Angus Stone

Angus Stone

Angus Stone
Background information
Also known as Lady of the Sunshine
Born (1986-04-27) 27 April 1986
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres Folk, blues, acoustic, rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, producer, engineer
Instruments Vocals, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, piano
Years active 2005–present
Labels EMI, Flock/PIAS, Nettwerk, Discograph
Associated acts Angus & Julia Stone
Julia Stone
Website angusstone.com

Angus Stone (born 27 April 1986) is an Australian folk-blues singer-songwriter and record producer-engineer. He is the brother half of duo Angus & Julia Stone. His debut solo album, Smoking Gun, was issued in April 2009 under the pseudonym Lady of the Sunshine, and reached the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart. His second solo album, Broken Brights, was issued on 13 July 2012, which peaked at No. 2.

Biography

Angus Stone was born on 27 April 1986 and grew in Sydney. His parents, John and Kim Stone, were both folk musicians.[1] John was a builder and later became a music teacher, who also performs in a covers band, Backbeat.[1]Kim has an Honours degree in Science, worked as a marine biologist, high school teacher and singer, spent 20 years as Head of E-marketing, Marketing and Investor Communications in institutional funds management until commencing a career as a Non Executive Director (kimjones.net.au). Stone's older sisters are Catherine (born ca. 1982) and Julia Stone (born 13 April 1984).[1] Stone attended Newport Primary School and Barrenjoey High School.[1] At primary school he joined the school band with his father teaching and his sisters accompanying.[2] At family gatherings when the children performed, Stone played trombone, Catherine on saxophone and Julia on trumpet with Kim singing and John on keyboard or guitar.[2] At about the age of 14 years his parents separated and soon after he started writing pop songs.[1][2] Stone joined a band in high school as lead singer playing both covers and original songs. The band performed at numerous local community events.

While on a holiday with his sister to South America, Stone showcased his musical side to Julia, "[Angus] was writing amazing songs ... [he] had shown me how to play guitar in Bolivia, and those songs had gotten me through that year".[2] By 2005 Stone was playing at open mic nights, sometimes Julia performed backing vocals – their first such gig, at the Coogee Bay Hotel, they performed "Tears".[3] After playing split sets with each singing backing vocals to the other's material, in 2006, they formed a duo, Angus & Julia Stone.[2] In March that year the pair recorded their debut extended play, Chocolates and Cigarettes, which was released in August. Since then the group has released five EPs, a compilation album and two studio albums.

Angus & Julia Stone (Angus at right) performing at Falls Festival, Marion Bay, Tasmania, December 2007.

Lady of the Sunshine: Smoking Gun

In April 2009, after touring for over a year in support of the duo’s first studio album, A Book Like This (September 2007), Stone released his debut solo album, Smoking Gun, under the pseudonym, Lady of the Sunshine.[1][4] It was recorded over six weeks during 2008 with Finn (Govinda Doyle) – who also provided drums and bass guitar – in a converted old water tank on Finn's property in North Queensland.[5][6] In an interview on national radio station, Triple J, with Richard Kingsmill, Stone said that the album came out of “growing an appetite for wanting to rock out". Stone explained that he had played in rock bands while in high school, they covered material by Rage Against the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers – these influences are loosely present on Smoking Gun.[4] To accompany the album Stone wrote "Every emotion in my head has its own voice and this record is what came of them .... I wanted these songs to have their own style. I enjoyed watching how the songs took on their own ride, most from the simplest of ideas".[5] The album reached the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[7] One of his tracks, "Big Jet Plane", from Smoking Gun was later re-recorded by Angus & Julia Stone and released by the duo as a single in May 2010.[5][8]

In March 2010 the duo's second album, Down the Way, debuted at No. 1.[9] By 2011 it was certified 3× platinum by ARIA.[10] It was the highest-selling album by an Australian artist in 2010.[11] Down the Way peaked in the top 30 on the French Albums Chart and stayed in the top 200 for 86 weeks.[12][13] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 the duo won 'Album of the Year' for Down the Way and 'Single of the Year' for "Big Jet Plane".[14][15] Their single "Big Jet Plane" was voted No. 1 in the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2011.[16] After a world tour promoting Down the Way, Stone and his sister parted ways, according to Stone with a "tip of the hat and strolled in different directions".[17] In a Rolling Stone (Australia) interview, Julia revealed the duo had started recording tracks for a third album, in January 2011, but shelved them indefinitely: "It was too much to think we could only pick six songs each… We were both in a place where we really wanted creative space to go in whatever direction we wanted so we were like 'let’s just take a year out'".[18] She elaborated that those songs were unlikely to be heard, but maintained the pair would reunite after their solo projects.[18]

Broken Brights

In late 2011 Stone began working on his second solo album, Broken Brights. He told Surfing World Magazine, “[r]ecording with Julia is cool but we both have our hands on the wheel. This was an opportunity to grab the wheel and do some burn-outs".[19] It was released in Australia on 13 July 2012 which peaked at No. 2.[9][20] The title track from the album was released as the lead single in March that year as a free download on Triple J’s Home and Hosed.[21] The second single, "Bird on the Buffalo", is a metaphor for a musing relationship between lovers.[22] and the video features the actress Isabel Lucas. According to Indie London's Jack Foley, the third single, "Wooden Chair" is "mesmerising in a low-key, effortlessly brilliant manner that also manages to include an intoxicating background whistle. It’s breezy and romantic without really even trying to be".[23] It was featured in the US TV show, Private Practice, in Season 6, Episode 3 "Good Grief".[24] The fourth single, "Monsters", had its video premiered on The Huffington Post.[25]

The album was built upon childhood influences such as Bob Dylan and The Eagles, the end result being very Dylanesque, laid-back with some rockier elements.[26][27][28] When speaking to the Vancouver Weekly about the creation of Broken Brights he said he "discovered a lot about time". Further elaborating, he said, "Just in general. To take a step back and let something unfold and breathe and become ripe when it says it's time".[29]

Reception

Broken Brights was released in Australia on 13 July, in the UK on 16 July, US on 17 July and France on 6 November 2012.[30] The album was released on Nettwerk Records,[28] in the US, EMI in Australia and UK, and Discograph in France. Foley lauded the release as "[n]othing short of stunning ... his most personal work to date ... demonstrates his versatility. It’s steeped in classic song-writing values, sound-checking without directly referencing the likes of the great American song-writers, from Petty to Dylan via Neil Young".[23] Jen Wilson reviewed Broken Brights for Beat Magazine saying, "within minutes you’re transported to another time ... Stone appears as a chameleon storyteller throughout Broken Brights, adapting with each theme and musical genre".[31] Tony Hardy from Consequence of Sound said "There’s always something unexpected around the corner".[27] Triple J made Broken Brights their Album of the Week upon its release, and described it as "a dreamy, chilled, nostalgic record which shows off Angus' unique songwriting".[32]

Monsters - Single

The Monsters - Single was released 26 February in 2013 by Nettwerk Productions. It contains an edited version of the song "Monsters" which was previously released on "Broken Brights." The song was cut from 5 minutes and 20 seconds to only 4 minutes and 3 seconds. Monsters - Single also contains a previously unreleased tune "In the Glow."

Live performances

2012

Angus Stone began to play his new solo music at Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay in July 2012.[33] In September that year he embarked on a solo tour of the US, UK, continental Europe, and Australia with sold out shows including Brussels, Utrecht, Berlin[34] and both his Los Angeles and New York shows. Upon the start of his solo tour Angus said, "To play live as my own in front of those people, it's going to be a different trail of gravel and gold, but none the less very exciting ... it's a whole different trip".[35] His live performances have garnered praise, The Stanford Daily's Sasha Arijanto reported being "bewitched by the dulcet sounds from the stage".[36] After Stone's show in Montreal, Caitlin Grimes from Confront Magazine stated, "don’t think I can name another artist who can manage to grab you by the wrist and pull you into such stories with him".[37] Stone completed his first solo shows in Australia including at Enmore Theatre in Sydney on 1 November.[38] He performed at the Australian summer festivals including Homebake, Woodford, Falls (both Lorne and Marion Bay), and Southbound in Western Australia. In early 2013 he is due to start a European tour including London's Shepherds Bush Empire.[39]

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

Year Recipient/Nominated work Award Result
2012[40] Angus Stone Best Male Artist Nominated
Broken Brights Best Blues & Roots Album Nominated

AMP Awards

Year Recipient/Nominated work Award Result
2013 Angus Stone Album - Broken Brights Nominated

Discography

(For discography of the Stone duo, see Angus & Julia Stone discography section)

Albums

as Lady of the Sunshine
Year Album Charts Notes
AUT
[41]
2009 Smoking Gun
  • Credited to: Lady of the Sunshine (pseudonym of Angus Stone)
  • Date released: April 2009
  • Record label: CAP / EMI
 45 Tracklist
  1. "Silver Revolver"
  2. "Home Sweet Home"
  3. "White Rose Parade"
  4. "Jack Nimble"
  5. "Big Jet Plane"
  6. "Smoking Gun"
  7. "Daisychain"
  8. "The Wolf"
  9. "Anna"
  10. "Kings Black Magic"
  11. "Dead Man’s Train"
  12. "Lady Sunshine"
  13. "Lady Moonshine"
as Angus Stone
Year Album Charts Notes
AUS
[42]		 AUT
[43]		 BEL
(Vl)
[44]		 BEL
(Wa)
[45]		 FR
[46]		 NED
[47]		 NZ SWI
[48]
2012 Broken Brights
  • Date released: 13 July 2012
  • Record label: CAP / EMI
 2 — 23 26 67 42 32 27 Tracklist
  1. "River Love"
  2. "Broken Brights"
  3. "Bird on the Buffalo"
  4. "Wooden Chair"
  5. "The Blue Door"
  6. "Apprentice of the Rocket Man"
  7. "Only a Woman"
  8. "The Wolf and the Butler"
  9. "Monsters"
  10. "It Was Blue"
  11. "Be What You Be"
  12. "Clouds Above"
  13. "End of the World"
  14. "Napoleon's Dream" (iTunes bonus track)

Singles

Music videos

Other appearances

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Murfett, Andrew (3 September 2010). "Stone Hearts Renewed". The Age (Melbourne: Fairfax Media). Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Murfett, Andrew (16 October 2007). "Angus & Julia Stone". The Age (Melbourne: Fairfax Media). Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Treuen, Jason (24 October 2007). "First and Last Times with Julia Stone". frankie (Morrison Media). Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  4. 1 2 Kingsmill, Richard (7 April 2009). "Lady of the Sunshine Talks to Richard Kingsmill". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Lady of the Sunshine; Stone, Angus (2009). "Smoking Gun [sound recording] / Lady of the Sunshine". EMI Music. Retrieved 11 December 2012. Letter from Angus Stone: 'I wanted to introduce you to Lady of the Sunshine, some songs i have been working on... the record Smoking Gun. I’ve been skipping off in between tours for about a year now to shake my head of these songs. Every emotion in my head has its own voice and this record is what came of them. Last year the old man gave me his old telecaster which gave me the chance to move into a heavier sound. I tripped off up to North QLD to record with Finn (Govinda Doyle) who played drums & bass on the record. We layed [sic] down the tracks in about 6 weeks throughout 2008, recording in an old water tank Finn had fixed up. Finn's wife would cook supper for us & her new born baby whilst we worked till the young hours of dawn. I guess the idea of this album was that there would be no idea of how it would come together as a whole. I wanted these songs to have their own style. I enjoyed watching how the songs took on their own ride, most from the simplest of ideas. I wanted to work on the artwork as we did the music. A friend Caroline & I worked on different ideas, she then would take our conversation onto the canvas and create the picture for each song. So ... Lady of the Sunshine peace' .... Angus Stone.
  6. ↑ O'Keefe, Corrine (23 July 2009). "Review: Lady of the Sunshine – Smoking Gun". Music Feeds. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  7. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Discography Lady of the Sunshine". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  8. ↑ lkatulka (Lauren Katu) (30 March 2009). "Angus Stone Prepares to Release Lady of the Sunshine Album". Crushable (Alloy Digital (Jenni Maier)). Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  9. 1 2 Hung, Steffen. "Discography Angus Stone". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  10. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2011 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2010". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  12. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Angus & Julia Stone – Down the Way" (in French). lescharts.com. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  13. ↑ "Angus & Julia Stone". Discograph. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  14. ↑ "ARIA Awards 2010 : History: Winners by Year 2010: 24th Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  15. ↑ "End of Year Charts". Aria. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  16. ↑ ABC, Triple J. "Hottest 100 2010". Triple J.
  17. ↑ Concepts, International Music. "Angus Stone". IMC. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  18. 1 2 Treuen, Jason (26 May 2012). "Centre Stage: Julia Stone Interview". Rolling Stone (Australia). Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  19. ↑ Mitchell, Trent. "Shredding Angus Stone". Surfing World Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  20. ↑ "Midweek Chart Report". themusic.com.au. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  21. ↑ Home and Hosed, Triple J. "'Broken Brights'". ABC.
  22. ↑ Blanton, Kristen. "Video Premiere - Angus Stone - 'Bird on the Buffalo'". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  23. 1 2 Foley, Jack. "Angus Stone: Broken Brights Review". Indie London. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  24. ↑ "Private Practice". Tunefind. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  25. ↑ Brooks, Katherine (29 October 2012). "Angus Stone's 'Monsters': Australian Singer Debuts Mystical Video for New Song". Huffington Post. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  26. ↑ Stone, Angus (2009). "Broken brights / Angus Stone [sound recording]". EMI Music. Retrieved 11 December 2012. This beautiful, double-album vinyl features the music and artwork of Angus' new album Broken Brights. There are only 500 hand-numbered, 12inch gatefold sleeves with a tactile uncoated finish, which encase 2 x 180g heavyweight vinyls. Strictly limited edition vinyl album. Broken Brights is Angus’ first solo album (in name). The self-produced thirteen-track album is proof that he can deftly shift between genres without compromising his signature sound and is proof that Angus' compositional skills transcend the preconceptions you might have about his musical style. In the recording process, Angus has captured memories and imaginings from his pilgrimage around the planet. What he says about going solo could easily sum up the experience of listening to Broken Brights’': 'It’s a whole different trip'. Album features the singles 'Bird on the Buffalo' and 'Broken Brights'.
  27. 1 2 Hardy, Tony (19 July 2012). "Album Review: Angus Stone – Broken Brights". Consequence of Sound (Alex Young). Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  28. 1 2 Warner, Andrea (17 September 2012). "Angus Stone steps his solo self onto centre stage". CBC Music (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  29. ↑ Fahlman, Garin (July–August 2012). "Angus Stone and the Cinema of Song". Vancouver Weekly. Ricardo Khayatte. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  30. ↑ "Angus Stone Announces New Album Broken Brights Released July 16th 2012". Contactmusic.com (Dom Harrison). Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  31. ↑ Wilson, Jen (5 June 2012). "Angus Stone: Broken Brights". Beat Magazine (Furst Media). Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  32. ↑ "Broken Brights". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 9 July 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  33. ↑ Splendour, In The Grass. "Line Up". Splendour in the Grass. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  34. ↑ Demetriou, Marissa. "Angus Stone tour announced". The Music Network. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  35. ↑ Demetriou, Marissa. "Angus Stone's Australian Tour". Radar Music.
  36. ↑ Arijanto, Sasha. "Reviews: Angus Stone and Broken Brights". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  37. ↑ Grimes, Caitlin (25 September 2012). "Show Review : Angus Stone at the Cabaret du Mile-End". Confront Magazine (Jenia Schukov, Melissa Payette). Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  38. ↑ Busch, Paul (1 November 2012). "Angus Stone November 1st 2012 @ Enmore Theatre". Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  39. ↑ "Angus Stone: Buy Tickets Wed Feb 13 2013 O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, Shepherd's Bush Green, W12 8TT". TimeOut London (Time Out Group). 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  40. ↑ "2012 ARIA Awards Winners By Year". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  41. ↑ AustralianCharts.com Lady of the Sunshine Discography (Australian Albums Chart)
  42. ↑ AustralianCharts.com Angus Stone discography
  43. ↑ AustrianCharts.at Angus Stone Discography (Ö3 Austria Top 40)
  44. ↑ Ultratop.be/fr/ Angus Stone Discography (Ultratop 50 Vlanders)
  45. ↑ Ultratop.be/fr/ Angus Stone Discography (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)
  46. ↑ LesCharts.com Angus Stone Discography (SNEP France)
  47. ↑ DutchCharts.nl Angus Stone Discography (Dutch Top 40)
  48. ↑ Hitparad.ch Angus Stone Discography (Swiss Music Charts)

External links

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