Biography
After the acclaim that greeted Angus & Julia Stone, the Australian duo often likened to Belle & Sebastian, Angus Stone stepped away from the Sydney-based act to launch a solo endeavor without announcements or publicity. The notion crystallized for him during the group’s touring cycle, prompting him to compose material in the intervals between road dates while clinging to the conviction that individual songs determine their own forms and significance. Under the name Lady of the Sunshine he pursued a rougher, sharper, and more inward musical direction. The resulting tracks feature guitars that shift between acoustic and sustained electric textures, memorable refrains, and vocals carrying an unsettling emotional weight that echoes Elliott Smith or Kings of Leon. A pronounced 1970s atmosphere pervades the arrangements, evident in their languid, Led Zeppelin-style blues progressions and the sun-bleached, country-tinged rock tone associated with Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young. Stone’s first release under the Lady of the Sunshine moniker, the album Smoking Gun, was captured in North Queensland during 2008; friend Govinda Doyle served as co-producer while also handling drums and bass. The sessions spanned six weeks, after which the record appeared on Flock Records in April 2009.
Albums
