Angus Stone

Angus John Stone (born 27 April 1986) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is one half of the musical sibling duo Angus & Julia Stone, with whom he has released five studio albums. His debut solo album, Smoking Gun, was released in April 2009 under the pseudonym Lady of the Sunshine, and reached the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart. His second solo album, Broken Brights, was released under his name on 13 July 2012 and peaked at number 2. Stone currently records under the moniker of Dope Lemon.

Biography Angus Stone was born on 27 April 1986 and grew up in Sydney. His parents, John and Kim Stone, were both folk musicians. Stone's older sisters are Catherine (born ca. 1982) and Julia Stone (born 13 April 1984). At about the age of 14 years his parents separated and soon after he started writing pop songs. After playing split sets with each singing backing vocals to the other's material, in 2006, they formed a duo, Angus & Julia Stone.

2009–2011: Lady of the Sunshine: Smoking Gun In April 2009, after touring for over a year in support of the duo's first studio album, A Book Like This (September 2007), Stone released his debut solo album, Smoking Gun, under the pseudonym, Lady of the Sunshine. In an interview on national radio station, Triple J, with Richard Kingsmill, Stone said that the album came out of "growing an appetite for wanting to rock out". Stone explained that he had played in rock bands while in high school, they covered material by Rage Against the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers – these influences are loosely present on Smoking Gun. To accompany the album Stone wrote "Every emotion in my head has its own voice and this record is what came of them .... I wanted these songs to have their own style. I enjoyed watching how the songs took on their own ride, most from the simplest of ideas". One of his tracks, "Big Jet Plane", from Smoking Gun was later re-recorded by Angus & Julia Stone and released by the duo as a single in May 2010.

In March 2010 the duo's second album, Down the Way, debuted at No. 1. It was the highest-selling album by an Australian artist in 2010. Down the Way peaked in the top 30 on the French Albums Chart and stayed in the top 200 for 86 weeks. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 the duo won 'Album of the Year' for Down the Way and 'Single of the Year' for "Big Jet Plane". Their single "Big Jet Plane" was voted No. 1 in the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2011. After a world tour promoting Down the Way, Stone and his sister parted ways, according to Stone with a "tip of the hat and strolled in different directions". In a Rolling Stone (Australia) interview, Julia revealed the duo had started recording tracks for a third album, in January 2011, but shelved them indefinitely: "It was too much to think we could only pick six songs each… We were both in a place where we really wanted creative space to go in whatever direction we wanted so we were like 'let’s just take a year out'".

2012–2015: Broken Brights In late 2011 Stone began working on his second solo album, Broken Brights. He told Surfing World Magazine, "ecording with Julia is cool but we both have our hands on the wheel. This was an opportunity to grab the wheel and do some burn-outs". It was released in Australia on 13 July 2012 which peaked at No. 2. The title track from the album was released as the lead single in March that year as a free download on Triple J's Home and Hosed. The second single, "Bird on the Buffalo", is a metaphor for a musing relationship between lovers. and the video features the actress Isabel Lucas. According to Indie Londons Jack Foley, the third single, "Wooden Chair" is "mesmerising in a low-key, effortlessly brilliant manner that also manages to include an intoxicating background whistle. It’s breezy and romantic without really even trying to be". It was featured in the US TV show, Private Practice, in Season 6, Episode 3 "Good Grief". The fourth single, "Monsters", had its video premiered on The Huffington Post. The album was certified gold by ARIA for shipment of 35,000 copies.

The album was built upon childhood influences such as Bob Dylan and The Eagles, the end result being very Dylanesque, laid-back with some rockier elements. When speaking to the Vancouver Weekly about the creation of Broken Brights he said he "discovered a lot about time". Further elaborating, he said, "Just in general. To take a step back and let something unfold and breathe and become ripe when it says it's time".

Broken Brights was released in Australia on 13 July. The album was released on Nettwerk Records, Tony Hardy from Consequence of Sound said "There’s always something unexpected around the corner".

The "Monsters" single was released on 26 February 2013 by Nettwerk Productions. It contains an edited version of the song that was previously released on Broken Brights. The song was cut from 5 minutes and 20 seconds to only 4 minutes and 3 seconds. The single also contains a previously unreleased tune titled "In the Glow".

2016–2022: Dope Lemon: Honey Bones, Hounds Tooth and Rose Pink Cadillac In 2016, Stone began recording under the moniker Dope Lemon. The album Honey Bones was recorded with Rohin Brown (of The Walking Who) and Elliot Hammond in Stone's own farm studio.

On 27 February 2017, Stone released his second set of studio recordings as Dope Lemon, the four-track EP Hounds Tooth.

Smooth Big Cat Dope Lemon's second studio album was released in July 2019. The album spawned the popular single "Hey You".

In September 2021, Stone announce the release of the third studio album by Dope Lemon, titled Rose Pink Cadillac. The album was preceded by the singles "Every Day Is a Holiday", "Kids Fallin' in Love", "Rose Pink Cadillac" and "Stingray Pete" and was released in January 2022.

2023–Present: Dope Lemon: Kimosabé and Golden Wolf

Early 2023 American star Post Malone was opening for the American Band Red Hot Chili Peppers in Melbourne, when Stone was invited on stage. Malone and Stone proceeded to perform "Big Jet Plane" together. This coming a couple months after video of Malone was released, talking about how he could sample the song to American Rapper Swae Lee. A recording of the performance was uploaded onto Malone's YouTube page on May 16. Stone would later open for Malone on his Australia leg of his If Y'all Weren't Here, I'd Be Crying Tour in 2023.

In June 2023, Stone released "Kimosabé", the lead single from the album of the same name; the fourth released under the moniker of Dope Lemon. The song itself features samples from Will Ferrell from the film Step Brothers. Both Ferrell and director Adam McKay have received co-writing credits on the song.

In July 2023 the second single from Dope Lemon's fourth studio album "Miami Baby" was released. An accompanying music video was released which was shot within Australian Rules Footballer Lance Franklin's home.

Kimosabé Dope Lemon's fourth studio album was released in September 2023. The album was the first of Dope Lemon's albums to feature Stone's face on the album cover. The album peaked at number 9 on the ARIA albums chart.

In November 2024, Dope Lemon released "Golden Wolf", described as his "next chapter". In February 2025, Dope Lemon announced the release of Golden Wolf, scheduled for release on 9 May 2025.

Live performances Angus Stone began to play his new solo music at Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay in July 2012. In September that year he embarked on a solo tour of the US, UK, continental Europe, and Australia with sold out shows including Brussels, Utrecht, Berlin and both his Los Angeles and New York shows. Upon the start of his solo tour Angus said, "To play live as my own in front of those people, it's going to be a different trail of gravel and gold, but none the less very exciting ... it's a whole different trip". His live performances have garnered praise, The Stanford Dailys Sasha Arijanto reported being "bewitched by the dulcet sounds from the stage". After Stone's show in Montreal, Caitlin Grimes from Confront Magazine stated, "don’t think I can name another artist who can manage to grab you by the wrist and pull you into such stories with him". Stone played his first solo shows in Australia including at Enmore Theatre in Sydney on 1 November. He performed at the Australian summer festivals including Homebake, Woodford, Falls (both Lorne and Marion Bay), and Southbound in Western Australia. In early 2013 he is due to start a European tour including London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Discography

Smoking Gun (2009, as Lady of the Sunshine) Broken Brights (2012, as Angus Stone) Honey Bones (2016, as Dope Lemon) Smooth Big Cat (2019, as Dope Lemon) Rose Pink Cadillac (2022, as Dope Lemon) Kimosabé (2023, as Dope Lemon) Golden Wolf (2025, as Dope Lemon)

Awards and nominations AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. 2023 Rose Pink Cadillac Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP 2024 Kimosabé Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP

Independent Producer of the Year

APRA Awards The APRA Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) to recognise composing and song writing skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

2018 "Snow" (with Julia Stone) Song of the Year

2024

Most Performed Alternative Work

ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards is an annual ceremony presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987. 2008 Angus Stone, Julia Stone and Josh Groom for "Just a Boy" Best Video

Best Male Artist

Best Blues & Roots Album

Best Blues and Roots Album

Best Blues and Roots Album

Rolling Stone Australia Awards The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. 2024 Kimosabé Best Record