If you’d told Angus Stone three years ago that a little track he penned called ‘Big Jet Plane’ would propel him and his sister, Julia, into the world of globetrotting rockers, the quietly-spoken musician wouldn’t have believed you.
Fast forward to now, and Angus & Julia Stone are not only household names across the country, but have a sizeable fan base abroad as well. But the fast-paced world of international tours, never-ending talkshow appearances and Hollywood producers clamouring to use their music was a life Angus needed a little time out from. Now the musician from the Northern Beaches of Sydney is returning to solo mode, with the imminent release of the album ‘Broken Brights’. But don’t worry, Angus still knows how to relax. “It’s been good. I was walking out in the paddock with the cows and the dog, and I went for a swim in the lake. I’ve had a pretty good day.”
Recorded across a multitude of locations and with a number of different collaborators, ‘Broken Brights’ carries the sound of an artist enjoying his place within the music industry minus the inflated ego. “You can still see the stars from the gutter you know. I think no matter where I am, music will always be there and these songs if anything, they’re something more than you can put your finger on you know. They’re going to find their way out onto some sort of record eventually, and I guess places that you get to be in during those [recording] times, it’s just a bonus.”
The “places” Angus is referring to include the Swiss Alps and Amsterdam. “The solo record was recorded in different places. I lived in Amsterdam for a little bit and recorded and wrote some stuff there; when we would hit the road, we’d stop off and record like after a festival in Switzerland, we recorded a song on the record called ‘It Was Blue’ and ‘Be What You Be’ and then I got back [to Australia] and we set up a studio in the house and we all just got together and sat around just doing what we’ve always done — hang out and play music.”
Now it’s time to share his new batch of songs with the rest of the world. “Absolutely. Gettin’ out there on my own, and telling these stories that have been with me for a while, it’s going to be great to share that with the people that like the writings, and can create a whole new book of worlds with the new songs. I can’t wait.”
His first live appearance will be a quiet affair in Byron Bay; if you call Splendour In The Grass a casual gathering of music lovers that is. “Splendour will be my first solo show since I was super young. So I’m like ... it’s that swirl of excitement and the unknown. It’s playing live with the band I’ve been jamming with. Just good friends [who] are just as mad as one another. It’s going to be some cool times.”
When it comes to his most cherished moments on the road with his sister, Angus is all about sharing the love. “It’s been a bit of a trip you know. It really... you get moments of waking up and you’re in another country where English isn’t the main language at all and [fans] are connecting more so with the feeling and the intent behind what’s coming out of inside of you; they can share those moments on a whole different level. And I guess that’s where I have those moments where I’ve been pretty blown away with everything that has happened.”
Angus Stone plays Splendour In The Grass at Belongil Fields, Byron Bay, July 27-29. splendourinthegrass.com
