Simple Stone

Interview With Simple Stone

SBS:  Hello and welcome to ya!  It’s always best to start off with some kind of introduction to who you are and what kind of music you make, isn’t it?  Tell us a bit about yourself & the history of your music, and give the people out there reading a couple of concrete reasons as to why they should be listening!

Simple Stone:  We are a Heavy Rock power trio out of Sydney, Australia.  Our sound sits somewhere between Hard Rock, Grunge, Punk and Metal (based on our influences) – it’s heavy, melodic, and built around strong grooves and big hooks.

We have evolved as a band over the years, but what’s stayed consistent is that collaborative approach.  Everything we do comes from bouncing ideas around until it feels right.  If you’re into bands like Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, or anything with weight and attitude, there’s something in there for you.

SBS:  While we’re still getting to know you and quite possibly introducing you to these pages of ours, what would you say is the newest and/or most exciting thing you’ve got going on with your music right now?  Is there anything you’ve been working on that just got released, or something happening behind the scenes that you haven’t mentioned yet?  What should your fans be looking forward to this year?

Simple Stone:  Right now, we’re rolling out material from our latest album NINE.  We actually just released the second single “Breathe” today (April 30^th when we are writing this).  NINE is our third full length studio album and we released it on Jan 31^st along with the first single “T.O.A.”  We are streaming the singles as we release them but decided to make the album exclusively available through Bandcamp (physical and digital) + directly from us at live shows (of course).

As far as behind the scenes, we have already started pre-production on new tracks for the next album!  We thought since we have the material, we might as well get a jump on it so, that will occupy us somewhat over the rest of the year.

Beyond that we recently confirmed a return to Japan so will be heading back there in November to play another run of shows.

SBS:  So far to-date, what do you feel like is the song of yours that listeners respond to the most?  Do you feel like you knew they’d like it when you first created it, or was it just another song to you at the time?  Sometimes it takes a few spins and a bit of time before we realize how special a song truly is.  What is it about this particular track that you feel people connect to?  If someone was to ask you to play one of your songs to get them interested in your music, would you choose the same one that listeners seem to enjoy the most, or would you risk it and choose something different from your catalog instead?

Simple Stone:  Hmmm.  That’s an interesting one.  A song that we consistently get a good reaction from at live shows is “First Time” from our second album Through This Dark.  We like to get the crowd involved in that one and usually run them through the chorus Acapella style before launching into the track.

As far as our catalogue goes, that one is probably more ‘middle of the road’ among our scope of song styles so it’s probably a ‘safe’ option.  We have had a good reception to the new songs from NINE which we have incorporated into our live show, which is great.  If we wanted to be ‘risky’ I’d say we would play them “Lipstick Cigarette” (also from NINE) which is pretty heavy but has a real groove to it.  It…swings a little, I think?  It’s a bit of a departure if you took it as a ‘snapshot’ but it’s still very much ‘Simple Stone.’

Those two songs side by side are probably a decent demonstration of our versatility.

SBS:  Is there a concert you’ve been to that…maybe it was the best you’ve seen, maybe it wasn’t, but it was a completely unforgettable moment in time that you might not even see from the same band or artist again if you saw them play in the future?  Know what I mean?  Like, maybe a band you saw was touring a certain album and they never played those songs again…or like, maybe an artist climbed up the frame of the stage like Eddie Vedder did, and of course he’s probably not doin’ that now as an older dude…there are countless examples of amazing shows from the artists & bands we love most that we will never see happen twice.  Tell us all the details you can remember about an unforgettable show you saw, and why you don’t think that if you saw that same artist/band today that it could all happen again.

Simple Stone:  We’ve all had those moments.  Big shows like Foo Fighters or Guns N’ Roses when you’re younger – they hit differently because it’s the first time you’re experiencing that scale and energy.

There’s something about those early gigs where everything feels larger than life.  You can still go see those bands now, but it’s never quite the same as that first impact.  And as you mentioned, these artists get older so there is a different dynamic over time.

SBS:  I’ve heard it said many times that it’s harder to write a song in a happy mood than to write one when you’re feeling down.  Of course, for some folks, the opposite is just as true…I guess maybe that’s a reflection of who we are on the inside perhaps?  From YOUR perspective, what’s the particular emotion you associate with the most, or connect to the strongest when you’re creating your music?  How does it play a role in what you write & why do you feel like that specific emotion gets the best songs out of you?

Simple Stone:  We don’t really sit down and aim for a specific emotion – it tends to come out naturally.  A lot of the time it’s tied to reflection, frustration, or just trying to make sense of things.

Some songs are personal, others are more fictional, but even those are usually rooted in real feelings and experiences.  The best stuff comes when you don’t overthink it and just follow the idea wherever it goes.  Of course, when you are collaborating – after all, Simple Stone isn’t a one-man show – it’s natural for ideas and themes to change when they get presented to the collective.  So, it helps to not be married to anything or approach things as being too static.  If that makes sense.  Every now and then things ‘come into being’ almost fully formed and barely change at all.  Like many things, creating music runs a spectrum.

SBS:  Let’s ask ya this…would you rather create a massive hit song that the whole world knows and sings along with, or risk toiling in obscurity for the length of your career to fully keep your artistic integrity intact?  Is it really that much better to be one of those artists or bands that are only known for one song, or is it better to build a whole catalog you can proudly stand behind that might not be known at all?  One-hit wonders tend to get judged pretty harshly and are often crushed under the weight of constantly trying to find that second hit – but the flipside of that coin is the right hit song can be so financially lucrative that it can often be enough to build a whole career around.  Still…I have to wonder whether or not that would suck all the joy right outta the craft…maybe it’s really better to have no hits than one hit – what do you think you’d prefer and why?  Do you feel like creating a hit song is truly crucial to a music career?  If it’s not, what’s the alternative?  Can you still have a career without really becoming known?

Simple Stone:  Ideally you want both – something that connects widely but still feels true to what you do.  But if we had to choose, we’d lean toward building a catalogue we’re proud of.

A single hit might open doors, but it can also box you in.  We’d rather keep evolving and putting out music that feels honest than chase something that doesn’t represent us.

We think (and we discuss this kind of thing – usually on looooong road trips) that one of the biggest traps is probably trying to write ‘for an audience’ rather than just creating what comes naturally – so to speak.  All you can do is hope that your audience ‘finds’ you, I guess.  It’s probably where a lot of ‘successful’ bands fail.  Trying to re-create that song, that sound that got everyone interested.  If you want longevity you have to remain true to yourself.

SBS:  Alright.  Personal taste.  It’s a weird thing right?  Impossible to predict, isn’t it?  We always talk about A-sides and B-sides when it comes to making music, and I like to believe that albums are generally put together with the artist or band bringing their best (theoretically, the A-sides) to an official release.  But once a song has been put out there into the world, it takes on all kinds of different meanings to every set of individual ears listening, doesn’t it?  For example – I’ve heard plenty of songs on what are considered to be B-side albums, or second songs that came along with a single that I might like even more than an A-side.  On the same side of that coin, just about every artist and band I know of tends to like certain songs they release much more than the ones their fans respond to the most.  So…I guess the question is…is there really such a thing as an A-side or a B-side to begin with?  What’s the point in worrying too much if everyone out there will draw to their own conclusions about what they like anyhow?  Should we just put absolutely everything we make out there online & let people be the judge?  When we label something as an A-side or a B-side, doesn’t that somewhat limit the listener’s objective ability to assess how they feel about a song on their own?  Who really decides what’s an A-side or a B?

Simple Stone:  Another curly one.  😊

We do still think in those terms but probably just because when we were growing up that was how things were delineated.  With physical media being so much less of a thing these days it’s not terminology we come across as much anymore.

We still very much put thought into how we build track order on our albums – so they still follow a theme or tell a story if you listen to the whole album from ‘front to back.’  I guess it’s similar to when we are putting together a setlist for a live show.  We have to consider pacing and energy and just how things will fit together.  Of course, live, you can always pivot depending on how things are going but with an album track list, once it’s done it’s done.

In simple terms you would group your ‘A sides’ as singles – songs you think would have good appeal and are a solid representation of the rest of the album.  Ideally, a single should arouse enough curiosity in a listener to follow up and check out the rest of the album and other releases.  That’s the best case.

You can never really know how things are going to resonate with your audience beyond a ‘best guess.’  So much like our philosophy with creating music in general, when we release singles it’s still the stuff we like.  Songs we would like to hear.

SBS:  Who’s someone you would be able to pinpoint as an influence on your music, or who you are as an artist, that even your fan-base might not have expected?  How has that person affected the way you make your music, and do you really feel like the influence ends up showing up in your sound, or not?  Maybe it’s something they said, maybe it’s something they did, maybe it’s something they accomplished that you hope to as well someday…maybe they’re simply iconic, or have become legendary.  Tell us why this particular inspiration matters to you & how they made an impact on how you view the art of music.

Simple Stone:  Between us there’s a pretty wide range of influences – everything from Kings X, Pennywise, Queen and Prince through to grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden.

Some of those influences are obvious, others not so much, but they all shape how we approach songwriting and dynamics.  Even if you can’t hear it directly, it’s in there somewhere.

That covers a lot of what has influenced our sound anyway.  I think we can all draw inspiration from other artists.  Not just from their success – that’s usually a by-product, to be honest, of their creativity.

We choose to be inspired by the success of others rather than envious.

SBS:  I’m going with a motto of being unafraid to fail this year, because I think even though I’ve failed in so many things that I’ve tried, maybe I still haven’t failed enough to have learned to not be so afraid of it yet, you know what I mean?  We can learn so much by failing…by trying different things…by stretching outside of our comfort zones – and heck, we don’t even know if we can find success at all unless we’re really willing to see what we’re capable of, right?  So let’s ask you this – what do you consider to be your biggest failure with your music to-date, and ultimately, how did that experience actually end up helping you later on?  What did you learn from whatever mistake you made & how did it assist your evolution?

Simple Stone:  Like any band, there have been lineup changes, false starts, and things that didn’t land the way we expected.  Not sure if any of that would fall into the realm of ‘failure’ though.  I think if we had let any of those challenges stop us, then they might qualify.

It all feeds into the bigger picture.  Every album has been a step forward rather than a change in direction.  An evolution, not a revolution.  You soon learn what works and what doesn’t.  The tricky part is not having a flat learning curve.  😊

I don’t think any of us are ready to apply the ‘failure’ label to what we have done and are continuing to do.  Perhaps it comes from managing expectations?

You could say to date, we have failed to ‘take the world by storm’ with our own brand of original Heavy Rock.  But then again, we aren’t done trying yet so – let’s put the end result on hold for now.

SBS:  As I always like to remind people participating in our interviews, there is no such thing as an interview that has ever covered everything that someone would want to talk about, this one included.  We cover that here at sleepingbagstudios by offering you the ‘open floor’ at the end…a space where you can talk about anything else you want to.  You can mention anything we didn’t bring up.  You can talk politics if you want to.  You can swear.  You can tell us which websites we should go to in order to listen to your music.  You can tell us your favorite movie if you like.  Heck, you can full-on repeat yourself and say something you’ve already said if you feel so inclined – it’s YOUR space to say whatever YOU would want to say to the people out there, completely free of our influence on the conversation…all I suggest is that you take it for a ride and make good use out of it.  Thank you so much for talkin’ tunes with us!!!

(Simple Stone):  FUCK!

(just testing).

I guess we would like to leave things by asking people to go and check out our music.  And if they like what they hear, tell their friends.  Hell, if you think we suck then also tell your friends and get them to listen.  Maybe they will agree, maybe they won’t.

We are proud of everything we have released but would love people to give our latest album NINE a listen.  Then if so inclined, roll back through the catalogue.  You will see where it came from.

We are on all the usual socials so just search ‘Simple Stone’ on Facebook, Instagram, X, Tik Tok, YouTube and you will find us.  (Check out our music videos on our YT channel – we put them together ourselves and think we do a pretty good job for a little indie outfit)

You can buy any of our albums on Bandcamp (simplestone.bandcamp.com) and also some of our merch.

Also, support your local music venues and local artists.  Go and catch a show or two.  If you are able to, buy a t-shirt or a CD or whatever – it really helps out independent artists and might be the only way they are seeing any money out of this crazy enterprise of ours.

You don’t even need to spend any money – just drop a like and follow on their socials.  Every little bit of support goes a long way and really does mean the world to an independent artist.

And, don’t forget to support people like SBS – make sure you like and comment on their stuff and share it around.  A lot of work goes into doing this kind of thing and it gives a voice to independent musicians.

Sure, maybe we are still just all shouting into the void.

But with the help of outfits like SBS, at least we are all shouting just that little bit louder.

Peace and Rock

Simple Stone

Find out more about Simple Stone from their official website at:  https://www.simplestoneband.com.au

Ya ha!  This link right here is the key to being the next artist or band featured here at sleepingbagstudios, so instead of just ignoring it, click it instead!