Image: Brooke Ashley Barone
Aussie songbird Julia Stone has announced the release of her highly-anticipated third solo album Sixty Summers. Due out in February, the record follows Stone's last solo album which was released eight years ago. Sixty Summers is set to be a powerful rebirth for the musician.
Moving away from her signature folk and indie-rock, Stone moves into uncharted territory and is exploring the world of late-night, moonlit pop. Sixty Summers will see Stone at her truest, brightest self, sharing her long, secret love affair with this vibrant and complex genre.
The announcement is accompanied by the release of the records third single, Dance. Of the song, Stone shares, “‘Dance’ was written as I thought about those very rare and often very special times when strong messages are sent and received silently between people. I was thinking about the moments we can share, when words are ineffective to communicate to those you love or are just unnecessary in a moment of deep connection…. When there’s nothing else to say or do, ‘Why don’t we dance’… It occurs with love and happiness but also pain and empathy. Heart, in all its appearances.”
Directed by Stone's longtime collaborator, Jesse Hill, the music video for the track brings in the star power, with Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover both playing roles within the visual. A romantic story of new love, the visual sees the pair prepare for their date, taken over by wanderlust as they sashay around their respective homes before dancing together in the streets of New York City.
Of the video’s conception, Hill explains, "Particularly in this moment, I wanted to make a memorable video with a whimsical message about love... a story reflecting the times, where more than ever we need to come together and connect. I also wanted to explore an oft-neglected demographic and reframe the way we look at age.” Although mature in years, Sarandon and Glover portray in the video all the excitement and anticipation associated with new love, reminding the viewer that magic in connection is something intrinsic in the very nature of being human."
Dance is out now! Watch the music video below. Sixty Summers is out February 19, 2021.