Elana Stone

Elana Stone
Elana Stone, February 2016
Background information
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres Jazz, country
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Vocals, piano, accordion
Years active 2004–present
Labels Jazzgroove, MGM
Associated acts
  • Elana Stone Quartet/Quintet
  • Rhino Factory
  • Elana Stone Band
Website elanastone.com.au

Elana Stone (born 1980) is an Australian jazz vocalist, songwriter, pianist, accordion player, and band leader. Described by John Bailey from Sunday Age as 'One of the most impressive singing voices in the country', her album In the Garden of Wild Things was released in 2006 on the Jazzgroove label. Her album, Your Anniversary, was released in 2009.

Early life and education

Elana Stone is the elder daughter of Harry Stone, an architect, and Judy, a palliative care nurse.[1] She grew up in Sydney with her older brother, Jake Stone (lead singer of Bluejuice) and her younger sister, Yael Stone, an actress.[1] She undertook piano lessons while attending Balmain Public School.[1] Stone studied music at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and completed a Bachelor of Music at the Australian National University's School of Music in Canberra.[2]

Career

While at university Stone met several musicians who worked with her later.[2] She formed the Elana Stone Quartet (sometimes expanded to Elana Stone Quintet) as a jazz ensemble.[2] In 2004 she was named Best Jazz Artist at the Musicoz Awards.[2] She won a National Jazz Award at the 2005 Wangaratta Jazz Festival.[2] Her debut album, In the Garden of Wild Things, was issued via Jazzgroove Records, which John Shand of The Sydney Morning Herald described her singing as "sensational – imaginative, deft, accurate, tonally beautiful – but the songwriting doesn't match up."[3]

For the album the Elana Stone Band line-up was Brett Hirst on bass guitar, Evan Mannell on drums, James Muller on guitar and Sean Wayland on piano, rhodes and organ.[4] Assisting in the studio were Jeremy Borthwick and John Hibbard on trombone, Simon Ferenci on trumpet, Aaron Flower on guitar, James Hauptmann on atmospheric sounds, Zoe Hauptmann on bass guitar, Steve Marin on conga and a choir from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts.[4]

By 2008 the Elana Stone Band comprised Stone on lead vocals and keyboards, Flower on guitar, Zoe Hauptmann on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Mannell on drums.[5] Stone described their backgrounds, "Me and Zoe went to jazz school in Canberra and Ev and Baz went to jazz school in Sydney. But officially Zo and I met at a party in Congo down the South coast. She's a crazy talented hot tall blonde bass player – how could I not know her? Evan and Bazzy were in a band with Zoe's brother Ben. We've been a band for 6 years. Zoe and Evan are now married!"[5]

Stone also performs with the country music influenced female harmony band, All Our Exes Live in Texas . The ongoing status of another band,The Rescue Ships with Brian Campeau is less clear. Stone has also toured with The Cat Empire, Bluejuice, Jackson Jackson and Tripod.

In August 2008, Stone was invited by Deborah Conway to take part in the Broad Festival project, which toured major Australian cities including performing at the Sydney Opera House.[6] With Stone and Conway were Laura Jean, Liz Stringer and Dianna Corcoran – they performed their own and each other's songs.[7]

In 2010 she performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and at Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Tripod in the show Tripod vs the Dragon.[8][9] Stone, along with band mate Brian Campeau, featured on Passenger's 2010 album, 'Flight of the Crow'.

In April 2015 Stone issued her extended play, Kintsugi, which provided three singles, "Emotion", "Panic Attack" and "Steely Dan".[10] Jonny Nail of Rolling Stone (Australia) reviewed the latter single, which "lands somewhere between haunting, psychedelic-pop escapism and a gritted-teeth, stomping show of determination. 'It’s a break up song, but it's defiant', Stone explains, adding that 'it's not heartbroken'."[10]

Discography

Albums

  • In the Garden of Wild Things (2006) – Jazzgroove
  • Your Anniversary (10 August 2009) – MGM Distribution (ES001)

Extended plays

  • Kintsugi (17 April 2015)[10]

Singles

  • "Emotion"
  • "Panic Attack"
  • "Steely Dan" (2015)

References

  1. 1 2 3 McGuire, Michaela (2 May 2015). "The 'kooky' life of Orange Is the New Black's Yael Stone". The Saturday Paper. Schwartz Media. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Macgregor, Jody. "Elana Stone | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Shand, John (4 November 2005). "Elana Stone: In the Garden of Wild Things – Music – Entertainment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Jazzgroove – Elana Stone – In the Garden of Wild Things". Birdland Records. 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Elana Stone Band | Next Crop | Ausmusic month 08". Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Elliott, Tim (19 August 2008). "Lady's Night at the Beckoning Microphone". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  7. ↑ "Broad 2008". Broad Festival. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  8. ↑ Tripod versus the Dragon
  9. ↑
  10. 1 2 3 Nail, Jonny (7 April 2015). "Premiere: Elana Stone 'Steely Dan'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
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