Esquire Studio Sessions: Sons Of The East talks music and life on the road

Esquire caught up with the two-thirds of the Aussie band as they prepare for their sixth global tour

By Jasper Karolewski

Published: Aug 1, 2025

FROM THEIR FIRST PERFORMANCE at a Manly pub Christmas party, to having their faces plastered on billboards in Times Square, Sons Of The East (SOE) are well-positioned as one of Australia’s hottest bands right now.

Since establishing themselves a little over a decade ago in Sydney’s northern beaches, the Aussie indie folk trio won the hearts of the local scene before quickly being catapulted to a global stage.

Made up of Nic Johnston (vocals and keys; Johnston was absent), Dan Wallage (guitar and banjo) and Jack Rollins (vocals and guitar), the trio are still letting the success of their second studio album, Sons, sink in. Twelve tracks of a warm, rootsy blend of indie folk, coastal soul, and heartfelt storytelling, Sons captures the trio’s Australian charm with rich acoustic instrumentation on tracks like ’Sweet Thing’ and ‘It’s Alright’.

The trio started working on the album while on their 2024 world tour; they’d write and record voice memos in between soundchecks. Acting on their creative juices, fast, they returned home and bunkered down, recording in the studio for four months.

“It was a really fun experience. It kind of took us back to when we were young and why we started this band. Which was sitting around playing guitar and having fun whilst doing it,” says Wallage. “We wanted to capture that in the creation of Sons, which hopefully we did.” That energy is captured best in the ‘It’s Alright’ music video, where Rollins is seen dancing on a ferry as it cruises through Sydney Harbour on a sunny day, unaware of the tourists and commuters watching on. Unbeknownst to them, they just got a free live SOE performance.

Leading into August, SOE will embark on their sixth international tour, starting off at home in Australia before heading over to Europe, followed by North America. Fifty shows all up, the guys are eager to get the tour rolling, but one of the shows they’re most excited about is Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, where they finally get to check it off their personal bucket list. Excluding Jack, who jokingly boasts about having performed at the venue in 2010 as part of a theatre sports team!

Before they head off for Melbourne for their first show on August 8, we paid the band a visit at their Brookvale studio to learn more about how they put together Sons, and how they’re prepping for the road ahead. Watch their full Esquire Studio Sessions below.