Today Canadian synth-pop band DIANA have premiered “What You Get”, the latest track from their forthcoming sophomore full length Familiar Touch.

The third single from the album, which is the follow up to the band’s 2013 debut Perpetual Surrender, “What You Get” builds gradually from a spare drum machine and synthesizer pulse before expanding and focusing on the performance from vocalist Carmen Elle, encompassing influences from Reproduction-era Human League, to early 80s Prince to Roxy Music and Annie Lennox.

According to DIANA’s Kieran Adams “What You Get” was the first song written for the album, and the process of its arrangement and production provided a loose blueprint for the rest of the LP.

“I started writing ‘What You Get’ after a conversation Carmen and I had on a ferry from Ireland to Wales towards the end of touring Perpetual Surrender,” Adams says. “She told me she was thinking about the idea of deservedness i.e. people’s expectations around what their efforts or intentions might yield. On the post-ferry van ride I made a very basic track in Ableton and came up with the chorus for the song. It’s a simple idea, it’s basically just a picture of someone who can’t equate their efforts in love with the outcome that’s been handed to them, coldly (but also maybe lovingly) narrated by the person who broke their heart… After a year and a bit of tweaking the production we came to the place where the song is now. It started as something a little more synthy, arpeggiated bass and some high leads, but nothing felt right until we started adding more live instrumentation to the track. Bram (Gielen’s) bass playing especially brings this song to life — if you pay attention there’s a whole beautiful world of melody and groove coming just from that instrument, and Carmen’s guitar part in the outro also really jumps out. I think in finding that place with the song where we let some of the organic textures breathe and remain a little more exposed while adding some more electronic elements we found a sonic path to follow for the rest of the album.”

In support of the album DIANA have announced a run of North American fall tour dates, their first international dates since 2014, with Mozart’s Sister. Full details can be found below.

Tour Dates
11/11 – Guelph, ON @ eBar
11/29 – Kingston, ON @ Blue Martini
11/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Boots & Saddle*
12/01 – Washington, DC @ DC9 Nightclub*
12/02 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade NYC*
12/03 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott*
12//08 – Toronto, Canada @ The Great Hall*
12/09 – Ottawa, ON @ House of Targ*
12/10 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz*
* = w/ Mozart’s Sister

Familiar Touch will be released on November 18th. It is available for preorder here.

Tracklist
1. Confession
2. What You Get
3. Slipping Away
4. Moment of Silence
5. The Coward
6. Miharu
7. Cry
8. Helpless
9. These Words
10. Take it Over