Queensland’s dance tableau is quite pubescent at the moment. Until only very recently, Queensland had been long dismissed as a dance wasteland in favour of her southern stock. But time – as well as the Australian scene in general – is vacillating. A fresh breed of dance hellion is emerging from a state where lifestyle is pursued in the face of ceaseless sunshine and golden beaches. Where clubbing is perhaps chased in the south as a means of elusion amidst self restraint, Queensland’s stereotypical complacency and indulgence is serving as fertile grounds for a compliant music and culture to emerge. There’s no point in being anal in Queensland (state legislation forbids such an act anyway). Queenslanders leave their energies for the pursuit of an acquiescent lifestyle. However, this bountiful maroon harvest spreading eagerly throughout Australia did not suddenly burst forth from nowhere. The notable successes coming out of Queensland are the result of an aspiring seeding covering the last decade. The Stafford Brothers are in the thick of it all, as a lush blossom on this fine vermilion sprout.

Hailing from Upper Hutt City, a mere half hour’s drive from New Zealand’s cultural precinct of Wellington, siblings Matt and Chris Stafford have traveled quite a vine to their current location. Recently refreshed from their trip to the Winter Music Conference in Miami, the Stafford Brothers have come a long way from Upper Hutt. Such a trip has come by means of a rather complicated route. Arriving on the Gold Coast in 1995, Matt and Chris’ life revolved around various sports, including football and judo. Both learnt instruments – Matt taking up guitar with Matt charging Chris as taking up the piano and guitar to get out of judo – something which Chris doesn’t deny but grins at, instead. Matt is a fervent footballer, having played with the Queensland Reds, Queensland Barbarians and the Gold Coast Breakers. When we first meet up, I’m actually taken aback at their breadth and size. They tower over me, their well built torsos and expansive biceps a certain sign they’re avid fitness fans. I feel Lilliputian next to these guys, but their welcoming manner and Matt’s vivacity instantly sets us all onto the same vibe. I’m sure I incite Chris’ immediate friendship by mistaking him for Matt. After he corrects me plainly, I file away for future reference in my head that Matt is ‘the really big one’ and Chris is ‘the really quiet one’.

“How do you manage to spend so much time together without fighting?” I ask, genuinely impressed at the obvious accord they hold for each other. “Yeh,” Matt starts, “we just get along. We always have. Most people can’t believe it, but we get along cool.” We have gathered at Bravo’s in Fortitude Valley to sample the steak and half price cocktails – Matt being noticeably girly in his selection of a grapefruit concoction, while steadfast Chris orders a Corona. As we move through a variety of topics, I observe the relationship between the siblings. Their kiwi accents remain prevalent, even though they’ve been in Australia for over a decade. As the eldest, Matt takes the front seat, often talking over Chris’ meek tones to the point that Chris immediately stops talking when Matt breaks in. I gather this is behaviour they’ve exhibited since toddler-hood, where Matt very likely led and Chris chose whether or not to follow. Matt is gregarious and direct; an affable host. Chris is quite reserved in contrast, however he doesn’t have any problem with pushing forth his opinion if he needs to – he has excellent timing in choosing his moment. I gather he just doesn’t say anything unless it’s worth saying – since Matt says it for him. Matt continually refers to ‘we’ or ‘us’ in the conversation, clearly recognising Chris’ contributions, strengths and support. “There are two of us after all,” Matt points out. Through the course of our interview however, I realise that oblivious minds may quickly dismiss Matt as blustering, perhaps absorbed more so in matters of the body rather than that of the mind, while Chris would be brushed off as non-confrontational and even spindly in favour of his ‘big brother’. While I can see many would come to those conclusions, I can also see that many make a big mistake in doing so. The last thing one must do is underestimate The Stafford Brothers.

“How did it all start?” I ask them as they order their steak (Chris opts for medium rare, Matt for medium). Matt laughs at my question. “We lied to get the job,” Matt states in a forthright manner. We all laugh – me, because I think they’re joking; they, because it’s the truth. “It all started in 1999 at Billy’s Beach House in Burleigh. It was our home drinking ground,” Matt asserts. “Because of my football, we’d gather together as a large party crowd. The managers thought if they gave us a job, the place would stay packed; so one Thursday, they asked us if we would like to DJ for them. I said ‘Sure. Yeh. We can play.’” Matt giggles at the memory. “But they also mentioned that a DJ instruction course would be happening on Monday ‘Oh you guys wouldn’t need that,’” Matt relates his boss’ words to me, still laughing. “We told him, ‘Oh we’ll just come along anyway and have a look,’” “Yeh,” Chris laughs along. Once The Stafford Brothers felt secure in their DJ abilities, they started playing at The Transcontinental in Brisbane, then Hotel LA. But the brothers acknowledge that it was Jason Hirt (currently the owner of Chic Boutique and a well known name especially in Brisbane as fostering and nurturing ‘the scene’) who recognised their immense potential by booking them into Monastery Nightclub. From there, their superstar status took flight. “There have been loads of people who have supported us,” Matt points out. “Bongo Boy Luke Richmond was indeed a huge support. Joey from Platinum Nightclub, DJ Don Nadi, the Vinyl Slingers… so many people had faith in us.”

The Stafford Brothers had gathered enough of a following to start up a new night. ’”We started ‘Sounds on Sunday’ at SoBar with the Vinyl Slingers,” Matt explains. “That’s actually where Bongo Boy came about. He just came up and started playing percussion and it was such an incredible vibe, he joined us.” The Stafford Brothers with the addition of Bongo Boy emerged as Queensland’s hottest and most unique act. The Stafford Brothers took the then unfamiliar format of fusing live instrumental performance and showmanship with turntables – which became an instant success. The Staffords have since shared stages with ‘Flute Boy’, saxophonist Sharif, percussionist Rene Luiz, and now have Timmy Trumpet on board for the ride. Their sets are known to be exceedingly lively; full of energy and vigorous with beats. As a result, The Stafford Brothers have harvested a massive national and international following. They can lay claims to successful performances throughout Australia, Ibiza and Europe and can also add a victorious impromptu performance in Miami during WMC to that too.

Matt and Chris seem to live out of a suitcase. “We love to travel,” Chris manages a word in. Their traveling diary is certainly hectic. Over the course of twenty one days, The Stafford Brothers have come from Miami, gone to Sydney, then Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Gold Coast, Sydney, Wollongong, Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast – all for gigs. And looking at their calendar, they are also booked solid for the next four months. “I love my life,” Matt notes. “Yeh good times,” Chris claims. “How do you cope with all your gigs and travel?” I ask them. “The better I feel physically, the better I can cope with my music,” Matt notes. “Recovering from a big performance is helped by eating good food and keeping fit,” Matt comments as he tucks into his huge steak. “We have to balance it all.” Appreciation for their gigs is annually acknowledged by their fans, as they feature highly both statewide and nationally in the inthemix DJ Poll, coming in at #6 for Australia and #2 for Queensland in 2006. “It is amazing,” Matt claims, “and we’re so grateful.” “Yeh” Chris chimes in. “We just know how to have a good time,” Matt asserts. “What we do is about energy – lots of it. We believe in stage presence. We believe in what we do,” Matt explains. “We go out there and get it. We really love a show and creating a great vibe. We also like to hang with the crowd after a gig. Once we’ve played, we don’t just leave and say ‘seeya’ like I see a lot of DJs do. The audience has been there for us, and the least we could do is acknowledge that. But we love getting up there,” Matt refers to the stage. “I even played with a broken finger for a few weeks,” – Chris laughs at the memory, even going so far as to mime playing a record with a bandaged hand – “and I’ve also stood behind the decks on crutches because I’d broken my ankle at football.” Professionalism for these guys is indeed fundamental – even if slight inebriation gets caught up in the mix.

The Stafford Brothers’ seemingly rapid incline up the musical ladder has of course invited plenty of attention. To the uneducated eye, The Stafford Brothers are merely lucky. But as a reminder to the unschooled – one creates one’s own luck. Alongside their musical backgrounds, Matt and Chris both hold Bachelors in Business from Griffith University; Matt majoring in Marketing and Sport Management while Chris majors in Marketing and Human Resources. Basically, Matt takes care of the administrative and sales side of things leaving Chris, Matt states, as “the creative mind.” The brothers fervently believe in working with and supporting Queensland talent. A remix of their most recent release ‘I Like Your Way’ is currently being worked upon by Brisbane DJs Luki Ellis and Jordan Naumov; with numerous collaborations alongside Gold Coast’s avant-garde DJ Don Nadi under their belts. Especially, the boys worked with Don for the music production credits for ‘Wild’ on Channel 7 and Princess Superstar’s ‘Perfect’ (Zoolander Remix) has also made it onto the international circuit.

Chris especially loves musical equipment, and I actually manage a conversation with him where Matt is noticeably subdued for once. “My favourite piece of equipment is my George Foreman grill,” Matt comments, as Chris launches into a dialogue on PCs, Macs, laptops, midi controlled keyboards, plug-ins, Brisbane’s premium store for musical equipment Music Lab, and sound desks. Since The Stafford Brothers incorporate their own productions into their gigs, sound equipment and music programs are a major feature in their music life. “Have you been in the studio recently then?” I ask them. “Sure have!” Chris claims. Matt revealing, “we’ve just released ‘Pure Platinum’. It’s a double CD collaborating with Don Nadi and Platinum Nightclub and released through the Central Station label. It’s taking Platinum’s Main Room on a Saturday night and recreating it on CD,” Matt asserts. “Yeh,” Chris confirms. “Don is on the second disc, and we’re on the first.” Matt offers that, “We’re looking forward to this tour because it means we will take it to London and Ibiza.”

And so, The Stafford Brothers will continue with their superstardom path, pushing their musicianship, beats and melodies through sound systems, across widespread air waves and onto dance floors. To look back to their seemingly simple beginnings from Upper Hutt in New Zealand and then follow the trail all the way to global clubbing Meccas, the Stafford Brothers are not to be underrated. They have come into their own – as exceptional musicians must.

‘Pure Platinum’, mixed by The Stafford Brothers and Don Nadi, is available now through Central Station/MRA. They’re touring the country non-stop over the coming months, so check ITM Whatson to find out when they’ll be in a town near you soon!