INTERVIEW: Sarah Findlay, Stonefield – April 2014

Shane | 16 April 2014 | Reply

INTERVIEW: Sarah Findlay, Stonefield – April 2014
By Shayne McGowan

Right now Stonefield are on the verge of becoming the “next big thing” for Australian music. With a new self-titled album under their belts, and “Love you Deserve” getting very healthy airplay on Australian radio, it’s fair to say that Stonefield are starting to capture the attention of the general public.

Mere months after the release of their first full length album, Stonefield are already planning their sophomore effort, and an international tour.

As busy as these four sisters from regional Victoria are, keyboard player/backing vocalist Sarah Findlay still found the time to answer some questions about the bands beginnings, the excellent debut album, and the future of Stonefield,

Shayne: Tell us, how do 4 sisters from a hobby farm on the outskirts of Melbourne become a successful rock band?

Sarah: We have always loved performing, singing and dancing from a young age and our parents have also played music around the house for as long as we can remember. We have persisted in pursuing our love for music and with the help of winning Triple J unearthed, it allowed more people to become aware of our band.

Shayne: Does being a band of siblings make for any problems or arguments that other bands might not have to deal with?

Sarah: The biggest one is probably clothes.. We have to quickly ‘bags’ whatever we want to wear before anyone else gets in!

Shayne: In your bio, you mention being influenced by Hendrix, Zappa and Zeppelin.. Who else has been an influence or inspiration to Stonefield?

Sarah: We have so many people and artists who all have an influence on us as a band. Some more include Pink Floyd, Band Of Skulls, Fleetwood Mac, Goat, The Rolling Stones.

Shayne: Where does the name Stonefield come from?

Sarah: We live on a hobby farm and have lots of stone in our paddocks which Dad used to build our house, so basically we just mixed and matched words together until we finally thought of Stonefield.

Shayne: Prior to the album, you had recorded 2 EPs. Did you find it difficult to come up with enough material for a full-length album this time around?

Sarah: Writing an album gave us the freedom of experimenting with different sounds, structures and creating more of a story within the songs, so we didn’t really find it too difficult. We did have to try utilizing every bit of time we had though. So whilst Holly and I were at school, Amy and Hannah would get together and write, then Holly and I would come home and join in and add our parts to the songs.

Shayne: Do you think that releasing an album rather than another EP will open more doors for you?

Sarah: Definitely. We feel doing another EP is kind of going backwards. An album is a massive step forward from EP’s and we want to keep working hard and pushing for another album. I feel that bands get taken a lot more seriously and get given more opportunities with albums, rather than a bunch of EP’s because it allows everyone to see they can write a whole bunch of songs that shows their audience what they’re really about.

Shayne: You must be stoked with the reaction to the new material, and the radio play that it’s receiving?
Sarah: It’s awesome! We love sharing our music with everyone and think it’s great that people are listening to our music and getting as much enjoyment out of it as we are.

Shayne: Do you all share in the writing process, or is there one chief songwriter within the band?

Sarah: We are all involved in the songwriting. Normally someone comes in with an idea, whether it be a riff, a vocal melody or a bunch of chords, then we jam around that idea.

Shayne: Where does your lyrical inspiration come from?

Sarah: Amy writes the majority of the lyrics for all our songs. She draws inspirations from using her life experiences, the movies she watches, and the books she reads.

Shayne: I think that the 70’s rock vibe of your music would sound excellent on vinyl. Is there any plans for a vinyl release?

Sarah: We love vinyl and the warm sound it creates. We hoped to release our album on vinyl but we didn’t quite get there in the end! We have released a 7-inch double a side with Black Water Rising and Yes Mater in 2011.

Shayne: Do you have any plans on taking the band overseas, or are you happy to stick with Australia at the moment?

Sarah: We went over to the UK in 2010 to play Glastonbury.. it was insane! We’re heading back to the UK in May to play The Great Escape festival, the Dot to Dot festivals and headlining a show at Water Rats. We’re also going to be doing a bit of recording over there. Can’t wait!

Shayne: Aside from the current tour, what’s next for Stonefield?

Sarah: We’re already onto writing our next album, which we hope to be recording this year. We’re also planning to go back overseas to Europe and play more shows either at the end of this year or start of next year.