9th October 2019
Q & A WITH STONEFIELD
We are four sisters from the Macedon Ranges in Victoria. We play heavy/stoner/psych rock.
Tell us a bit about Stonefield? What’s been happening in your world and what’s coming up?
We are four sisters from the Macedon Ranges in Victoria. We play heavy/stoner/psych rock. We have been touring like mad, just released a new record called Bent and are currently on tour in the States supporting King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. We have more touring coming up for the rest of the year including Levitation in Austin, Texas which we're really psyched to play with some of our favourite bands, as well as a Europe tour with King Gizz and a few festivals back home.
How did life as musicians/artists change for you after winning the triple J unearthed in 2010?
Everything really changed drastically for us.. we went from playing really small shows (a lot of them were open mics or all ages Freeza gigs), to touring around Australia, picking up management, a record deal, publishing and booking agency and then soon after touring overseas. It became our soul focus and we very quickly learnt so much about the industry and ourselves as musicians and people.
You guys have been touring a lot! As sisters, what’s it like being on the road with one another?
We have.. it's mostly really nice, although you definitely get sick of each other. It does mean that you have that feeling of home, so adjusting to the change of tour is a little easier. The best part is knowing how to read each other and there's no hard feelings when someone loses the plot, which happens a fair bit on tour!
Best/worst parts about being on the road?
Best parts are seeing the world, having that exhilarating feeling you get when you play a live show every night and meeting lots of amazing and interesting people. Worst parts are having a tiny suitcase because your instruments take up your flight luggage allowance and everyone gets stinky very quickly. It can get pretty tiring, but once you get into the swing of it a few shows in, you get used to it!
Your fashion sense and style of music seem to go hand in hand. Is there a correlation between the two, if so what’s the thought process behind it?
I guess both our style in music and fashion is what we have always been drawn to. Perhaps because it's what we grew up with, so it just feels normal. I think denim, corduroy, velvet, lace and suede all goes hand in hand with the type of music we play.
What’s been your biggest influences and inspiration for your music and style?
It's probably a given that we are influenced by the fashion and music of the 60s and 70s, like a lot of bands within this genre of music.. I guess it all stems from there. For our latest record we found huge inspiration from our experiences as women playing in a band and just the struggles and hardships we face as women in general. It's quite dark, eery and sad at times, but also feels quite empowering. We have been wearing matching corduroy suits on stage since releasing Bent, which feel appropriately powerful!
Can you share a glimpse of what it’s like being on tour with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard?
It's pretty mega, the rooms are huge, the production is big and we are one big crazy Australian traveling circus. The audiences are so passionate and the shows are so much fun. We feel really privileged to be playing such iconic venues like the Greek Theatre in LA and Central Park in New York.. we're also really proud to see how successful a fellow Aussie rock band has become around the world.
Do you find your creative process for each song changes each time or do you have a general way you go about it?
Our general way of going about writing is just jamming stuff out.. it seems to be the most successful and natural approach for us. Changing the environment that we do that in has been quite interesting. We wrote a lot of our new record while on the road in-between tour dates in the States. We were in a polar vortex so the general vibe was quite different to our normal setup in our shed at home.
What contemporary musician/band should we be listening to?
We were obsessed with Aldous Harding's new record while we were touring Europe.. Really beautiful songs and such a unique performer. A band a little closer to or world of music is the Mystery Lights. Their new record is a banger!
If you could time travel to one place right now where would that be?
A time in the future where everyone is treated as an equal.
What’s something new/weird you guys have discovered lately?
That there are around 1000 different bee species in Utah. A guy who interview us for a radio station also studies bees.. pretty crazy stuff!
What is your go to denim (Wrangler/vintage) piece you couldn’t live without?
We love the Drew jeans – they're insanely soft and comfortable and are a really flattering fit.
First thing that comes to mind when you think about what freedom means to you?
Being able to say and do what you want without being tied down to social expectations.
