It’s getting close to four years since Stonefield entered the collective music mind after winning the Triple J Unearthed High competition in 2010.
Unlike most teenagers who having heard the knocking of fame and fortune would have tried to capitalise as much as possible at the time, the four sisters took their time to craft their style and sound.
The release of their debut eponymous album this month is the hard earned result of extensive tours of Australia, two solid EPs and a set at Glastonbury in 2011.
“I think we’ve just been really, really fortunate in trusting our instincts in terms of people that we work with,” Eldest sister and singer Amy Findlay explains a week before the start of their 22 date national tour.
“That’s one of the most important lessons we’ve learnt so far in the industry, that it’s really important to trust your instincts. We’ve been so lucky in surrounding ourselves with really great people who are so easy and fun to work with.”
Stonefield’s sound harks back to the days of hardworking rock bands when wearing a cut off denim vest with nothing underneath wasn’t ironic.
Sarah Findlay drenches songs in her Hammond goodness while Hannah Findlay keeps it dirty and mean on her Gibson Les Paul. Amy’s voice funnels all the attitude of the band into her syllables while also proving a tight drummer with youngest sister and bassist Holly filling out the rhythm section.
“That’s one of the most important lessons we’ve learnt so far in the industry, that it’s really important to trust your instinct.”Following their guts they managed to enlist producer Ian Davenport (Band Of Skulls) to travel to Australia for the first time and help the band manage the juggling act of recording.
“You can either go too raw and not really capture that sound at the same time or you can do the opposite and accidentally go overboard with the production,” Findlay explains.
“We just loved the production on those (Band Of Skulls records). Mixing the old school sounds with something modern and the way he captures the big fat sound. It sounds really powerful but it’s also raw. I think it was really important for us to have someone that could capture what we do.”
The film clip for the first single off the album ‘Put Your Curse On Me’ is stylistically intense with visions of the band in a psychedelic wonderland of crystal mandalas and all manner of fortune telling hoodoo.
The idea came about after seeing a tarot card themed photo shoot involving stylist Lauren Dietze who they promptly engaged to design the clip.
“They did this tarot card shoot which was really cool and we thought that vibe worked really well with the song. So it’s kind of based on tarot cards and representing different kinds of energies. I love it and it was really fun.”
“It’s something we’re particularly into at the moment, that whole voodoo kind of vibe,” Findlay enthuses. “‘Put Your Curse On Me’ has the gospel choir singing, ‘Put your curse on me’ which is not really a line a gospel choir would really sing.”
However, watching it makes one think the stylist may have indulged in some of the local species of fungi in Stonefield’s hometown on the edge of Victoria’s Macedon Ranges.
That town is Darraweit Guim which contains about 400 people and, according to Wikipedia, boasts two tennis courts which are regularly used by the locals. In the next two months, a fair chunk of the band’s tour dates include areas outside of the major cities taking in towns like Melton, Mildura and Warrnambool.
“It’s probably my favourite part of the band; doing live shows,” Findlay divulges. “We love touring and seeing all those dates makes me excited to hit the road. We have a lot of fun going to the towns that aren’t the major cities and the reaction you get there.”
“I think it’s really important because there’s always this extra level of appreciation which doesn’t happen as often as all the shows in like Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane. I think it’s really exciting! It’s cool to have that extra level of appreciation.”
“It’s just nice to go out to different places and being from somewhere that isn’t completely rural but still over an hour out of Melbourne we know how exciting it is to have bands playing in your area.”
Misogyny and sexism in the music industry isn’t something that can be denied especially in the testosterone-drenched world of rock music. Sadly, it’s inevitable that Stonefield would cop this from some overenthusiastic cockheads.
“I definitely notice there are comments that probably wouldn’t be said about male bands. Just inappropriate things with like way older men saying,” Findlay takes on the voice of a gruff drunkard, “Can I get your number? You’re sexy.”
“When we first started rocking up to band competitions it was pretty much all guys. It has definitely changed a lot and definitely helps a lot to have the support of bands and radio play.”“It’s just something we take with a grain of salt or whatever you say. I think it’s something that is always going to be there a little bit but you just kind of have to ignore it and get on with it.”
“When we first started, rocking up to band competitions it was pretty much all guys,” Findlay reminisces.
“I think it has definitely changed a lot and definitely helps a lot to have the support of bands and radio play and all that kind of thing. There aren’t many people who deal with us like that anymore but we don’t really care about it as much anymore.”
Not the first band to jump ship to the motherland, Stonefield are looking to the UK for an overseas expansion. Their A&R man Michael Parisi has mentioned it in an interview and after playing some showcases over there Findlay seems pretty keen on the idea.
“We’re putting a lot of energy into Australia first and then tapping into overseas. I think it’s something you need to put a lot of time and energy into so hopefully we’ll go over there for a while and would love to play The Great Escape.”
“We were meant to be doing that this year but it sort of ran in with our recording and all that kind of thing so it would be awesome to head over to the UK next year and try and do it properly. But it really depends on what opportunities arise because you never really know what’s going to happen until it’s actually happening with music so we’ll see!”
Stonefield is available now through Wnderkind/Illusive
Listen to ‘Love You Deserve’ below:
Stonefield Australian Tour 2013
with special guests
Tickets on sale Monday September 23rd
Thu 24 Oct – University Of Queensland | Brisbane, QLD(18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Fri 25 Oct – The Racehorse Hotel | Booval, QLD (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Sat 26 Oct – The Corner Hotel | Melbourne, VIC (18+)
www.cornerhotel.com | Ph: 03 9427 9198
Fri 1 Nov – Fowlers | Adelaide, SA (AA)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1300 438 849
Sat 2 Nov – The Loft | Warrnambool, VIC (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Thu 7 Nov – The Setts | Mildura, VIC (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Fri 8 Nov – The Karova Lounge | Ballarat, VIC (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Sat 9 Nov – Djerriwarrh Festival | Melton,VIC (AA)
Free Show
Wed 13 Nov – Zierholz @ UC | Canberra, ACT (18+)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1300 438 849
Thu 14 Nov – The Beach Bar @ Novotel | Wollongong, NSW(18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Fri 15 Nov – The Annandale Hotel | Sydney, NSW (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Sat 16 Nov – Hope Estate (With Fleetwood Mac), NSW (AA)
www.ticketmaster.com.au | Ticketmaster Outlets
Fri 22 Nov – Alhambra Lounge | Brisbane, QLD (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Sat 23 Nov – The Other Side | South Stradbroke Island, QLD (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Sat 23 Nov – Villa Noosa Hotel | Noosa, QLD (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Sun 24 Nov – The Northern | Byron Bay, NSW (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Thu 28 Nov – Kay St | Traralgon, VIC (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
Fri 29 Nov – Ferntree Gully Hotel | Ferntree Gully, VIC (18+)
www.ticketmaster.com.au | Ticketmaster Outlets
Sat 30 Nov – The Hill Winery (With Fleetwood Mac), VIC (AA)
www.ticketmaster.com.au | Ticketmaster Outlets
Fri 13 Dec – Meredith Music Festival | Meredith, VIC (18+) – SOLD OUT
www.2013.mmf.com.au
Sat 14 Dec – Festival of The Sun | Port Macquarie, NSW (18+)
www.oztix.com.au | Oztix Outlets
