With the release of her solo album, By The Horns, Julia Stone made a name for herself — and only herself.
Along with her brother Angus, Julia has crooned her way into our hearts since 2006, peaking with the 2010 release of their number one LP, Down The Way. With each sibling now working on their solo act, Julia believes the years touring with Angus built her self-confidence.
“I’ve toured so much that I think I’m a bit more confident,” Julia confirms. “In the past I think I was quite nervous about being in the studio in general, it was an overwhelming experience and there’s a lot of pressure. This time around, getting in there after years of doing studio time and playing live shows — I felt like I loved being there. I just wanted to stay there.
“I love collaborating and this whole year has been about collaborating with different musicians. It’s been incredible and I feel less inclined to put myself down or feel like I’m not good enough.”
Julia will headline the next Heavenly Sounds tour, appearing on stage with Ross Irwin (Cat Empire, The Bamboos), Ben Edgar and Ed Fairly (Gotye). “We’re stripping the songs back,” she says. “All of the boys sing and Ross and Edgar play trumpet, so it’s going to be cool having the three trumpets in the band. It made sense to make it a four-piece, and everyone can double on drums and play a bit of bass.”
The Heavenly Sounds tour will see Julia performing at a series of churches and cathedrals across Australia, which will add a different element to the music. “I think the acoustics is the main difference,” she says. “A church has a natural reverb in it due to the way it is built with all the stone, so it has its own special effect and creates quite an ethereal sound. Then on a more subtle level, the feeling of being in a place like a church — I don’t think it’s only churches that have this feeling, but places that are designed for celebrating something outside of yourself.
“It doesn’t necessarily matter what it is, it’s just a place designed for people to come and be quiet and reflect.”
By The Horns is out now.
Julia Stone with special guest Vance Joy:
Thu Feb 14 — St Stephen's Uniting Church (Sydney)
Fri Feb 15 — St John's Cathedral (Brisbane)
Tue Feb 19 — St David's Cathedral (Hobart)
Wed Feb 20 — St Michael's Church (Melbourne)
Thu Feb 21 — Flinders Street Baptist Church (Adelaide)
Fri Feb 22 — St Joseph's Church (Perth)
