Special issues require special artists.
That was certainly the case when Rolling Stone AU/NZ forged ahead with our inaugural Musicians on Musicians series.
The December-February special edition should burst from the racks on Thursday, December 12th, thanks to its red-drenched cover featuring Tones and I and Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele, snapped by Giulia Giannini McGauran at Melbourne’s Sun Studios.
Tones and Emperor Steele are those special artists, coming off massive career years. Both stories are worth unpacking.
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Earlier in the year, Tones etched her name in the record books with a mind-boggling milestone.
The one-time busker saw her 2019 hit “Dance Monkey” blast past three billion streams on Spotify, a feat that made her the first female artist to cross that threshold.
It’s just another in a long list of achievements for Tones, whose breakthrough single topped charts in more than 30 countries, including the UK, where its 11-week reign is the longest for a female artist.
In Australia, its 24-week non-consecutive run at No. 1 is the all-time ARIA champ.
On the live front, Tones played her part in Pink’s record-destroying ‘Summer Carnival’ tour. Tones opened on a 2024 trek that filled 20 stadiums in ANZ, an all-time mark, shifting 970,000 tickets, easily the biggest jaunt by a female artist, and No. 2 all-time behind Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide Tour’. ‘Summer Carnival’ was named Variety AU/NZ’s tour of the year.
Tones is currently on the road for her own trek, in support of Beautifully Ordinary which opened at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, for her second successive best-selling album.
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Steele, meanwhile, reunited with Nick Littlemore (aka Lord Littlemore) for Ask That God, the electronic music act’s fourth album, and first in eight years.
Steele lapped Australia tour in 2024 (Empire of the Sun also toured the country in February 2023) in support of Ask That God, which cracked the top 10 on the ARIA Chart – an effort that keeps the streak alive.
Empire of the Sun’s 2008 breakthrough debut Walking on a Dream, 2013’s Ice on the Dune and 2016’s Two Vines all impacted the top 10 in Australia.
The interstellar outfit first landed here in 2008 with the single “Walking on a Dream”, a top 10 hit in Australia, where Empire of the Sun would promptly nab four ARIA Awards.
In the US, the song had a second life when it was synced to the Honda Civic “The Dreamer” campaign in 2016 – eight years after its release – driving it to No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelling it to No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs, their second leader on the tally after 2013’s “Alive”. Across all platforms, “Walking on a Dream” has accumulated north of one billion streams.
International tour dates follow in 2025.
Musicians on Musicians launched 2019 in the US. By having artists open up to their peers, readers were invited to see the creatives in a new light.
In addition to Luke and Tones, Rolling Stone AU NZ’s first Musicians on Musicians edition features intimate and illuminating conversations between INXS’ Andrew Farriss and 5 Seconds of Summer’s Ashton Irwin, New Zealand pop icons BENEE and Bic Runga, electronic groups Confidence Man and Orbital, Australian singer-songwriters Kasey Chambers and Thelma Plum, and close collaborators Stan Walker and Kobie Dee.
Before the magazine hits newsstands, the official MoM microsite has launched at Rolling Stone AU NZ. It’s the digital hub for all things Musicians on Musicians, complemented by a pipeline of exclusive content rolling out on the RS AU NZ social channels.
The December magazine also captures eye-catching interviews from Rolling Stone US’s latest MoM series, including a chat between Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and Renée Rapp, plus an exploration of how RÜFÜS DU SOL became Australia’s latest stadium act, and a glimpse behind the scenes on Coldplay’s spectacular Australian tour, an important interview with NZ indie-pop star Fazerdaze and much more.
The December 2024-February 2025 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ hits newsstands from Thursday, December 12th.
Whether you’re a fan of music, you’re a supporter of the local music scene, or you enjoy the thrill of print and longform journalism, then Rolling Stone AU/NZ is exactly what you need. Click the link below for more information regarding a magazine subscription.
Visit the Rolling Stone Musicians on Musicians microsite here.
