Aussie indie upstarts Radio Free Alice caught up with NME backstage at Studying 2026 to speak about Anglophile sound, taking part in with \u201cgenius\u201d Cameron Winter and Geese, plans to maneuver to London, and what to anticipate from their \u201ccoming of age\u201d debut album \u2018What\u2019s In Between\u2019.<\/p>\n
After smashing an early afternoon set in The Gallery set \u2013 certainly one of our highlights of the weekend \u2013 frontman Noah Learmonth, drummer Lochie Dowd and guitarist Jules Paradiso got here and sat on the NME sofa the place they they mirrored on their set and the \u201chefty weight\u201d that comes with taking part in a competition with the historical past and legacy of Studying & Leeds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had been taking part in at 2pm, however we had been actually pleased with the group. It was a full tent and it was sick,\u201d mentioned Learmonth. \u201cI really feel like that is the one competition that, being from Australia, you\u2019re so conscious of \u2013 this and Glastonbury. Nirvana at Studying and all these legendary gigs implies that it carries a specific weight that different festivals don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Off the again of a packed summer season of festivals and simply a few months away from the discharge their long-awaited debut album, Radio Free Alice have been having fun with a runaway 2026 as current singles \u2018Kick In The Shins\u2019 and \u2018Crying For You\u2019 dominate indie airwaves and tackle a lifetime of their very own on-line. The yr began with the band being thrown proper within the deep finish, supporting Geese again of their native Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was loopy to see Geese in particular person,\u201d Learmonth instructed NME. \u201cCameron Winter and Geese have been on my cellphone incessantly, so to see him in particular person and be speaking to him backstage was so unusual, so topical. That was sick. It was superb to share a stage with essentially the most talked-about band on the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n Does Cameron have linear conversations or do issues are likely to veer off into one other universe?<\/p>\n \u201cHe appears, as you\u2019d anticipate, to be super-smart to me,\u201d the frontman replied. \u201cHe\u2019s an attention-grabbing man. He performed a solo gig in Melbourne the evening earlier than, and we had been speaking about how in Melbourne there\u2019s a legislation the place it’s a must to have a assist act. He by no means has a assist act when he does solo exhibits, so he introduced on this 10-year-old little one prodigy to come back on and play a piano concerto earlier than him. That\u2019s only a completely genius Cameron Winter thought. He was beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n However now the highlight falls on Radio Free Alice. How does it really feel to abruptly have so many extra eyes and ears falling upon them?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d replied Dowd. \u201cIt simply appears like all of our eyes and ears are contained within the van that we transfer in, and we wouldn\u2019t even know if anybody was paying consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n Paradiso agreed: \u201cSince we introduced the album, it appears like there\u2019s just a little extra consideration than there could be in any other case. That\u2019s equally as anxiety-inducing as it could be thrilling: simply to lastly put it out.\u201d<\/p>\n The band beforehand instructed NME that the core of their sound is the shared influences of New Order, The Jam and The Housemartins \u2013 with their open-hearted however bittersweet, kaleidoscopic and widescreen strategy to indie calling on the extra euphoric components of The Smiths and The Treatment.<\/p>\n Requested the place the album takes their sound from what we\u2019ve heard earlier than,\u00a0Paradiso replied: \u201cThe songs weren\u2019t all written on the similar time. A few of them had been written two years in the past, some a month in the past, a whole lot of them weren\u2019t written with the intention of being on the album, a whole lot of them had been jams we\u2019ve been taking part in through the years. It\u2019s a little bit of a blended bag. You’ll be able to anticipate a sound similar to what we\u2019ve received out already in the intervening time, however I feel it\u2019s a step in a barely totally different route.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m undecided precisely what that route is. The album continues to be very melodic, however I feel it\u2019s much more thought-about, much more intentional, and we\u2019re all actually happy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, with such an Anglophile sound that\u2019s proving to be catnip for depressing British indie followers, have that not thought-about a transfer to the wet UK?<\/p>\n \u201cWe love Australia and we\u2019ve grown up there, however we\u2019re fairly excited with the prospect of shifting to London,\u201d Paradiso shared. We\u2019re all already on the lookout for locations and a few of us have discovered locations. We\u2019ve type of made the transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n And the way are they discovering London lease costs?<\/p>\n \u201cBrutal. Very brutal,\u201d mentioned the guitarist. \u201cNoah\u2019s simply moved to Bow.\u201d<\/p>\n Learmonth agreed: \u201cBow is an efficient a part of city, however lease is hard\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n To assist make lease, the five-piece are hoping that you simply\u2019ll be heading out to purchase their debut album subsequent month \u2013 one written with a coronary heart that we will all relate to. \u201cTrying again, I\u2019ve at all times been a sucker for something \u2018coming of age\u2019,\u201d mentioned Learmonth of the LP\u2019s lyrics. \u201cNumerous my favorite motion pictures rising up had been that. There’s a theme of \u2018dispossessed younger particular person\u2019, amongst others.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ll have to attend till the day earlier than Halloween to get your arms on it, thoughts. Sharing their costume alternative could be Learmonth as Gru and the remainder of the band as minions, the Aussie trio regarded forward to the spooky season. Paradiso ended: \u201cI\u2019m going to be scared sufficient with the discharge.\u201d<\/p>\n Radio Free Alice\u2019s debut album \u2018What\u2019s In Between\u2019 will probably be launched through October 30 through Atlantic Information, and is obtainable to pre-order right here. Their upcoming UK and European headline dates are beneath, with tickets out there right here.<\/p>\n NOVEMBER4 \u2014 Copenhagen, DK \u2014 Best Bar at Vega6 \u2014 Berlin, DE \u2014 Frannz Club7 \u2014 Hamburg, DE \u2014 Turmzimmer8 \u2014 Cologne, DE \u2014 Helios3710 \u2014 Amsterdam, NL \u2014 Tolhuistuin11 \u2014 Brussels, BE \u2014 Botanique Rotonde12 \u2014 Paris, FR \u2014 Level Eph\u00e9m\u00e8re14 \u2014 Bristol, UK \u2014 Thekla15 \u2014 Birmingham, UK \u2014 O2 Institute217 \u2014 London, UK \u2014 Electrical Ballroom18 \u2014 Leeds, UK \u2014 Brudenell Social Club20 \u2014 Manchester, UK \u2014 Academy 221 \u2014 Glasgow, UK \u2014 Artwork School22 \u2014 Belfast, UK \u2014 Ulster Sports activities Club24 \u2014 Dublin, IE \u2014 Button Manufacturing facility<\/p>\n Examine again at NME right here for all the most recent information, critiques, images, interviews and extra from Studying & Leeds 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Radio](\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/NMEAR_NME-READING-2026_AndyFord_RadioFreeAlice-61310.jpg\")
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