Down The Way with Angus & Julia

Aussie siblings Angus and Julia Stone don’t seem to meet any stereotypes of people from down under. Raised in Newport on the northern beaches of Sydney, Julia, who recently sat down with Venice over tea during a three-night, sold out stand, likes to go with the flow.

The children of a marine biologist mother who also did amateur theater and a music teacher father who also plays in a covers band, the brother and sister originally started out as backing singers for each other’s local solo shows before realizing that collectively they pack a lush and folksy wallop.

Critical darlings, UK journalist Johnny Sharp says of their sound: “Most impressive, though, are the songs — simple but blindingly effective acoustic compositions, warm boy-girl harmonies and delicate, lessis- more arrangements. Resistance is surely futile.” And The Sydney Morning Herald described their vocals thusly: “Her voice has a fractured feel like Jolie Holland; his has a smoke-on-the-beach drawl.”

Going with the flow led Angus and Julia to perform and eventually move to London to work as musicians. Now they don’t really have homes because of their constant touring. Instead, they have storage space in Sydney, London, New York, and Los Angeles.

“When we do have a couple of weeks off, depending on who we’re in love with and where their place is,” Julia says with a laugh, “we’ll go wherever.”

Julia, a relatively new fan of Stevie Nicks, thanks to lots of people bringing up the legendary singer and their similar style, including their knack for wearing free flowing outfits, sees the connection.

“I’ve always been a bit obsessed with dresses,” she explains. “Both of my grandmothers were real divas and really dressed up back in the day. They had a lot of dresses laying around, my mom as well, and they wore long velvet hippie stuff and as a kid I’d put them on and felt amazing. Since then I’ve loved wearing things that swirl.”

Touring overseas all summer, there are plans for the duo to return to the States in October that seems to perplex the quirky singer who never planned for life as a traveling musician.

“I don’t think I ever figured out what I wanted to do,” Julia admits. “I think Angus thought he was going to be a tradesman. He was always building things. And just where we grew up, it was so chilled out. Doing anything to be successful requires some level of ambition and we never had that. Life back in Newport was good. You surf and you hang out. I could have been quite happy being a music teacher or a trumpet player. But now that I do this, I can’t think of doing anything else.”

Touring in support of their latest release, Down The Way, Julia Stone is honored to create music that people have taken to heart.

“Some people say our music is the soundtrack to whatever they’re doing and that’s so rad! Everyone’s experience to the music is different. For somebody it’s the soundtrack to a backpacking adventure or to someone it’s the soundtrack to the divorce they’re going through and the music is helping them get through it. I’m so happy to hear how this can help people, even if it’s just background music at someone’s dinner party. Just to be adding color or texture to somebody’s experience of being a human is a good thing.” ▼

For more info on Angus & Julia see www.myspace.com/angusandjuliastone.