Psychadelic rock sisters Stonefield are set to unleash their kaleidoscopic soundscapes at Kay Street Entertainment Complex next month as part of their new album ‘As Above, So Below’ tour.
The Express spoke to guitarist and back-up vocalist Hannah Findlay about the latest record and coming of age in the world of rock ‘n’ roll.
The Findlay sisters have never had trouble getting into clubs and pubs, even when they were predominantly underage.
Electric guitars rather than fake IDs got the girls past the door, but security of another kind was harder to come by once inside.
Stonefield has come to command respect as rock-royalty but in the band’s early days, when three out of four Findlays were under 18 and still in school, they weren’t always given the love they deserved.
“Definitely at the start we would walk into a venue and people would almost laugh at us just because we were so young. Our gear probably wasn’t the best and everything like that, yet we felt like we had to prove ourselves and earn the respect,” Hannah said.
“Now we’ve been around the traps a bit more, and more people know of us, it makes it a lot easier, but in those early days there were some hard times trying to earn that respect.
“It was intimidating but at the same time it kind of just made us want to prove ourselves and show that we can do this and we’re here for a reason.”
Amy, Hannah, Sarah and Holly Findlay hail from the sleepy Victorian town of Darraweit Guim, where they honed their musical magic in a shed on their parents’ acreage, inspired by the zeal of Zappa and Zeppelin records.
After winning Triple J’s Unearthed High competition in 2010 with ‘Foreign Lover’ the group was catapulted into the limelight, culminating in an invitation to play the hallowed Glastonbury festival the following year. Their debut self-titled album was a belting bonanza of rustic riffs and violent vocals from drummer and lead singer Amy, with tracks like Put Your Curse on Me casting a spine-tingling spell on the scene.
‘As Above, So Below’, the band’s first full length vinyl release, takes some of the edge off with a more ethereal sound, tapping into Tame Impala territory, but retains the trademark Stonefield grunt.
Recorded in their re-appropriated family shed, with help from collaborator Kram of Spiderbait, the album was inspired by Scandinavian psych-rock from Sweden’s Dungen and Graveyard to American stoner rock outfit Dead Meadow.
It soars from the start with drifting dreamscapes and at times brutal bangers, before softening around the edges on the B side. Hannah said the new record was a more mature, balanced body of work.
“A big thing was not being afraid to experiment with different sounds and also not be afraid to be intimate with our songs,” she said.
“In our previous album a lot of it was four to the floor rock, it was all very go-go-go, but this one we sort of took the time to strip everything back and did a lot more starting with acoustic guitar and vocals and trying different ways of writing.
“We had a lot of fun, it was really good doing it in the comfort of our own home as well. Kram is such an awesome guy and had so much knowledge and wisdom to give us, he was super chill and a lot of fun to be around.”
Coming of age in the fast-paced world of rock’n’roll has been another factor in the band’s evolving sound.
With all members now over 18, Holly having just hit the mark, Hannah said growing up on the stage had been a rollercoaster rite of passage.
“I think it’s helped us grow and mature a lot; we’re all quite shy people actually so it’s helped us have a lot more confidence and see a lot more of the world, which coming from a small country town has been pretty amazing for us,” she said.
“We’re all really close and get along really well. Being sisters is a really good thing for us, I can’t imagine doing it with anyone else.
“We have our fights and disagreements but I think that comes with being sisters and being in a band together. The majority of the time it’s a lot of fun.”
Stonefield is now preparing to embark on its biggest Australian tour to date, including a return to Traralgon’s Kay Street Entertainment Complex.
While the sisters have played some of the biggest stages on the globe, including a recent jaunt at SXSW, Hannah said it wasn’t hard to get pumped in front of a pub crowd.
“The crowds in country towns are always really appreciative so we’re really looking forward to playing for those crowds,” she said.
“Playing on festival stages feels completely different to playing on a small little pub stage and there’s good things about both.
“I kind of actually like playing on small stages when you’re close together, there’s a more intimate vibe, it’s easier to get the energy happening.”
Stonefield is set to put its curse on Traralgon crowds at Kay Street Entertainment Complex on 20 October, supported by fellow all-girl rockers Rackett and Melbourne’s White Bleaches.
Tickets are available at stonefield.com.au and kayst.oztix.com.au
