Formed in 2011 by New Yorker Zachary Cole Smith, DIIV adds elements from genres such as dream pop, shoegaze and grunge to its music. Initially called Dive, the band began as a solo project by Smith, who had previously played in the bands Soft Black and Beach Fossils.
In 2012, the group released their first album, Oshin, on the Captured Tracks label. Oshin appeared on Stereogum and Pitchfork's best-of-the-year lists.
In 2013, Zachary Cole Smith had problems with drug use, including being arrested for possession. In January 2014, he entered a rehabilitation program and began writing new songs. The following year, the band began recording material for a new album, which, titled Is the Is Are, was released in February 2016, featuring the collaboration of Sky Ferreira on the track "Blue Boredom (Sky's Song)". Is the Is Are received critical acclaim.
The third album, Deceiver, was released in 2019. Frog in Boiling Water arrived in 2024. The title of this work refers to the chapter “The Boiling Frog” from the book “The Story of B” (1996) by American author Daniel Quinn.
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