A Quick Chat With Anam Stone Jet

Reviving 60s rock from the grave, Naarm/Melbourne-based rockers, Anam Stone Jet, have released their new single ‘Rainbow Cemetery’ and their accompanying music video. The outfit made up of Keyo Rhodes (he/him), Paige Stanley (she/her) and Ismar Tuzlukovic (he/him), ooze musical inspiration from the past with their own modern-day twist. We caught up with the band to find out more about the group, the track and more.

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Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?

We feel the track encapsulates the joy experienced when with friends. We’d like people to take away the rush and excitement within living life for the moment and the “forever young” zeitgeist within Australian society.

Rock and roll is fun to play, it's joyful and unapologetic and that's what this song means to us. A lust for life and a faith in life, the brilliance of imagination and the comfort you can feel from acknowledging your feelings and challenging your fears. We hope it moves people inside and out!

Who are some of your influences and why?

Artists like David Bowie, Led zeppelin, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Patti Smith and Lou Reed, to name the most famous of them! There are many more intimate influences around us too, from friends we hear or play with, mentors and other local underground acts.

The reason why we are influenced by all these artists is directly because of the ‘feel’ they incorporate into their music. Something deep and sometimes unstable musically but which is also very expressive and emotive.

We are inspired by everyone who creates, in all forms, in life.

What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?

The creative process mostly consists of vibin the tunes once we have an idea, conversation or archetype to build on. We try and capture the feelings the song is about and then vary the beat, tone and rhythm to present a dynamic exploration of emotion.

‘Rainbow Cemetery’ began with the lyrics, as a great many of our songs have, with Keyo’s rhythmic style of writing poetry and philosophical bubbles. Quite naturally the soundscape took shape in harmony with the lyrical journey into this underground party as we (Paige and Ismar) built the layers around the rhythm guitar and Keyo howled out the vocals. 

We’ve played ‘Rainbow Cemetery’ live since our first show together and we noticed the way people moved to it, so we hopped in the ute and drove north to Tommy's place and smashed out an album in 6 night sessions. We played about 8 takes or so live in the studio together, then made some notes and impulsive decisions about extra percussion and a second spaghetti lead guitar and tracked the vocals. 

Once we had the tracks down, Keyo and Tommy spent a couple weeks mixing while Paige went back to school and I (Ismar) went back to work.

What do you think makes a great song?

Energy and anticipation! Dynamic and organic creation! A performance with variation, dynamic lifts and falls, philosophy, poetry, revelation! A song which inspires change and exploration of what it means to be a human and opens hearts, via their ears, to feeling and expression. Something relatable for people to share memories with in life and that encapsulates the beauty of the world in all its colours. 

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

‘Arctic Monkeys’ would be mental (Ismar). Just love them.

I’d (Paige) choose ‘salt’n’peppa’, ‘salt’n’peppa’ slaps.

I'm not too sure since most of my favorite artists are dead but probably ‘Parquet Courts’ :) . They rock.

When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?

Photography is my thing. (paige)

Thinking is a good one, a bit of painting and writing and sometimes I make practical things. (Keyo)

Not much creative stuff other than drums. I work a lot. (Ismar)

Who are some local bands we should check out?

There’s so many that it's hard to know where to start but Ozergun are a great groovie band, Faun Haus are hauntingly entertaining. Mousse Cannon is a crazy two piece as well.

Winter or summer and why?

Ozergun are wonderful summer vibes with a bit of desert psychedelic flare. Meanwhile Faun Haus it's a steamy way to warm up in a haunted dive with a downtown twisted rose magic.

What else do you have planned for 2023?

Quite a lot! We have another single in the jet’s hanger and an album sitting tight awaiting a call to action as well. We are also planning on doing some shows around the east coast and heading north to lay down another album. In an ideal world we would be recording two new Recorded Albums this year, the next one is a revised collection of the first songs Keyo wrote before school and then the what would be third is an alternative reality tragedy, cooperatively written between Paige, Ismar and Keyo, telling the tales of numerous fictional characters, whos lives intertwine - beginning with a couple of soldiers in love and a paper mache lover, exhibiting a psychotic sally and ending in the murder of a boy named charlie after he crashes a red ferrari. We have a great deal of works ready to record and are very much looking forward to sharing them with you.

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