
Stoned Waves have become a powerful force in the Northern Rivers music scene. Passionate about garage, psychedelic sounds and surf rock, Argentina born, now living in Byron Bay, Juan Thill has assembled a lineup of talented musicians who have created the sound of Stoned Waves.
Can you tell me about Stoned Waves and how that all came about?
Music was always around, but honestly, it wasn’t my thing at first. I was more about riding my bike and partying as much as possible. After two wild years in Barcelona, I went back to Argentina, where a BMX accident during the summer of 2010/11 changed everything. I smashed my right foot and ended up couch-bound for months. That’s when I decided to go beyond the 3-4 basic chords I used to strum casually.
My brother, Santiago Thill—a multi-talented musician—introduced me to fifth chords, while Alan Yacobitti showed me some punk-inspired right-hand techniques. Suddenly, I could play rock songs that had always felt out of reach. It hit me that this was the right moment to give music the attention it deserved. It probably had always been calling me, I just was not listening.
At first, I played on a nylon-string guitar my mum gave me. After a few years, a friend gifted me an electric guitar he’d left to rust on his balcony. I got an amp, took lessons with the incredible Juan Luceselo, and borrowed my brother’s loop station pedal, it was the blank canvas I needed. Around that time, I met Agus Cueto at a pub. We bonded over music, garage and surf sounds in particular. It turned out he was one of the best drummers in town, so we started jamming. Soon, Federico Pallaoro, an insanely unique guitarist, joined us, and Stoned Waves was born.
Looking back, it feels like fate. Breaking my leg, which seemed like a disaster at the time, opened a door to something life-changing. Over the years, Stoned Waves has evolved, with incredible people involved and now Estef Minitti, Sofía Grimoldi, Michael Bradborn and Pontus Brock are the shapers of the sound we express these days. They’ve been pivotal to everything we’ve achieved. This project is bigger than me, and I owe so much to everyone who’s been part of it.
Have you faced any challenges as a musician? If so, how did you overcome them?
Being part of a band comes with its challenges. The key is figuring out how to overcome them, right? That’s part of what our latest album “Until the Planets Crash” is about, it’s our way of saying, we’ll keep going until the end. It’s a message that mirrors life itself: don’t give up on what you want.
I don’t know shit about the music industry. We’re just navigating it as we go, driven by passion. My advice? Stop overthinking and start doing. Don’t waste time scrolling through your phone, watching others chase their dreams. Just get out there and make it happen.
What do you hope people feel when they listen to your music?
I hope they want to come see us live and buy the record haha!
To be honest, we don’t have expectations. We’re proud of what we’ve created, and now it�s out there for people to experience however they want or can. Some will love it, others won’t, that’s just how it is.
What we do is a tiny grain of sand in the vast desert of information out there. And the message is rock and roll, in that it is the best way to be, which we know is fighting against the system and all the shit it imposes to kill the human spirit.
What’s something people don’t know about you?
How to pronounce my name? Ha. Good question, some people figure it out, some don’t. Honestly, I don’t even think I fully know myself yet. What most people probably don’t know is that I don’t consider myself a musician. I’m just someone who picked up an instrument, learned a little, and decided to write some songs, play them in a band, with people who can be the best musicians or just someone encouraged to make some noise.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Keep the rock and roll spirit alive. Support your local artists. Work as little as possible to survive in this crazy society. And most importantly, don’t care what people say or think about you, just go out and do your thing.
Thanks for giving us this space to share.
Check out Stoned Waves live at the Happy Roads Studio in Byron Bay
Craving more music info about Stoned Waves?
Insta: @stonedwaves / BandCamp / Soundcloud
“Short and Sweet’ is your backstage pass to NSW’s Northern Rivers’ music scene, inspired by BayFM’s Ange Kent and music journalist Prudence Clark from Off the Record. Get to know the local artists you love (or are about to!) as they share their creative journeys, inspirations, and what music means to them. Stay tuned for the next “Short and Sweet” interview with Prudence Clark.
Help us spread the word and celebrate local music, every Friday afternoon from 4pm to 5pm on BayFM’s Northern Rivers Music Box, hosted by the wonderful Ange Kent. Dial in at 99.9FM, stream bayfm.org, or via your favourite listening app.
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