2016 has been a banner year for Sydney, Australia’s EDM exports Rüfüs Du Sol.
The trio, comprised of musicians Tyrone Lindqvist (vocals and guitar), Jon George (keyboards), and James Hunt (drums), have already conquered the Australian charts with two consecutive number one albums: recently-released Bloom, and their 2013 debut, Atlas. “You May Be Right,” Bloom‘s lead single, reached top twenty and was certified platinum – and was named Best Dance Release at the annual Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Music Awards.
With its reputation firmly in place at home, the band struck out for the northern hemisphere earlier in the year in hope of expanding their audience. They triumphed spectacularly playing the U.S. summer festival circuit, where they stole the spotlight during a double-header at Coachella – and continued to build momentum in standout shows at Firefly, Red Rocks, Panorama, Electric Forest, Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Vertex, Summer Set, and Splash House. The summer was capped off with a headlining show in Santa Monica for KCRW FM’s Twilight series – and an impressive 35,000 people in attendance.
This fall, Rüfüs Du Sol embarked on a full-scale North American tour, with many of the dates selling out almost immediately after they were announced. Fortunately for Columbus fans, there are still tickets available for their Wednesday night show at Skully’s Music Diner in the Short North. It will be interesting to hear the tight, mellifluous synth and vocal interplay that stretches end-t0-end on Bloom on stage – if the glowing reviews of their most recent live dates are any indication, those present should be privy to some outstanding showmanship.
Just prior to their Asheville, North Carolina show at the beginning of the month, the band and I touched base about their burgeoning success, their songwriting, and their relationship as a creative unit.
A lot of press I’ve read about your music has mentioned the focus on melody – and I’d agree that there is certainly more melodic structure than some other projects I’ve listened to, especially in how the vocals weave their way into the tracks. Do you start by developing a melody and the other sounds follow, or do you create abstract sounds that eventually build into a melody?
“It’s different for each track actually. But, with Bloom we wrote the album as instrumentals first and then came back to the vocal melodies later. The arrangement and the feeling that gives is often what drives the creation of any vocal melodies.”
I’m curious what kinds of equipment or technology you use when you write and record? Obviously computers and digital processing figure in, but I’m wondering if you’re playing with any new or innovative stuff as you continue to make music?
“We’re trying to collect a bunch more analogue synths for whatever we do next. We have a solid collection of hardware, but there could always be more! We’re using a small Dave Smith synth and a couple of Nords for the keys, but looking to get a few more toys, certainly.”
Reviewers who have seen your shows have remarked on your live cohesion – and it’s pretty obvious you have a lot of creative chemistry in the studio. How have you sustained that partnership over the past five years?
“Thanks for the kind words. The live show for us is completely different from the recorded music. We write the record, take some time off, and then come back and figure out how we are going to play it live. That kind of excitement around putting something fresh together every time you are touring helps to keep you stimulated, for sure.”
There was a time in the 1950s and 1960s when Australian music was incredibly localized and not much broke out internationally, and there was a unique set of sounds that you could only hear from Australian artists…I’m thinking of trends like skiffle or stomp music. I know that’s evolved over the years. Now that your music is breaking globally, is there still a specific Australian musical point of view or sound that differentiates it from other places in the world?
“On this tour of North America, we actually have only Australian acts opening each night. We’re really proud of the sounds that are coming out of Australia at the moment, so we wanted to use our shows to share them with the world. We’ve got Roland Tings, KLLO, The Kite String Tangle, Cassian, Dena Amy and Yuma X all doing different parts of the tour with us. All are amazing so check them out! As far as a specific Australian point of view goes, it’s hard to say; we’re isolated down there for sure. But music is so global now. The things that inspire us are coming out of the Bristol, London, NYC, Berlin, Barcelona, Melbourne, Sydney, or any number of places all around the globe.”
You’ve discussed a lot of contemporary influences as being important to your sound. I’m wondering if there’s more vintage stuff…records you put on that bring back good memories or just comfort you…that you all grew up with? Which albums or songs do you tend to return to?
“Chemical Brothers is a big one in terms of the live show and always wanting that to be pushing what people have seen in the size venues we play.”
You’ve been on the road extensively this year. When you construct your live shows, what are the most important things you focus on in trying to build an experience for your audience?
“That’s it. Building an experience so that people who are in the room are 100% there with you and the show in that moment. To do that you need to consider what you’d want from a show and how certain elements would hook you. Knowing when to pull back on things is as important to our show than knowing when to push certain things.”
Rüfüs Du Sol will take the stage at Skully’s Music Diner (1151 North High Street) in the Short North at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9. Tickets are $20.00 (plus taxes and fees); ages 16+ permitted. Information about the band can be found on their website, including streaming/downloads of their latest album Bloom.
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