“IT’S A REAL AMALGAMATION OF THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF WRITING” | BACKSTAGE AT TRNSMT WITH RADIO FREE ALICE

INTERVIEW | RADIO FREE ALICE by Anne Kelly

Arguably making the biggest commute of this year’s TRNSMT Festival is Melbourne’s Radio Free Alice. The band, who have been riding a gentle wave down under for the past few years, have in the past 12 months become one of the most exciting new bands to come out of Australia.

Last taking the stage in Scotland back in November, Radio Free Alice are excited to be back in the country – this time performing high up on the bill of the BBC Introducing stage. We caught up with lead singer Noah Learmonth and guitarist Jules Paradiso ahead of their show to chat about new music coming, their favourite Scottish bands, and the quest for a bit of haggis.

Having just crossed a massive milestone that most indie acts only dream of, we start off with a moment of celebration; “Congratulations on signing with Atlantic Records!” I tell them as we sit down behind the scenes. “We signed to Atlantic Records?” they ask simultaneously, exchanging a glance of mock-confusion before we all burst out laughing. It’s exactly the kind of grounded, self-deprecating charm that has made them an easy band to root for.

But the ink is dry, the deal is real, and with a major record label now firmly backing them, the gears are turning faster than ever. When asked what’s next on the horizon for Radio Free Alice, the band is already looking sharply ahead to more new music.

For a band that moves as fast as they do, what’s coming next promises to be a fascinating time capsule. “It’s a real amalgamation of the last couple of years of writing,” they explain, charting the evolution of their sound. “Some of the songs were written just a few days ago, and others were written two years ago.”

Lucky fans who made it to the band’s TRNSMT set would have gained an exclusive sneak peek of their brand-new material, including a live airing of the track ‘Crying With You.’ Testing unreleased music in front of a festival crowd can be a gamble, but the band feels completely confident. “We’ve been playing it live a bit and it feels like it goes down really well,” they say with a smile. “Which is a great feeling for a song that hasn’t even been officially released yet.”

The festival setlist also featured their latest single, ‘Lunch Money’ – a track born out of pure, unfiltered spontaneity rather than weeks in a studio. “We wrote it incredibly quickly during a soundcheck in Nottingham,” they reveal, still sounding a bit amazed by the track’s fast birth. “The reception to it since dropping has been surprisingly strong.”

Traveling north of the border has given the band a chance to soak in the atmosphere and lean heavily into their favorite Scottish musical influences. Pointing over to our Ella’s Primal Scream tattoo, they paint a perfectly atmospheric picture of their journey up to the festival site. “On the drive up, we were listening to Screamadelica as the rain was smashing against the windscreen. It felt right.” They add, “We also love and adore Belle and Sebastian, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and The Proclaimers. You can’t go wrong.”

As for their own festival watch-list today? When they aren’t on stage or talking to the press, they’re planning to be out in the crowds catching sets from the likes of KEO, Basht, and headlining titans Kasabian.

With the music sorted, there’s only one crucial thing left to tick off their Scottish bucket list before the weekend wraps up: the local delicacy. “We still haven’t had haggis,” they admit, before asking us to describe what haggis actually is (IYKNW…). “But I really want to try it. From what we’ve heard, it seems like something I would absolutely love.”

With promises of even more new music on the way and a festival crowd waiting, Radio Free Alice are a band in their element who we have no doubt are about to seriously blow up. If you are heading along to Tramlines, Truck, Y Not or Reading Festival this summer, make sure to add Radio Free Alice to your schedules.

Upcoming Tour Dates

11^th Jul – Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, FR – Pete The Monkey Festival

24^th Jul – Sheffield, UK – Tramlines Festival

25^th Jul – Abingdon, UK – Truck Festival

31^st Jul – Derbyshire Dales, UK – Y Not Festival

8^th Aug – Newquay, UK – Boardmasters Festival

14^th Aug – Gothenburg, SE – Way Out West Festival

21^st Aug – Saint Pölten, AT – Frequency Festival

23^rd Aug – Istanbul, TR – Babylon Soundgarden Festival

27^th Aug – Oost-Vlieland, NL – Into The Great Wide Open Festival

29^th Aug – Reading, UK – Reading Festival