Like their fellow Aussies Cut Copy before them,
have managed to strike that perfect balance between melodic pop music and propulsive dance music, existing in this phantom zone that few other acts can straddle so naturally. The trio, made up of Jon George, Tyrone Lindqvist, and James Hunt, are getting ready to release their second LP,
Bloom
, which is the official follow-up to
ATLAS
, the success of which had them unexpectedly touring the world. On Thursday, RÜFÜS DU SOL will kick-off a special four date North American leg of their tour, where they'll play more of their blowout songs like Bloom's lead single, the luminous "You Were Right." Here, we get to know them better.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
We like to play with the push/pull dynamic in our music.
How did your career get started?
It started by accident. We were just two guys making music one night. Tyrone was doing singer/songwriter kind of stuff and I was writing house music, and we kind of played around with a few ideas and instantly hit it off. We recruited James to play drums, spent the next couple of years finding our sound, and things really kicked off for us when we put out our debut album.
Where do you hope to be professionally in five years?
Writing even better music. We’d love to have the opportunity to collaborate with some of our peers and people we look up to. At the moment we are kind of just working on stuff between the three of us.
What’s your next project?
Our second album, Bloom. It’s coming in January 2016. We’ve spent the past year and a half working on it and think it's the type of album we really wanted to make. The first album took us all around the world to so many new places, so with this one we really wanted to have those influences as a part of it.
What are you most proud of so far in terms of your career?
We’re proud that we’ve been able to carve out a niche for ourselves making music that we want to hear.
What famous person dead or living do most wish you could have as a roommate?
Would have to be Larry David. That would be a heavy challenge.
What is your favorite driving music?
Melodic left-of-field dance music that makes you want to put your windows down.
Whose career would you most like to emulate?
So difficult. I guess guys like the Chemical Brothers are a huge influence and are still making relevant music more than 20 years after they started.
If you had to live in a past time, what do you think would be the most fun era and why?
I like it here and now. But maybe it would be good to be doing what we are doing now in the mid '90s before smartphones were around. They are distracting.
What activities do most enjoy doing alone?
Listening to new albums from start-to-finish in the afternoon with a beer. If someone takes the time to write an album, I want to hear it from start-to-finish, without any distractions. I love the journey of it.
How do you wind down before bed?
Having a laugh.
When are you most relaxed?
When we get home from a tour and have a couple of weeks at home with friends and family.
What kind of person were you in high school?
I didn’t like being told what to do at school, and I went to probably the strictest school in Australia. So it was a constant battle.
Do you have any phobias?
I’m pretty terrified that one day our equipment might fail mid-set at an important show. Touch wood.
What’s a serious side of you that people are unlikely to know about? Either in terms of interests, hobbies, or personality?
I am an incredibly neat packer. Tyrone is a genius with puzzles and James is a bit of a pun lord.
How do you hope to grow as a creative person?
Just to keep surrounding myself with creative people who I can feed off to inspire myself.
If there was a phrase that you think best sums up your approach to life what might it be?
I don’t know that there is.
North American Tour Dates
5-Nov - Vancouver, BC - Venue Nightclub
6-Nov - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda
7-Nov - San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
11-Nov - New York, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
