Same Mum
Counted among Queensland’s premier dance music acts, The Stafford Brothers have just returned from a mammoth tour across Europe and they’re back at home to play a few shows over festival season. But for these Gold Coast brothers, the road to success has been neither swift nor easy.
“It’s a pretty good feeling,†says Matt Stafford with a chuckle. “We’ve been doing it for a while, it’s not some overnight thing.†The steady rise of their profile has moved from paying shows in Brizzie and GC, to festivals nationwide, and now they are going global. “We are really focused on overseas at the moment and it’s going really well over there. We have a release coming out with Toolroom (UK) this month. We have another release with Defected (UK) in January. We’ve also got some stuff coming with Ministry (of Sound) here, so we are on some pretty strong labels, I think next year is going to be bigger and better.â€
As Matt and Chris built a reputation for solid house and entertaining shows, they looked more and more to the international market as a place to peddle their wares. “The last couple of years, we have spent five months overseas. So it’s definitely got bigger and bigger. I mean, I only got home last night and I’ve got a gig again today. I think I’ve had one day off this week.†And their full plate shows no sign of emptying any time soon. “We have a tour of Canada in January, we’ve got a tour of Europe in March and April, we are back here until July and then we are off again to Europe in August, September. So I can see almost to the end of next year what we are doing, it’s all already mapped out. So on the horizon is more shows in the UK and also hopefully doing festivals over there, because we love doing the festivals.â€
In the constantly changing world of dance music, The Stafford Brothers have maintained a fresh sound and a high-energy show. “For us, one of the keys is to perform as well as just play, you know, not to just play the right music but put on a bit of a show. I feel that more and more people are coming to see a bit of a show opposed to some guy with his head down, I think people want a bit of excitement when you’re up there.â€
A big part of staying on top is the brothers’ ability to adapt and grow with the ever improving technology of the industry. “The plugins and the programs and stuff are evolving so much that you can make new sounds all the time. If you look at a rock band, they’ve got guitar, bass, drums and a singer, and these days they’re all bringing in synths and all sorts of electronic sounds so, you’ve just got to evolve and with that the sound evolves. I think you just have to be willing to be at the front of it and try new things, don’t just do the same old thing.â€
Among the shows coming up over the Aussie summer, the Stafford Brothers have been slated to play New Year’s Eve at The Met. “It’s always a big show at The Met,†Matt says knowingly, “It’s a massive venue, and I think it’s probably got some of the best sound and lighting in the country, it’s always a good time. We played there last year and it was huge, so expect much the same.â€
For a duo that are self made from the ground up, there has been no substitute for hard work and hitting the road. “I think that’s the only way to get anywhere in life really is have a go and work hard, because very rarely does it happen without any of that. You look at the biggest pop stars, and they are getting flogged. They are flying here, flying there, but it’s a fun job, there is no question about it so to me it’s not really a chore. But at the same time I’ve been home to the Gold Coast for one day in the last ten, so don’t expect to sleep in your own bed.â€
Catch the Stafford Brothers New Year’s Eve at The Met, Something On NYD @ Swell Tavern, Summafieldayze Jan 9 and Future Music Festival Feb 27.