Radio Free Alice are one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Australia in recent times. They’ve had a heady rise since forming in Sydney in 2020. Today they have released their third EP, Empty Words, and are currently on a massive three-month tour, hitting the UK, France, Ireland, the USA, Canada and back to Australia.
The band is comprised of Noah Learmonth (vocals, guitar), Jules Paradiso (guitar), Michael Phillips (bass, saxophone) and Lochie Dowd (drums).
I saw the band in Liverpool last week at the Kaz Stockroom, and they were on top form. It was a sold-out show, and the crowd was well and truly up for it. There were plenty in the audience who seemed to know the words to all the songs, including their latest single, “Toyota Camry”, which had only been released the week before. You can see some photos from the show HERE. It was very, very hot and sweaty (in the UK! – I know, unlikely but true!).
I caught up with lead singer Noah after soundcheck. Noah is a great chat. There’s a fair chance that when you ask him a question, you get two back, but that keeps it interesting. We were in a bit of a race to get finished before the pub quiz in the beer garden deafened us out. The quiz was fifty questions about pets. The prize – a solid 40 pounds.
Great to see you have come all the way to Liverpool. Not many bands make it here, despite two of the greatest bands of all time! Space (“Female of the Species”) and The Beatles! . Is this your first time here?
Yeah – I like it from what I have seen – not that we have seem much yet.
I saw you guys at The Great Escape last year – and was blown away. When the chance came to see you again – I was right onto it.
Thank you . Very sweet of you
So, how’s the tour going?
Good – long, exhausting – but fun – we are doing lots of these small rooms. We are going to come back and do bigger rooms. There are ups and downs, but that come with exhaustion.
You are doing a lot of shows – it’s pretty much 3 months non-stop..
Yes – UK, then America, then here again, then Australia. A lot of shows – it’s meaningful suffering.
It builds your craft. You played Birmingham last night – how was it?
It was good – I don’t think it was our best one. Maybe ‘cause it was a Monday night. It didn’t feel as chaotic as some other shows. People didn’t seem to be pushing each other around as much. The bar has been set high by London. It was still great. They are all sold out. It’s never a shit gig – it’s just that sometimes the energy can vary. It’s interesting to see that. You think it’d be the same every night – but it’s not. It’s confusing why it’s not exactly the same every night.
You can’t put your finger on what makes a great gig?
No – I guess it’s a combination of day of the week and place. People feel different things on different days. Different places have different attitudes. We played in Glasgow, and it was so boisterous. That’s something about Glasgow as a place versus Birmingham, maybe. I don’t know!
Then back to the States – sold out gigs in New York City. That’s exciting!
It is – we are keen to do this.
Congrats on the EP – I’ve been listening to it. It’s a good achievement to get this third one under your belt.
Thanks – I’m keen to get the album out – but yeah – this is exciting.
I loved “Toyota Camry” – that was our track of the week last week. And those last two new tracks on the EP, there’s plenty going on, especially with “Chinese Restaurant”.
What do you make of it?
[clears throat ….] Lot’s of references – necrophilia, Glastonbury, the Birmingham 6….
“so will you sell it to me
the gallery of dead rockstars
from 1980
the necrophiliac alter
Pray to Glastonbury”
Yes – what about it?
Well – to me – the essence was that people are not looking forward enough, to what is ahead….
Exactly – it’s just recycling the past.
Indie rock as a genre can feel a bit necrophiliac in that you are just constantly compared to the past and repeating the past. And you have situations like the headline acts for Glastonbury this year, one of them was Franz Ferdinand. A band far past their prime, and even in their prime, were a nostalgia act for the late 70s and early 80s. So, I mean it was almost trippy to watch a band like Franz Ferdinand headline.
There are double layers of nostalgia. There’s nostalgia for their era, but their era was nostalgic. So, I guess that’s what I meant by referring to Glastonbury as a necrophiliac altar, but more broadly, it feels like our culture is like that as well. Nostalgia porn everywhere. Even driving here today, you see EBGB’s referencing New York’s CBGBs. When we were in Leeds, there were clubs advertising The Stoned Roses, or puns of past eras. It feels like we are living in the credits.
It’s #BritPop summer now – that’s what they’ve declared over here.
Why are they calling it that?
Because of the OASIS reunion.
That makes me want to kill myself. Why aren’t people excited about new bands? It’s not Oasis’s fault. It’s the culture’s fault. I’m aware of the irony of that, being a retro-sounding band, and I’m making this point. We are arguably part of the problem. But at least I’m self-aware of it. I don’t think Franz Ferdinand is.
You’ve moved from Sydney to Melbourne. And now, am I right in thinking you have moved to the UK?
We’re living in hotels now. We’re not really living anyway. In theory, we are living over here, in London. But we’re not living in Australia, I know that. I don’t really know anything else, but I’m pretty sure we’re not living in Australia.
The idea is that we will move to the UK. I think there is more of an appetite for us here. We were doing well in Australia too, but there’s a low ceiling in Australia for our sound.
It’s not easy, it’s tough. I feel that London is such a beast in every form; to not be chewed up and spat out, you’ll just be stomped over.
You’ve had some good accolades along the way. Anton Newcombe from The Brian Jonestown Massacre said that you were “not shit”. Heady praise!
I’m not sure he even gave us that much credit.
You’ve worked with a few producers across the three EPs. Have you enjoyed that process? Are you getting more involved in production?
Yeah. As we’ve got a bit more credibility, we’ve been able to work with people who, I don’t know, are a bit more invested. Peter Katis did “Toyota Camry” and it’s a big difference, he has won a Grammy, When you go with someone who can bring something, it makes the song sound better than literally just recording it.
How do you balance touring and finding time to write the new tracks?
We just basically jam in the shed for hours until we have a good idea. And then when it comes to time to record, I’ll write the lyrics. That always comes last. It just comes out of jams.
It’s working. Do you have a pre-gig routine?
We used to do this thing where we’d wrestle down a side street. But we don’t do that anymore. The theory was that it would pump you up, But it kind of just made you a bit exhausted before you got on the stage.
I should probably do vocal warmups. We usually just hang out with the support band and have a few beers.
You’ve got some festivals coming up – Leeds and Reading. That’s pretty exciting!
That’s a big one – it’s a bucket-list type festival. It’s legendary.
Have you done big outdoor things before?
We have – I don’t usually like playing outside, during the day. I like playing in a contained space. I’m always excited when we go to a festival and we are in a tent. I like the tent. I don’t think music should be played in a field. I think it should be played in a contained space. A lot of people would disagree with that
What else is on the bucket list.
The ultimate goal, if there is a tangible goal, is to headline Glastonbury. (ed: that will be in a field!)
That’s probably a few years to come! If there were something on the bucket list, that would be number one.
It’s good to have goals. It looks like the quiz is about to start. Thanks for the chat and can’t wait to see you tonight.
Empty Words (EP)is out now – listen to it HERE. For all Radio Free Alice tour dates – head to their website for possible tickets.
Keep up to date with Radio Free Alice via Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp
All photos: Bruce Baker
