An Interview With Dope Lemon

Australian artist Angus Stone has recently released his fifth album ‘Golden Wolf’ under solo act Dope Lemon. Stone rose to fame in the early 2010’s as a duo act with his sister Julia Stone, but since 2016 has been simultaneously releasing sun-soaked indie music under his solo project moniker Dope Lemon. Stone’s four previous solo albums have created a dreamy universe drenched in sun, that is glossy and nostalgic at the same time. 

‘Golden Wolf’ offers a further look into the world of Dope Lemon, with a relaxed blend of indie and psychedelic rock, accompanied by contemplative lyrics. Craccum was lucky enough to have a chat with Dope Lemon to ask all of our burning questions and chat about his upcoming tour. 

Before we move on to the more in depth questions, I just wanted to ask, if you could see any artist dead or alive, who would it be? 

Dope Lemon: You know I feel so lucky and blessed to have been able to play with the artists that we have, you know? Fleetwood Mac took us on tour recently, we’ve done tours with Crowded House and recorded with the greats such as Rick Rubin. Recently we were able to perform with Dua Lipa and Post Malone. I think that question pops up, but for me I like to focus on the living and what's happening in real time with the artists that connect with us and bring us along. And I hope I can give that back to younger artists in that way, it's a cool cycle like that.

That's a nice way to look at it, focusing on the present and emerging new talent. So focusing on the present moment, what is your current favourite song?

Dope Lemon: I’ve been listening to a song called “Be Good or Be Gone” a lot, by Fionn Regan. It’s just a song that I think is pretty special. 

I’ll have to give it a listen then, and on the visual side of music, reflecting on your discography, what is your favourite music video that you’ve ever made? 

Dope Lemon: You know it’s been a lot of fun [making music videos] and I’m really inspired by films. I think we try to take a little bit of inspiration from that and try to incorporate it into what we are doing. I think, probably, my favourite is this one music video we shot for a song called ‘Marinade’. At the time, I was inspired by a film called ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ by Wes Anderson. We took a leaf out of his book, and we had a lot of fun creating this magical little world telling a story of these two kids falling in love, it was really special. 

Where did your journey start for your upcoming album? Was there an initial theme that sparked the idea for ‘Golden Wolf’?

Dope Lemon: You know, I think it changes. For me personally, it's based on your observations and your social commentary and the things we all go through as human beings on this earth, and through love, loss, discovery, and exploration. 

I think the theme for me when making records is exploring my current chapter and where I'm at in life, and my skill set in creating songs. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific theme because it's just a window into my next chapter. That’s what making records is for me, we all have a story and we all reveal it in certain ways, whether your creation is in your trade or creatively. For me, it’s these albums that I get to release and share with the world. They are just little windows into my life. 

Did your personal creative process differ in the creation of this new album from your previous work? 

Dope Lemon: You learn new things along the way that you possibly hadn’t picked up from past records. I'm forever learning and growing as an artist and as a human being, and I feel like this record has a bit more spark in it, when I listen to it, it gives me this renewal of energy in the way it moves along. I love listening to records when I’m driving in the country, and for me this album is the perfect setting for that.  

I read you love listening to music in the car, is that the main place you listen to music or are you constantly listening to music? 

Dope Lemon: The car is for sure the best place. I mean, you're the protagonist in your own film when you’re in the car, flying through time, and the music is the soundtrack. 

Do you have any rituals when you are writing and recording your music?

Dope Lemon: That’s a good question. We'll sort of splash out of bed and have a coffee and then go and sit in the studio, either as a band or when I’m recording on my own or just with the engineer. We will just sit there, sometimes it’ll be for hours just having a yarn, watching a movie, or getting on YouTube and having a laugh, or watching some standup. If something doesn’t feel right when you start recording, those moments are really important to let the energy creep up on you, and when it hits it’s like “Okay let's get stuck in”. 

I think it’s important. We all have to get to work, whatever it is you do for work, but for me, it’s nice if you’re in that creative bubble to let it creep up on you and then get cracking. It’s kind of like pre-drinks before you hit the town. For recording you’re creating an energy or just a nice buzz before you get into it. 

You’ve travelled a lot throughout your career, from London to LA, to your current home at Sugarcane Mountain Studios. Do you feel like your surroundings have a big impact on your sound?

Dope Lemon: It’s funny, It’s one of those things where your surroundings have everything and nothing to do with your art. I’m lucky enough to have a base, but in the end it comes down to your imagination, and how much you are ready to share an idea with yourself, and with the world, and with that little spinning recording device. 

We live in a day and age where we are so lucky to be able to record anywhere. I can be sitting on a bus on tour and have all this incredible technology that you can record at a moment's notice in a hotel room or backstage. Really you could be sitting anywhere, and it all comes down to what is inside of you and if it is authentic and real, and what you can create from your imagination. In that moment you are creating your own environment and world that surrounds you. 

Do you record a lot while on the road? 

Dope Lemon: I carry around a little recording rig and we travel in these big double decker tour buses with 14 beds, and there's a bar and a movie room. I have my own room at the back and I’ll set up a little rig and if something comes to me I’ll have a guitar. I’ll tinker with Ideas that I can use when it comes to legitimate recording. When it comes to doing the legitimate recording I like being in the space of complete silence so you can really hone in on what it is you’re trying to put down on the recording. But I’m always tinkering and writing notes. I think I'm just always collecting things as I go. 

You have said that you’re inspired by films, are there any particular films that influenced you in the production of your new album?

Dope Lemon: I’ve always been a big Cohen Brothers lover. There’s a film called True Grit that I watched while making this album. All of their films are incredible, the way they use their cinematography and stories and marry up all their scenes into this beautiful, chaotic story. I’m also a big fan of David Lynch. 

Though, I feel when I was younger I was more inspired sonically by the old man. [My Dad] was a wedding singer, so we grew up with him in the garage always playing Dylan or Neil Young, all of those incredible artists, and that shaped us as kids. But now it’s become a more visual representation of me. I get excited about wanting to tell my own story visually, putting a poetic format together so people can fall down a rabbit hole. I feel like Dope Lemon has become this really cool mascot and a way to disappear into being whoever you want to be. I think that has created this really beautiful community of artists, from tattoo artists, to writers, to painters, I think just being around that community is really cool. It makes me want to keep doing what I do and sharing what I do, to grow what has become a really beautiful thing. 

With your new album release on the 2nd of May and your Tour starting on the 19th of May, is there a particular city that you love playing in while touring? Or any dream places you would like to play?

Dope Lemon: I mean, whenever we come to New Zealand it’s such a treat. When we go there we get to take the time and go fishing and just be in God’s country. What you guys have there is really special, it’s such a special place. We are playing Shed 6 in Wellington on the 7th of August and Auckland Town Hall on the 8th of August. Whenever we are there I’ve had such fun nights. 

Coming back to my dream [places to play]. My dream venues are always wherever we are. The fact that people are showing up and are inspired to listen to us live is really cool. I feel like it doesn’t get old. I really feel like we’re all living parallel lives. When people connect with the music and they tell you the first time they heard a song or record, and it had a profound effect on them, or they met this person, or someone in their family had passed, and [the music] had a poignant meaning. Those moments, more and more as I get on with it in life, become the most important and special thing to me. Personally, it’s just this magical ride that I feel so blessed to be on. It just keeps getting better and better. 

Well we are so excited to have you in New Zealand on the 7th and 8th of August. Is there anything else you’re excited about that you would like to tell the readers?

Dope Lemon: I’m just excited to get back over there. Every time I go to New Zealand, I always put aside two weeks after to travel around. So if you see us in the street give us a holler and hopefully we can share a beer or something and chat more about what it is to be alive and live the dream. 

If you are in Wellington on the 7th of August or Auckland on the 8th of August (or even abroad outside of those dates) head to dopelemon.com to grab some tickets to what is sure to be the grooviest and dreamiest night of the year. Additionally, I have to recommend giving Dope Lemon’s new album ‘Golden Wolf’ a listen for some catchy additions to your playlists. I personally have ‘Maggie’s Moonshine’ on repeat!