvers wrote about the historical pattern of blaming women for the violence they endure, a cycle she hopes future generations can avoid. The song felt like a necessary personal risk. "I was like, 'This song scares the hell out of me, but I think this is important,'" she remembers. The subsequent reelection of Donald Trump a month later further solidified her resolve, converting her anger into a determined energy to voice her convictions through music, aligning herself with the fearless tradition of folk protest artists.

The impact of folk pioneers like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell is evident in Silvers' music; her mezzo-soprano vocals draw comparisons to Mitchell's, while her blunt lyricism reflects Dylan's influence. The album was recorded live in single takes at New York's legendary Electric Lady Studios, a venue founded by Jimi Hendrix in 1970 that has hosted legends from Stevie Wonder to Adele in pursuit of authentic sound. Silvers co-produced the project herself with studio manager Lee Foster, resulting in a raw, intimate quality. The tracks on "From Another Room" span from the poignant reflection on time in "For Dad," to the optimistic "Big Sur," and the youthful lament "The Dream." Silvers acknowledges the vulnerability of releasing such personal work is intimidating but essential. "If your art doesn’t scare you a little bit, it’s not really worth it," she asserts, hoping listeners will find their own stories within her songs, completing a shared catharsis.

This musical venture has also fueled her ambitions in directing. Silvers took the helm for the music videos for both "June" and "Airplane," employing a vintage aesthetic and collaborating with all-female crews. She is also personally designing the vinyl release for "From Another Room," which will feature a secret bonus track hidden after the album's apparent conclusion. As cultural historian Dr. Elena Martinez observes, "Including a hidden track is a deliberate callback to the pre-digital age of music, crafting a physical, collectible artifact that strengthens the bond between the artist and the audience." Juggling a successful acting career with her music, Silvers intends to follow her creative curiosity wherever it leads. "As long as what I’m doing is fulfilling, brings me joy, and pushes that curiosity, that’s the path I’ll take. Right now, it’s definitely music," she states, while remaining receptive to any future creative opportunities that may arise.