Angus & Julia Stone create ‘Karaoke Bar’ album
The life of a touring band often looks like a relentless cycle of late nights, strange towns, and faceless hotels. For many artists, the road can feel like a slog. Yet, for some, the relentless grind is the very birthplace of pure magic.
Angus & Julia Stone found that magic on the road during their intimate global journey known as the Living Room Sessions. Launched in 2024, this tour was more than just a series of concerts; it became the creative springboard for their new album, Karaoke Bar.
The experience was transformative, allowing the sibling act to use the trek as a creative laboratory. As Julia Stone reflects, much of the material was written while they were performing, feeling an unparalleled sense of happiness and connection while making music together. The shows themselves were highlighted by incredible settings—from the Royal Albert Hall in London and Paris’ L’Olympia to the Sydney Opera House—creating a backdrop of shared storytelling.
These moments of exposure fueled their creativity. Between the highlights of the tour, the Stones ducked into studios across the globe, pouring their feelings into the tracks. Angus recalled recording in the historic Carpet Factory studio on the Greek island of Hydra, describing the atmosphere as pure magic—a vivid reminder of history and artistic inspiration.
These experiences shaped the new collection, which was written and recorded across Greece, France, and Australia, the duo’s homeland. Karaoke Bar captures a perfect balance of the granular and the grand, bubbling with that unmistakable happiness. This joyful spirit is palpable in tracks like “The Start” and the title track, which effortlessly channels the euphoria of a classic like “Sweet Caroline.”
Julia notes that the special sauce for this record lay not just in the locations, but in the feeling of creation. “There’s always experiences and moments that make new music special,” she observes. “The special sauce is really a mix of the places we recorded, and also the way we were feeling while making this record.”
Angus also found inspiration in spaces that inspired creation, such as Miraval Studios in the south of France. While they couldn’t settle into a cottage to record the entire album, the energy of those inspiring environments fueled the artistic process, lending life to tracks like “Monroe.”
The bulk of the album’s ten tracks were brought to life using portable recording gear, reflecting the reality of touring life. The final touches were made in Angus’s Sugarcane Mountain Studios in New South Wales, completing the vision inspired by their journey.
Angus & Julia Stone have built a career spanning two decades, accumulating multi-platinum sales and numerous accolades. Their success is built on authenticity and a genuine connection to their craft, a quality that has consistently resonated with critics and fans. With their catalogue rooted in joy and inspiration, the duo is now gearing up for another exciting phase of adventure.
The excitement continues with upcoming North American and Australasian tour dates, promising more opportunities to share their sound. The calendar is full of color, and the momentum from the road is clearly leading them toward even greater musical horizons.
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