A Quick Chat With Sunday Lemonade
Sunday Lemonade, Melbourne’s feel-good folk duo, have just released their new single ‘Runaway’. Quickly following up the release of ‘See You Sometime’ that was released at the end of August, ‘Runaway’ has always been one of their crowd favourites at their gigs over the years. We can totally understand why as the sunny, upbeat and light-hearted energy is palpable. The pair have been touring around the country in a van since 2018 and have plenty of milestones under their belts so we caught up with Loz and Tyson to find out more about the track and life in a van.
Can you tell us about the new track and what you want people to take away from it?
Runaway is pop/folk bop about unspoken lust, falling for the little
moments with a person and getting lost in the joy of romanticising. We
hope it gives people lots of pep in their step and the confidence to
just go for it!
Who are some of your influences and why?
We come from very different musical backgrounds, Tyson’s teenage years
were spent listening to bands like City & Color and The Used while I
danced along to the Top 40 pop hits or singing to early albums from
Jewel & Missy Higgins so it’s a real mixed bag!
We’re continually inspired by our fellow Aussie musicians working
tirelessly to share their tunes and bring people together across this
beautiful country.
What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?
Generally our songs start as a solo endeavour, then brought to the table
for the Sunday Lemonade sparkle, relentlessly road tested at gigs then
taken to studio once they’ve been tweaked through performances. The last
few weeks while they’re in the recording phase is where they truly come
to life!
What do you think makes a great song?
SO. MANY. ELEMENTS.
Loz: I’m a bare bones, folk singer at heart so I love lyrics! It’s such
a skill to take a listener on a journey with you, mapping out tiny
details of the story.
Tys: I think it’s all about vibe and moments of surprise, I love when a
song has unpredictable elements.
You tour and live out of your van, do you have any tips for anyone wanting to pursue doing something similar?
If you have the means to make your tour van comfortable and sustainable,
put some time into that! It makes being on the road all the time and
working MUCH easier. And don’t wait until the van is perfect, there will
always be tweaks and fix it’s! The key is to start.
What are some of the challenges you've faced since you've been touring around in the van?
Life on the road means we’re constantly on the move, sometimes you long
for just a little bit of stability. But as they say the grass is always
greener! We’re also constantly in each other’s pockets - living in a
van, travelling together, running a business AND playing in a band
together. For the most part we’re great but every now and then there’s a
day that’s NQR. We always laugh about it the next day but close quarters
means any tension comes to the surface very quickly!
What are the best parts of touring and living out of the van?
The wide open roads and having a different work place and meeting new
people every night!
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
Loz: Missy Higgins - if you know, you know.. lyrics, chord progressions,
vibe.. ugh!
Tys: Gotye, The Lumineers, Newton Faulkner or Husky - I love revisiting
their albums to reignite some inspiration!
When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?
Loz: I’m such a granny, I love to sit down with a cup of tea to crochet
or read a good book.
Tys: Ive got a long standing love with photography and videography. I’m
always curious about cinematic tricks in movies and tv, so there’s lots
of research in that!
Who are some local bands we should check out?
How do you choose!? Whiskey Jack, MAXON, Ally Row, Joan & the Giants,
Adam-James.. if you need more local artists we’ve got a ‘Sun Soaked’
play list on Spotify!
Winter or summer and why?
Loz: I find it so hard to choose, cozy winter nights wrapped up are
amazing but I have to say Summer for the sake of being outside and warm!
Tys: Summer because it’s not cold.
What else do you have planned for the year?
We’ve got a whole bunch of music on the way, lots more travelling to
play shows and festivals - Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, the finals
for Passport to Airlie Beach MF and Peninsula Vinehop in November with
The Bamboos, Ash Grunwald & Sun Salute.. it’s sure to be a groovin’ day!
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