ANGUS AND JULIA STONE

JANUARY 2011 CONTENTS: • Features • Tour Editorial • Live Reviews

Momentum PR 39 – 41 North Rd, London, N7 9DP – tel: 020-77000 275

FEATURES

247 Magazine South West December ‘10

Banter Magazine Scotland December ‘10

Brighton Argus 2nd December ‘10

West Briton 2nd December ‘10

Western Morning News 26th November ‘10

XYZ Magazine Brighton December ‘10

YORKSHIRE POST FRIDAY DECEMBER 3 2010

6 MUSIC yorkshirepost.co.ukCulture

BRIEFLY

THE Forestry Commission hasannounced that rock legendsSimple Minds will be playingan outdoor gig at Dalby Forestnext year on June 24.

The band are going to followin the footsteps of Paul Wellerand The Beautiful South,who have both played in thewoodland near Pickering,in recent years. The gig willsee a temporary auditioriumerected in the forest to allowan audience of 5,000 to attend.Tickets for next year’s concert goon sale this morning at 9am, on03000 680400.

Forest date forSimple Minds

BOYBAND McFly return to arenatours next year to launch theirfifth album Above the Noise.The tour is the band’s first large-scale tour in two years, havingplayed more intimate venuesin recent years. The boys willbe stopping off in Sheffield onMarch 18 and the tickets go onsale tomorrow morning at 9am.Fans should expect somethinga little different – singer TomFletcher says: “We’ve learnt tocompletely rethink what McFlymight be.”

Tickets for the gig are availableon 0114 256 5656.

Rethink timefor McFly

Singles

1 X Factor Finalists, Heros (Syco)2 Ellie Goulding, Your Song (Polydor)3 JLS, Love You More (Epic)4 Olly Murs, Thinking of Me (Epic/Syco)5 Rihanna, Only Girl in the World

(Def Jam)6 Take That, The Flood (Polydor)7 Far East Movement, Like A G 6

(Interscope)8 Katy Perry, Firework (Virgin)9 Adele, Make You Feel My Love

(X1 Recordings)10 Rihanna, What’s My Name (feat Drake)

(Def Jam)

Albums

1 Take That, Progress (Polydor)2 JLS, Out Of This World (Epic)3 Westlife, Gravity (Syco)4 Susan Boyle, The Gift (Syco)5 Rihanna, Loud (Def Jam)6 Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss

Orchestra, Moonlight Serenade (Decca)7 Bon Jovi, Hits (Mercury)8 Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown

(Hand Me Down)9 Pink, Greatest Hits So Far (Laface)10 Michael Buble, Crazy Love (Reprise)

CHARTSWHEN Julia Stone hadher first taste of life as aprofessional musician shewasn’t sure she liked it. Herbrother Angus was equallyunconvinced.

The brother and sister, whogrew up in Australia playingopen mic sessions at localbars liked the fact the recordcompany paid for them tolive in London for a while.They were flattered whentheir first album, the folk-inspired A Book Like This,released in 2009, found fansacross Europe and America,but they weren’t blind to thedownsides.

They’d loved each and everyone of their gigs, but living ina tour bus for the best part oftwo years took its toll.

So much so that despitebeing deluged by criticalplaudits, when they wereasked to record a secondalbum they very nearly saidno. “We’d written all thesongs while we were out ontour with A Book Like Thisand the album was readyto go,” says Julia, speaking

from New York, where sherecently recorded her first soloventure. “The problem waswe didn’t know whether it wasthe right life for us. Everythinghad happened so quickly andit was just such a contrast towhat had gone before. Wewere tired of living on top ofeach other.”

A self-enforced breakfrom the touring circushelped clarify their thoughtsand much to their recordcompany’s relief, A Book LikeThis turned out not to beboth debut and swansong.Instead came Down the Way,an album arguably moreaccessible than the first andwhich produced stand outtrack Big Jet Plane.

“We took seven monthsout and during that timewe changed the way wethought about what wewere doing,” says Julia. “Ifanything, it’s even morecrazy and hectic than it wasbefore, but not many peopleget the opportunity to dowhat me and Angus do, sowe just decided to look at

everything more positively.”Both siblings have recordedsolo albums which gave eachof them much needed spaceand for Julia the experienceof going into a studio withoutthe supportive arm of Angus,was terrifying, but ultimatelyrewarding.

In The Memory Machine hasbeen described as a “paean to

lost love from simpler times”and emerged as a perfectshowcase for Julia’s stripped-back, haunting vocals.

“I really respect Angus as amusician and when he sayssomething about a recordingyou know there’s no pointarguing with him becausehe’s always right,” she says.“But if I’m honest I think I hadbecome a little too reliant onhim. Doing the solo albumgave me a lot more self-confidence. It made me growup a lot.”

Now 25, Julia and 22-year-old Angus got back togetherearlier this year for a tour topromote their second album,ending with a sell-out showat Shepherd’s Bush Empireand are currently on a secondstring of UK dates. “I lovefestivals because there’s a

distinct buzz from a crowdwho have made a consciousdecision to escape realityfor a weekend,” says Julia.“I definitely think we give amore energetic performanceat festivals, but we probablyplay better at quieter, moreintimate gigs.”

Much has changed for theStone siblings, but one thingwhich remains the same istheir love of recording musicwhich makes them happy.

“I’m told a lot of radiostations won’t play our stuff.I’m cool with that,” says Julia.“You can’t please everyone.Our manager is the onedriving the ship. If she tells uswe’re playing Czechoslovakiathen great, to us they’re justpeople who like our music.”

After the latest tour comesto an end on Dec 11, Angusis planning a snowboardingtrip to Canada, while Julia ishanging around in the UK fora while before they both headback to Australia foran important date.

“Our mother is gettingmarried and we’ve got threeweeks off, which feels like anincredible luxury,” she says.“It will be good for a while justto do some normal stuff withmum.”

Angus and Julia Stone,The Wardrobe, Leeds,Dec 5. 0113 244 3446,www.lunatickets.co.uk.

■

Howtherealitiesof lifeontheroad left theStonescold

NEW START: Siblings Angus and Julia Stone found success with theirdebut album A Book Like This, but needed time out from touring it.

distinct buzz from a crowddistinct buzz from a crowdwho have made a consciouswho have made a consciousdecision to escape realitydecision to escape realityfor a weekend,” says Julia.for a weekend,” says Julia.“I definitely think we give a“I definitely think we give amore energetic performancemore energetic performanceat festivals, but we probablyat festivals, but we probablyplay better at quieter, moreplay better at quieter, more

which remains the same iswhich remains the same is

NEW START:NEW START: Siblings Angus and Julia Stone found success with theirSiblings Angus and Julia Stone found success with their

Their�rst albumwasamajorhit, sowhydidAngusand Julia Stonealmostdecidenever toreturn to the studio?SarahFreeman�ndsout.

INTERVIEW

Doingthesoloalbumgavemea lotmoreself-con�dence. Itmademegrowup.

Yorkshire Post 3rd December ‘10

TOUR EDITORIAL

247 Magazine December ‘10

Falmouth Packet 21st July ‘10

Oxford Times 9th July ‘10

The Herald 4th December ‘10

LIVE REVIEWS

Eastern Daily Press 16th July ‘10

Leeds Guide 7th December ‘10

Sunday 19 December 2010 by Susan Darlington Printable Email

Culture

Angus and Julia StoneThe Wardrobe, Leeds

It would be wrong to takepleasure in someone else's illhealth and the fact that AngusStone had a cold and was losinghis voice meant his older sisterwas left to dominate the set.

And that, from purely a musicalperspective, was a very goodthing.

With the look of an Australianbeach bum, Angus injected aslacker aesthetic to '70s-influenced country rock. Pleasantenough on tracks such as Mango Tree and Bella, but it's doubtful anyone wouldhave taken any notice of his output if he hadn't shared disc space with Julia.

The weak link across the duo's two albums, he nonetheless plays more than just asupporting role.

The pair complement each other on trumpet, mandolin and keyboards andoccasionally swap harmonies and Angus shouldn't get overly worried that his sisterrecently released a solo album.

In an act of sisterly solidarity, she only plays set closer Where Does The Love Go?from it.

In possession of a more varied catalogue than her brother, she moves from slinky,filmic rock on Private Lawns, brittle folk on I Believe in Love and I'm Not Yours toThe Wedding Song where she exhibits a generally restrained proclivity towardsschmaltz.

But her real weapon is her voice - a raw, passionate instrument that's pitchedsomewhere between a more childlike Lou Rhodes and Martha Wainwright in heliumdelivery mode.

Its tenor brings a vulnerability to everything she sings, perfectly demonstrated onher cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Stripped of all sense of hope, it turns into a desolate plea for dreams over realityas Angus's electric guitar spars with the violinist in a nightmarish dissonance.

There's similar heartbreak in her own numbers, which detail the minutiae of lovewith an honesty exemplified by her disconcerting habit of staring straight at theaudience when singing.

There's also a certain steeliness in the material and the duo's humorous banterbetween songs arrested the descent into self-pity.

For You, written on Garageband for an ex-lover with whom Julia wanted to bereconciled, is a beautifully constructed track that would melt the hardest hearts.Yet the recipient responded with a "tape of hip-hop beats that sounded like theywere put together in minutes."

There was no fairytale ending, but the experience at least provided a rich seam ofinspiration to be mined.

The material might have been non-confrontational - as the tasselled lamps andfairy lights on stage suggested - but it had an honesty powerful enough to keep theaudience hushed for 90 minutes.

Get in touch Advertising

Home Britain World Editorial Features Culture Sport

Morning Star 19th December ‘10

Yorkshire Post 9th December ’10

JULIA STONE ALBUM REVIEWS

Sunday Mail 28th November ‘10

The Skinny November ‘10