After decades fronting revered Australian bands such as The Stems, The Someloves, DM3, Datura4, and the instrumental project The Majestic Kelp, Perth musician Dom Mariani has finally returned to the solo spotlight with Apple of Life, a melodic, introspective collection that’s been quietly ripening for years.
Australian Musician caught up with Dom Mariani to chat about the creation of his new album
MORE ABOUT APPLE OF LIFE
Of the title track, Mariani says, “It’s a song that’s been around for a little while, probably six or seven years,” Mariani says of the title track. “I’d always wanted to do a solo record with the songs I’d accumulated over time. Apple of Life just sounded like the right title, it kind of covers a lot of the themes on the record.”
The new album arrives more than a decade in the making, a result of Mariani’s prolific work across multiple bands. “I needed to get away from the guitar pop thing for a little while,” he admits. “But those influences are still there, it’s always melodic, always about finding good hooks and riffs.”
While his ongoing band Datura4 leans toward bluesy psychedelic rock, Apple of Life draws from a broader palette, lush harmonies, jangling guitars, and a touch of country flavour. “I guess it goes back to listening to The Byrds and how they went from electric folk rock to Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” he says. “Then came the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Eagles … that whole West Coast country rock thing. And from there I got into George Jones, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.”
Mariani assembled a small but seasoned group of collaborators, including Joe Grech on bass and engineering duties, Tony Italiano (DM3, The Someloves), pedal steel player Luke Dux (The Floors, Kill Devil Hills), and drummer Sal De Sade from End of Fashion. Recording stretched over three and a half years, largely in Perth. “I like to record live where I can, get the drums, bass and guitar down together,” he says. “Then it’s overdubbing in a small suite, working with Pro Tools.”
Among the album’s highlights is Sad State of Affairs, a soulful pop-rock tune featuring a distinctive electric sitar line. “That’s my Jerry Jones electric sitar,” Mariani explains. “It’s got this buzzy sound from the ebony plate near the bridge, no effect, just straight through a Fender or Vox amp.” Other standouts include the chiming Jangleland and the reflective Breakaway. “Sad State of Affairs is probably my favourite,” he says. “That electric sitar really brought it alive. It’s got a bit of a soul groove, but still that pop aesthetic.”
True to his pop-rock roots, Mariani remains inspired by the melodic masters. “Hearing ‘Go All the Way’ by The Raspberries when I was 14 really stuck out for me,” he recalls. “It was like The Beatles meets The Who. Then there’s Todd Rundgren’s I Saw the Light, Badfinger’s Baby Blue, and Stand by Me, just perfect songs.”
Guitars, naturally, remain central to his craft. “My first real guitar was a Fender Mustang, I wish I still had it,” he laughs. “These days it’s mostly a Stratocaster, a Les Paul Special, and an SG. For acoustics, a Gibson Gospel and a Maton.” Recording-wise, he mics up his amps the old-fashioned way: “Two close on the speakers and one in the room for ambience.”
Ever the tone chaser, Mariani jokes about his dream effects unit: “I like my fuzz and distortion, so maybe a pedal that just boosts the guitar… call it The Dom.”
After years of fine-tuning Apple of Life, Mariani says he finally reached a point where he could let it go. “We mixed it, left it, came back with fresh ears and realised what needed fixing. Eventually, I thought, we can’t take it any further, it’s right.”
With the album now out, he’s planning to take it to audiences in 2026. “Next year I’m doing some local shows, then heading to Europe in April,” he says. “I’ll probably come east for some gigs too, doing both band and solo shows.”
Warm, melodic and unmistakably Mariani, Apple of Life is the sound of a craftsman reflecting on a lifetime of music and still finding fresh ways to make his songs shine.