“Music has always been a place where I take myself to set my heart and mind free,” Angus Stone tells American Songwriter. “Whatever be the project, it’s been this really great exploration of taking my craft into new unexplored territory.”
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Traversing into the unpredictable terrain of music, Stone emerges with a funky-yet-polished sound each time he steps into the studio. At the beginning of his journey, Stone was a kid whose family had an unusual knack for making music. By the time he reached his twenties, he and his sister had formed the folk duo Angus & Julia Stone. The pair rose to national acclaim and have released five studio albums together. Now, Stone is producing solo music under the moniker Dope Lemon.
One of Stone’s recent releases under Dope Lemon is “Rose Pink Cadillac,” an easy-going track with a cheeky chorus that Stone wrote alongside multi-instrumentalist Elliott Hammond.
“My friend Elliott Hammond has this style that is at heart what the song has about it. He is a slinky cat with a class about the way he drums,” he begins. “Though for me, when I roll it back and have a listen, it takes you to the clouds in a vessel that was built for cruising and enjoying the love and magic the world has to offer.”
Cruising with “Rose Pink Cadillac” playing is enough to make you nostalgic for the summer heat. Or, if you’re living in the southern hemisphere like Stone, the song parallels the easy midsummer breeze. As far as the lyrics, Stone recalls that his inspiration stemmed from a budding relationship.
“‘Rose Pink Cadillac’ has its own story, but I guess I like to think of it shining a light on love,” Stone explains. “When I hear it playing, [and] for those who are falling for that special person they have found on their travels, the mood encapsulates those first stages of that beauty in the admiration for the simplest of things that new person does. [It is] the way they move that ends up making our hearts glow and slide slowly in love with them.
“I guess in the song I’m asking for a chance,” he continues. “I guess it’s a message for that person you have become enamored with and head over heels for… In a way, you would really like to have that chance to show them how you see the world through your eyes and hopefully share some of the magic we have to give to that special person.”
Logistically, these lyrics and sounds came together on Stone’s Australia ranch. “I converted the old barn on the ranch into a big open loft space with beautiful old recycled timber throughout and built a studio up there,” Stone says. “It ended up being the place where we moved into for this record for its maiden voyage. It’s really a special place—we built a river stone sunken fire pit right next to the studio space which is where we would sit and record whilst the fire crackles away. It’s a beautiful little zone to drink whiskey and write. I find this is the when and where I write my best at the moment.”
Overall, we’re hooked on the rolling sounds of “Rose Pink Cadillac” and Stone’s latest persona. Dope Lemon is a fearlessly vibrant character with songs to bring light into any season of life.
Listen to “Rose Pink Cadillac” by Dope Lemon, below.
