Julia Stone on her Dance music video with Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover

The Australian musician reveals what it took to convince some of Hollywood’s biggest names to work with her.

Julia Stone has always been surrounded by music. During a childhood spent near the beaches north of Sydney, the singer grew up listening to and learning from her father, John Stone, who plays in a popular local band.

After collaborating with her equally musically gifted brother on the festival circuit in their late teens, the two formed their ARIA-winning folk duo, Angus & Julia Stone.

But last year found the now Melbourne-based singer forced to immerse herself even more, when she completely turned her home into a studio for making music. “This is the first year since I moved in seven years ago that I’ve spent the whole year at home,” Stone tells Stellar.

“My partner is a music producer, and as neither of us could go to the studio we set one up in the kitchen. Nothing about it felt normal, so we also did away with our routine and would be up all through the night making songs and then sleep during the day.”

Echoing just about everyone else who lived through 2020, she says, “It was very strange.”

““This is the first year since I moved in seven years ago that I’ve spent the whole year at home.” (Picture: Damian Bennett)

“It’s always been about listening for hidden stories that aren’t easy to talk about.” (Picture: Damian Bennett)

Stone could have used that time as a well deserved break having spent the five years prior recording her third solo studio album, Sixty Summers, between Los Angeles and New York.

“All of the music I’ve written over the years has been the same in one sense: it’s always been about listening for hidden stories that aren’t easy to talk about, documenting them and turning them into something that isn’t just an idea or feeling,” she says.

“This record is more sonically and lyrically abstract – it’s less storytelling. The songs and sounds have been in my head for a long time; I just haven’t been able to get them out in this way.”

“I wanted to create a video about someone being in their 70s and going on a date for the first time.” (Picture: Damian Bennett)

“My team and I always go for the big dream first until we’re told no.” (Picture: Damian Bennett)

Stone, 36, recently received a lot of buzz for the music video for ‘Dance’, the lead single from the album, which stars Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover.

Managing to land the two Hollywood heavyweights, she tells Stellar, was a reach-for-the-stars gambit that paid off handsomely.

“I wanted to create a video about someone being in their 70s and going on a date for the first time. My team and I always go for the big dream first until we’re told no, so we reached out to Danny and he read it and loved it.

“He asked who is going to be the lady and we said, ‘Who would you love to go on a date with?’ and he said, hands down, Susan. So, the following day we reached out to Susan’s team and they loved the idea.

“It’s one of those wild things... actors like that are so busy and iconic and don’t say yes to music videos, especially with an Australian artist they’ve never heard of.”

Julia Stone features in this Sunday’s Stellar.

This year, Stone says, she’s keen to finally get out of the house and back on the road so she can perform her new music – particularly on home turf.

“One of the silver linings in this is the excitement of touring in regional Australia. I’m usually in Europe or the US, but now I can do a few months touring and playing in places I’ve never played before, which is exciting.”

Sixty Summers is out on April 16.

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