Stonefield bowled me over in 2010 when they released their debut single “Into the Clover.” They were wee young things, but I saw such promise in their gutsy classic brand of rock. Since that time they’ve gone from strength to strength, playing Glastonbury and supporting some of the biggest acts in the country. I caught up with the band’s bassist Holly Findlay to talk about their brand new single, time in the studio, and what comes next.

You’re all so young, but your music has such a classic sound. What did you listen to when you were growing up?
We grew up listening to our Mum and Dad’s music. Everything from Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and The Doors to Cat Stevens and Fleetwood Mac.

I’m one of three girls, and I can’t imagine working with my sisters. How does it work for you guys being in a band together?
Being in a band with your sisters has its advantages and disadvantages. For us it’s more of an advantage because we get along really well most of the time. We do have our little tiffs but we get over it pretty easy.  We really connect with each other and help out each other with ideas.

You grew up in a country town in Victoria called Darraweit Guim, which is so small many people probably haven’t heard of it. What was that like?
It was fun growing up in a small town but it definitely got boring sometimes and that’s when we turned to playing music!

You’ve had some amazing opportunities like playing Glastonbury. What was it like to play such an iconic festival so far from home?
The experience of going over to the UK and playing Glastonbury was so surreal. It was such a great experience. It was our first overseas show let alone the biggest show we have ever played.

And you also toured the country with Cold Chisel. What did you learn from travelling with such seasoned musicians?
It was an outdoor concert that had a festival vibe. All the shows were in regional areas at wineries, which was certainly different but it was great fun and it was a real privilege to play with such an iconic Australian band.

You’re just about to release your new single “Bad Reality.” Why did you choose to unleash that song?
It’s a straight out rock song and gets straight to the point. That’s what we like about it.

The single comes from your new EP, which will hit stores in a couple of weeks. What can you tell us about it?
We recorded the EP with Lindsay Gravina who has recorded with a lot of amazing Australian artists. We are really happy with the results and can’t wait for everyone to hear it!

After spending so much time on the road in the last year. What’s it been like to hibernate away in the studio?
We didn’t really hibernate in the studio; we sort of recorded in blocks because we had gigs in-between. We intend to do that with the album as well so Sarah and I don’t miss out on a lot of school and it takes off the pressure of being in the studio for such a long period of time in one big block.

Two years have passed between the release of your debut EP and this one. How have you grown as a band during that time?
We think our song writing has improved and has matured. We have experienced a lot more in the music industry in the past couple of years and it has really pushed us to improve.

Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
We’re currently writing and demoing for the album. We’re playing at Triple J’s One Night Stand as well so we’re really excited about that!

Catch Stonefield on their Bad Reality tour at the following venues.

19 April 2012 – The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
20 April 2012 – The Zoo, Brisbane
21 April 2012 – Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra
22 April 2012 – The Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
24 & 25 April 2012 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
26 April 2012 – The Patch, Wollongong
27 April 2012 – The Standard, Surry Hills
28 April 2012 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Image used with permission from Shiny Entertainment