Fresh from flying over from Texas to London for two secret sold out gigs at Rough Trade East, we were honoured that Dope Lemon, aka multi-award-winning Australian artist Angus Stone took the time to chat to GIITTV ahead of his world tour and Golden Wolf album launch.
Dope Lemon is due to return to the UK and Ireland in September 2025 with hotly anticipated shows in London, Bristol, Manchester and Dublin. Angus has been winning awards in Australia since 2010 and has kept his output and quality high ever, since. In 2024 he was nominated for TWO ARIA Awards for TWO albums under the names Dope Lemon and Angus and Julia Stone. He even duetted with Post Malone who he described as “such a beautiful man” It was a really special moment.” and joined Dua Lipa her most recent Australian stadium show to an audience of over 21,000 people. Chatting to us from London the day before his sold out secret sets, he was incredibly warm eloquent open, insightful soulful despite how jet lagged he must have been after such an epic journey. A true artist who never stops creating, he seems to have such a deep love and vocation for his craft, speaking with depth eloquence and spirit.
Speaking of his secret London shows he said,
“It was really cool we put on the show at Rough Trade and all the tickets got snapped up withing the first 20 mins so we put on a matinee earlier in the day just to make sure that we could share the love and get the people that missed out in so we’re having a couple of little sneaky shows“‘
He will be returning to play at the Forum in Kentish town in London on 5th September in the middle of a massive worldwide tour. London holds a special place in Angus Stone’s musical history having moved there with his fellow hit making sister Julia Stone when they were in their early 20s.
“Its been such an incredible journey from the beginning. We got discovered by a really dear friend of ours now and we moved to London when we were around 21 and we started making records with different people who had championed us along the way. Then we moved to LA and made a record with some incredible human beings and producers and I think as a band when your territory is out in the world exploring then in come the accolades its nice to be a part of a country that celebrates its art and it’s been so so cool.“
Together with his sister, Julia, Angus has been creating high quality award-winning art for decades. Having being nominated for his first ARIA in 2008 and winning his first in 2010 and to this day he is still picking up awards, selling out huge venues worldwide and yet still remains humble and grounded.
“At the end of the day the reward is the art” he said, “If you stick with some thing that you love and it’s a labour of love you get to really dive into your passion which is the creation of these pieces of art that we have inside and how you see the world and how you feel things as a human being and they are sort of these fossils that you leave along the way. I think there’s probably about 15 records between Julia( his sister and myself) and my solo career as well over the past 20 years, and it’s something that I think in the end it comes down to having that feeling that we are all evolving as these creatures that are trying to figure out moving through the world and that for me is music.“
So life moves along and is ephemeral but music is something that we leave/ like a fossil?
“Absolutely yeah”
Does your music come from the head or the heart?
“I think we have all this information that we’ve picked up along the way that we’re storing and when it comes to the things of the heart you hope that you can use your gut as well and it’s this combination of all these things that you have. You have your moral compass as well that comes into play and all these elements make up your soul which is who we are and hopefully you can portray it through the music.“
Do you think that music has the power to bring everyone together and articulate our inner monologues as humans. Is that why people connect with it so much?
“Yeah I think we have so many different forms of art; you have film makers, people who put paint on canvas, people that write novels and poetry and the beauty of all of that does bring people together whether it’s in a gallery or people sitting reading or at the theatre watching people perform. It’s the same with music, it’s this type of religion almost, people come and they stand around and they feel things together and it’s based on experience where people have heard your music throughout their life and have attached all these moments that sum up that one moment where they get to see you live and possibly they get to run into you and tell you how the music has effected them and it’s such a special art form in that way.“
Yea. It’s almost like a circuitry. Does it feel like a circuit between you and the audience when you’re playing on stage or when you meet people.
“That’s cool. I like that. That’s a cool way of saying it”
Do you feel a different circuitry in different countries between the audience and you as an artist on the stage?
“That’s a good question. You know I think each territory has its own culture and one culture will really differ from the next and the way people ingest information. I guess for me travelling and playing shows you really get to understand over the 20 years or however long, you get really understand when you get to another country you remember what the feeling was when you played to that audience the last time and it really holds up you can pinpoint the different feelings in different countries and what the difference is energetically and its really cool in that way.“
When you go back to a place you’ve lived in like LA or London does it feel familar?
“Yeah, I mean we were so young when we moved here to London. We lived in Notting Hill for a couple of years and we just travelled. I guess the beauty of being here is that you can dispatch to all the European territories at a moments notice you can jump on a train and be in Paris amd things like that. We used to really like to jump in the car and hit the road and it was essential and it was a really big part of us growing as humans and fine tuning our craft.“
Did you ever go to the Notting Hill Carnival?
“Yeah we were on Ladbrook Grove, and the carnival basically went through our street.“
Were you influenced by that at all?
“We are influenced by our environment on a day to day basis, so I think you can’t really put your finger on where it was that a certain song sparked the genre or the things that you were feeling at the time but the beauty of travelling is that you are constantly ingesting all these incredible experiences from around the world.“
Was it in 2024 when you had two albums up for the same ARIA award in the same year? Dope Lemon and Angus and Julia Stone? That is incredible!
“Yeah, it’s a combination of hard work and the labout of love for me and when I get the chance and I have the time when I’m not touring I am generally in the studio creating and diving into what’s next and I find that’s where I’m most at peace, some years are crazy. If you can release two records in a year it’s cool. It’s a lot of work, but it’s what we do we love what we do so it becomes second nature.“
You have your own studio?
“I acquired this big beautiful property that I called Sugar Cane mountain studios and it’s beautiful it looks over the sugar canes and the mountains. I’ve just officially opened it up commercially to the public so now you can book in and experience the space itself and that’s mostly where I’ll be hiding away.“
You must get recognised all the time.
“Yeah, I think it’s changing I think pop culture is not as intense as it used to be. I think now that people are a lot more respectful of people’s personal space and I feel like we’ve hit this level as a society where you hope that there’s a bit more special awareness. Australia is such as cool culture and we feel very lucky that that’s our homeland and everyone’s been so good to us and we love what we do and if someone recognises that on the street then it’s a beautiful thing.“
When you used psydonyms like the name Dope Lemon and Lady of the Sunshine, was that a way of giving you more creative freedom?
“It just happens for different projects. It happens and you follow through and at the time it felt like the right thing and it’s become this really fun world to engage in in the way. Its almost this alternative universe that we can go to and listen to the music and get lost in.It’s cool like that it’s almost like this Extra Terrestrial Theme park of what Dope Lemon is.
A lot of the songs like Golden Wolf feel transcendental, occupying that dream-like space between life and death. Is that the vibe that you are going for?
“Thanks. yeah each song will pull you into these different worlds and Golden Wolf when we were recording that, was a really special afternoon The sun was coming through the living room it was so beautiful. It was one of these golden afternoons where time sort of stands still and making the track on that day was definitely transcendental there was a bit of floating in and out of these different worlds and I think when that happens you feel really lucky to have experienced that moment in time and then it gets printed and other people get to experience that also and they have their own feelings and intentions that it triggers and it’s really beautiful like that – music.“
A lot of your videos and songs seem really cinematic and widescreen. How important is that side – matching the visual and the musical?
“Yeah it’s really important. I feel like it sets a tone for the way that I feel like you know. I mean the music videos are really creative themselves. Its not always the message of the song it’s just another creation, you know, having fun with the feeling of the song and creating little story lines around it. It can be something completely random but it encapsulates the playfulness of what it is to be able to create in general. We love making those music videos. They are good fun.
We are very lucky to have people around us that can see the vision of the song when it comes to creating this stuff Daniel May is the director and producer. He has a great way of piecing it all together and seeing the storyline and being open to it evolving and theres no ideas off the table it’s this ever expanding fun project.”
There seems to be a huge range to your your music. ‘Golden Wolf ‘single seems more pastoral and green, while tracks like ‘Electric Green Lambo’ one seemed more capitalist and witty.
“Yeah we are playing on that fun – it’s almost like a piss take on the seriousness of doing a heist and being that character and it’s fun to make.”
It looks so sleek and stylised. So much effort must go into each video.
“It’s crazy the days on set – so much goes into it – the scenes as simple as they look – so much thought and effort and planning has gone into making it beautiful and colour-coded in and of itself. That’s the beauty of working with people who are really good at their craft. The nuance and respect that they give the art form its really cool to be around that energy.“
It’s like another type of visual trip .
“Yes, for sure. Trying to bring people into those worlds that you envision when you’re writing a song it allows the listener to have an insight into the craziness of it all.
Do you think that music can raise people’s consciousness.. A room can sometimes feel like a religious experience, as you said. Have you ever felt that when you are playing?
“Yeah for sure. Sometimes you’ll play the most incredible theatres in the world where literally the walls have so much history in them as to who’s been there and the architecture it’s the historic value of what it means to be in some of these cathedrals where you know monumental things have happened really is such a treat. I think that travelling and being in these temples of music is the most incredible thing, I feel so lucky to be a part of that world.“
It feels like you’ve felt it from the stage I wonder if you’ve felt that at someone else’s concert. Have you ever felt elevated/ watching someone else as an audience member as well?
“Yeah we toured with Fleetwood Mac a couple of years ago. Watching Stevie and also hanging out with her, we had a really cool chat about what it’s like to move around and be part of this world and whatever it’s like to be a touring artist and songwriter. Those times you share in life with people that have experience in the same format as yourself, it’s really cool you have this moment where you’re not alone and there’s this connectivity of the labour of love that you’ve dived into. I guess those are the ethereal moments that I have spoken about- those ethereal. Spiritual moments that you have when you are playing.“
Do you have any Bob Dylan influences?
“For sure. Our dad was a wedding singer of all the greats, he used to play all their music with us falling asleep under the wedding table Dylan and Neil Young it was part of our nature to know those artists and if you hear that it’s probably just where we were exposed to such incredible art. We’re such sponges in the way when you’re a kid you’re taking in all this beautiful art and later in life when you have the opportunity to do that it’s your expression of how you do it yourself and all those things add up to who you are today.“
So what can you tell us about the Golden Wolf Album?
“It is a bit of everything. Growing up and the future all at the same time. Ever turning.“
What does that Golden Wolf Represent?
“I think it’s what it is that leads you into the next life and what you’d like to bring with you when you pass over. That was the concept of the song.“
I guess as musicians you’ll be bringing your music with you and also be leaving some behind
“It’s a cool thing to be able to leave music behind for people to be able to look back on songs. It’s a cool thing to be a part of.“
I was thinking about the iconic symbol of the lemon and the wolf and I believe some of your fans have tattooed your symbols on themselves.
“Ha ha. Yeah it’s so cool to see them . You’ll see maybe one a week and it’s really special you know you’re creating a family thoughout the world when you see that it’s kind of like ‘welcome’ This is something that we back and we’re always going to be here creating and hopefully sharing music til the day we die and it’s a message that almost bolsters the whole family tighter.“
Does anyone ever wonder about the meaning of the lemon?
“It started a long time ago and it’s a secret. I can’t tell,” he laughed. “It’s an extension of the music and it’s great getting together with artists and watching them explore themselves in that world and that’s the beauty of it all connecting the dots.” .
Any final words for our readers?
“Keep creating and hopefully you can find a connection with this new record and thanks for the love.”
Golden Wolf is out now. Dope Lemon plays live in Ireland and the UK in September
See dates below.
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