The Aston Shuffle"Their schedules were pretty hectic, to say the least, as was ours at that point in time. We were only back in Australia for a couple of weeks between travelling to London and the US. So, unfortunately, there wasn't much hanging. But the shows were amazing!” In fact, The Aston Shuffle have a pre-existing relationship with Axwell, who released their Sunrise (Won't Get Lost) “versus” with Tommie Trash on Axtone last year.
The Aston Shuffle, returning to Perth for ANZAC festivities, are making inroads overseas. “We just got back from a tour of the US and it was really inspiring,” says Musgrove. “The US is going gangbusters over anything dance music right now, so to go over and experience it first-hand was great.”
In 2011 The Aston Shuffle, having built a rep with remixes, singles and DJ comps, presented their debut, Seventeen Past Midnight, through Ministry of Sound. Along the way, Musgrove moved to Sydney, leaving Freeman in the ACT. Despite their hectic schedules, and geographic separation, they've remained the long-standing hosts of triple j's Friday Night Shuffle. “It's awesome curating three hours of music on a national radio station of that size every week.”
The Aston Shuffle are gearing up for a new album, Can't Stop Now. “It'll be dropping later in the year,” Musgrove reveals. “In terms of the album itself, we don't wanna give too much away, I guess – and, at the end of the day, it's impossible to really do it justice in words, anyway. But our prevailing mood is enthusiasm – [we] can't wait for everyone to hear what we've been working on!” The duo have progressed between records. “I think our approach has evolved, for sure, but it's hard to articulate... This time around we got out of our comfort zone and spent some time writing in the UK, which ultimately has shaped they way this album sounds.”
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In recent times pop acts have reached out to EDM producers – including members of SHM – but this hasn't happened in Australia on the same scale as overseas. “We're definitely into the idea of producing other acts or co-writing with other acts on external material – it's something we're keen to pursue at some point.” Dance has never been as big globally as in 2013 with styles like trap crossing over – and the underground is strong, too, with a surging deep house movement. What are Musgrove's predictions for the music culture in Australia and abroad? “I think it's impossible to predict where things are gonna go at the best of times – and the last 12 months have been a prime example of how quickly things blow up and then fade away. It's easy to get caught up in genres and chasing that 'next sound' dragon, but ultimately people respond to good ideas and good songs – and I think that's been our approach for this [upcoming] record.” Musgrove namechecks KiNk, Shadow Child and Julio Bashmore among their 'hot' acts.
The Aston Shuffle may drop some their favourites when they DJ at Ambar on ANZAC Day Eve. “We have a serious love affair with the west,” Musgrove enthuses. “Every time we go over there, we always seem to have amazing shows. The crowds are always so up for it and know how to party hard – problem is we come back home broken!”
The Aston Shuffle will be playing the following dates:
Wednesday 24 April - Ambar, Perth WA
