Radio Free Alice Are Ready to Take London

Photo by Finn Robilliard

Radio Free Alice aren’t just having a moment – they’re building one. The Melbourne-born four-piece have gone from schoolyard jams between frontman Noah Learmonth and guitarist Jules Paradiso, to packing out clubs across the UK, Europe and the U.S., notching over 3 million streams for their breakout single 'Look What You’ve Done' along the way. With bassist/saxophonist Michael Philipps and drummer Lochie Dowd completing the lineup, they’ve supported The Killers, played SXSW, and landed a spot in Rolling Stone Australia’s 'Songs You Need to Know'. Now, with their spiky new single 'Toyota Camry' and a move to London, the band are stepping firmly into their next chapter. We sat down with Noah to talk about beginnings, milestones, and why the real thrill isn’t the accolades, but seeing a room full of strangers sing your words back at you. Noah and Jules, you have been playing music together since you were 14 in Sydney. What then led to forming a band with Michael and Lochie in Melbourne? 

After we moved to Melbourne, the band didn’t really exist for a few years because of COVID. During that time, I used to go over to Michael’s apartment and play guitar with him, just for fun. I remember feeling impressed by his sense of melody. A good sense of melody is a rare thing. One of those ‘you have it or you don’t’ things and I could tell he did. So we brought him in. Lochie at the time was playing in another band I used to go and see. He was a really good drummer and we got on well so that was an easy call, too. So, the four of us came together at the beginning of 2022, about three and a half years ago today.

How did you come up with the name Radio Free Alice? 

We ripped it off a second hand record and book shop in Sydney, near where we grew up. The owner James Tai is a beautiful man and a friend. I always liked the name for some reason so we essentially took it and James doesn’t seem to mind. The name, however, does have meaning: it originally came from a socialist radio station in Italy in the '70s of the same name.

With the current touring going on across the UK, Europe, and the US, what has surprised you most about connecting with audiences outside of Australia? How do the crowds compare?

Just the fact that there are quite a lot of people this side of the world that know and really like us. Coming from Australia, that’s surreal and really exciting. Crowds are great everywhere I think; I find it difficult to make generalised comparisons about them.

Photo by Harry Baker

You’re about to make a big move from Melbourne to London, which is also your biggest streaming market. What excites you most about relocating, and what will you miss about the Australian scene? 

I’m just excited to fully give myself, or ourselves, over to music. We’re here for only one reason and that’s the band. As for London itself, it’s a bottomless well of opportunity since so many talented people live there. I’m excited to experience that but I will miss the community in Melbourne. There’s such a beautiful creative scene in North Melbourne, one that's amazing for fostering talent. Moving there from Sydney truly made me who I am. I owe that city so much.

Talking Heads and The Strokes have been inspirations you’ve cited. In what ways do you see those influences filtering into your sound, and how are you carving out something uniquely your own? 

There’s many influences that filter into our sound in lots of different ways. It all happens intuitively. Over time as we develop and grow as a band, new ingredients get added to the pot and it becomes a flavour that’s unique. If you track our first three EPs, you can already see it happening. The first EP, although I love it, is derivative. I can identify down to each section which bands we were referencing. Now, I’m less sure. I don’t really know who we are trying to sound like in the song 'Empty Words,' for example, and I like that.

You’ve supported The Killers in Australia and have been spotlighted by Rolling Stone – apart from these milestones, what has felt the most surreal so far, and why?

I would say this tour is our biggest milestone. Getting picked to support a famous band or complimented by a magazine is nice but ultimately the only thing that matters is having real people connect with your music.

With your move, touring, and new singles like Toyota Camry out, what does the next chapter of Radio Free Alice look like? What can fans expect?

The rest of the year we are basically just touring, and recording. Next year, our first album will come out which is mostly already written. Listen to Radio Free Alice on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud and follow them on Instagram.