Amy Findlay, musician, Stonefield
We hope that people listen to the album in it's entirety and let it take them on a journey ...
You can’t pick your family, which makes it extra special when everyone gets along. For Stonefield, it’s a true blessing. The sisters Findlay (Amy, Hannah, Sarah and Holly) have been performing together for close to ten years, and have been churning out psych rock hits ever since being unearthed by Triple J in 2010. Since being thrust into the limelight, the band has released two EPs and two albums, including the latest effort As Above, So Below. Stonefield is about to embark on a massive national tour, but before they put wheels to asphalt we caught up with drummer and vocalist Amy Findlay to talk about how the album came together and how the band keeps it together on tour.
Your second LP As Above, So Below is great! Was there are uncertainty on how to follow up your first album?
Actually, not really! For us we felt like we had grown so much as musicians and songwriters and felt like we had more to give. We felt as though what we were writing was a step up from our debut, so we weren’t really feeling the pressure in that aspect.
What would you say is the biggest stylistic difference between this album and your self-titled debut?
I think that stylistically it is still a rock album, we have just explored more aspects of rock as a genre. There’s a lot more dynamics throughout the record – there’s some more psych stuff, stoner rock and then more chilled ballads as well.
I’d love to know how a Stonefield song forms – where does it typically begin?
We generally always write in our shed at home. We like to write by just getting together and jamming, usually from a very small idea that one of us brings to the table.
What do you hope fans and newcomers to your music catch on to when listening to this record?
The record is a really a piece of art as a whole. We hope that people listen to it in it’s entirety and let it take them on a journey.
The band is about to embark on a massive national tour – be honest, is it all sisterly love or do you want to pull each other’s hair out sometimes?
We definitely want to pull each others’ hair out at times, but we do mostly enjoy each others company. We love touring, seeing different parts of our beautiful country and it’s an amazing thing to be able to share that with each other.
Do you have any tour rituals you can share with us?
We try to remain pretty chill and not party too hard when we have a show the following day. We like to get together and have a little pep talk before getting on stage and sometimes do a little meditation if things have been a bit frantic, just to get in the right headspace and get rid of anything that may be a distraction.
When you were growing up, what kind of music could be heard in the Findlay home?
A lot of classic 70s bands – Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, The Doors, Hendrix, Cat Stevens and Joe Cocker.
What musician (living or dead) would be your dream collaboration partner?
Robert Plant or Aretha Franklin.
Do you have any words of wisdom for any up-and-coming musicians hoping to have a crack at the Australian music scene?
Stay focused on your reason for being a musician and stay true to yourself. In the long run, you are the most important person who needs to be pleased with what you’re doing, because you’re art and experiences will remain with you for your whole life.
Stonefield will be touring Australia throughout October and November. Catch them in Brisbane at The Foundry on Saturday November 5 (buy tickets here) or at the Miami Marketta on the Gold Coast on Sunday November 6 (buy tickets here).
