Nothing is permanent, and no one knows that better than Karen Dió.
“I have to be so unattached to friends, things, and objects,” Dió admits, after moving numerous times growing up and whilst starting her music career. The Brazilian punk rocker on the rise has always lived with transient energy, but especially lately, as she adjusts to the ebb and flow of life after having her July 2023 single “Sick Ride” go wildly viral.
“Sick Ride” is a little bit outside what I normally do,” Dió admits. It was quite out of my world and I really didn’t know what it was going to be. When I saw all the great feedback and millions and millions of people watching and playing the songs and stuff…it’s just crazy.”
Crazy might even be an understatement she admits, after catching the attention of some of her all-time favorite artists like Sum 41, Incubus, Kenny Hoopla, and even… Fred Durst. An eclectic list, yes, but a testament to the mass appeal Dió has conjured up with her music magic.
And so with the support of a few famous friends, her new label (Hopeless Records), and high praise from the likes of Kerrang!, Dió is proudly bringing the brimming punk rock scene in Brazil to the world. Representing her Latin roots is, perhaps, the most important part of her artistry. “If I can open that door for Latin American artists, then I’ve accomplished my goal,” she says.
Most of all, Karen Dió states that she’s in a period of rebirth. Dió’s solo project was derived from the ashes of Violet Soda – Dió’s last band – which she admits was a beautiful whirlwind of collaboration and untimely demise. So much so – she almost quit music for good.
“I lost the power, I didn’t want to lose the power this time.” This is my project. I said I’m going full solo now. It doesn’t matter what people think. I’ve had some people say there is no such thing as a solo punk artist. Of course there is. Look at Joan Jett’s solo career – don’t talk shit about that.”
Taking inspiration from the punk generations that precede her (Joan Jett included) as well as modern artists like Avril Lavigne, Dió is a bit of an enigma. She’s got an “I don’t give a f*ck” attitude paired with the likeability of America’s sweetheart. She oozes cool in the most effortless way and carries herself with a certain edge that is entrancing yet welcoming. She is a spitfire but chooses her words carefully.
“It is about feminism,” Dió says of her solo project, “Almost all my lyrics since Violet Soda are about how frustrating it is being a woman in the business and even how when you think men are actually being feminists, they are not, you know?” she says, with visible frustration in her voice.
Punk music is no stranger to feminist warriors, but Karen Dió is raring and ready to fight a little harder than the rest. For marginalized communities, for equal opportunities within the scene, for independent artists from Latin America who deserve to have their voices heard.
Impermanence is known as the philosophical problem of change. And while Dió’s career is ever-evolving, she’s making music with true staying power.