Written by Fred Carlyle
Photo Credit: Clemcnabb
Interviewing bands can be a blast, you have the potential to make new mates, hear some of the best stories you’ll ever hear and get the opportunity to see life from another’s perspective. On the other hand, It can be nerve-wracking. Especially if you’re about to talk to four guys who your contact with has been limited to messages on Instagram (you don’t know what you’re gonna be up against). So, on that note, I’m happy to tell you that the experience I had when meeting the members of Melbourne/Naarm’s rising post-punkers, Radio Free Alice, was a delight to say the least.
I had rocked up to the inner city streets of Carlton, worried that my bike ride was gonna make for a sweaty introduction as I look for the right address. Just before I knock at the wrong door, three people roll up behind me, sharing with me a curious and confused face of “Is this the guy”?. Before we could identify each other properly and hands could be shook, urgent attention was called towards the household mascot, Winston the cat, who sat precariously on the share-house windowsill as the rockers were shouting at him to return inside. It feels nice when your anxiety of meeting a stranger goes instantly out of the window when you finally meet them in person. Warm smiles greeted me while I traversed through their share-house as I eyed their the Devo vinyl within their record collection and made myself at home in a backyard adorned with discarded couches, bikes and Lime helmets.
So there we sat, rolling cigarettes and being shown pictures of their cat as we got to know each other before I put my press cap on and whipped out the first question. So, before I go on, who exactly am I dealing with here? Well, sat around me were lead singer Noah, Guitarist Jules, Keyplayer Mayaan and sax & bassist Michael. The fifth member, Lochie the drummer, was away for the time, and so I was professionally informed that Winston the cat (who has an extensive resume including being the band’s ghost lyricist and stand-in drummer) would fill Lochie’s seat for the arvo.
So who Is Radio Free Alice? Who are we dealing with here? Labelling themselves as ‘Melodic Post Punk’ (or ‘Fuckwave’ as Michael jokingly said) Radio Free Alice, in a nutshell, are a treat for us alt rock kids who grew up with Gen X dads blasting 80/90’s music every morning. Throughout their discography of 6 tracks, RFA’s music highlights the members’ love of the alt rock/ post-punk giants (The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division and The Strokes are major examples) who serve as heavy inspirations for their compelling sound. However, you can tell that these guys are far from just trying to duplicate your dad’s favourite band for a quick buck. There’s heart in there, these boys sound vintage and modern at the same.
Just like how the praised tunes of Crowded House can be traced back to Neil Finn’s love of The Beatles, RFA passionately soaks up all the sounds that fuel their love of music and they put that eclectic passion into a unique and incredibly captivating sound that shines in originality and depth.
So, why are we talking to these guys? Just a bit ago back in November, Radio Free Alice released their self-titled debut EP; a four-track collection comprising the past couple years of single drops.
Check out the music video of 'Waste of Space' here^
If the intention of a band's first record is to showcase their potential, RFA hit the nail on the head with this EP. Lead singer Noah’s voice is an absolute spectacle (definitely not what you’d expect from the gently spoken man who sat in front of me) and is an obvious highlight to the band’s authentic sound. Noah’s singing voice is like a perfected potion recipe; during our conversation the lead singer discussed how his vocals came about as result of fusing together all his vocal idols like Morissey, Robert Smith and Paul Weller’s chesty fullness. However, it’s his amalgamation of these influences and how he’s turned It into his own is what takes the cake. There’s a variety to Noah’s voice, for instance, on ‘Paris Is Gone’ he’ll dart from these hastened and viscous rants to these slowed and gloomy verses that’ll especially strike a chord with lovers of Morissey’s high notes. His voice can effortlessly slide from swoonful and dreamy to harsh and overwrought.
It’s not just the lead’s voice that delivers the band’s emotional evocation. The post-punk soundscapes that are strewn throughout this EP know the ins-and-outs of how to creep up your spine and how to raise the hairs on your arms. With a superb balance of inspiration and originality, you can spot inklings of their beloved influences throughout the tracks (like the creep-in of Strokes in the guitar play of ‘Waste of Space’) and see how they utilise these inspos to make something brand new.
Now, RFA have been making a name for themselves in our local scene, and at a relatively fast pace given that they’ve only been around since the start of the decade. In a very humble fashion, we discussed their dealing with a spike in popularity (the ‘dealing with fame’ question came funny to them as they looked around the state of their backyard and joked about having a mansion in St Kilda and Rolls Royces in the back).
When the jokes settled and I asked them if they can figure out how they’ve made a name for themselves in this short time, I was given a modest, down-to-earth explanation that, simply, they do their best to play a fuck ton of gigs. And It’s true, RFA plays a fuck ton of gigs. For instance, July last year saw the five-piece living it up every Thursday night at Collingwood’s Nighthawk’s. And It ain’t just Melbourne they’re hitting up as they view that they owe a portion of their success to the fact that they’re gaining ‘twice the crowd’ as the boys regularly play shows in Sydney as well.
You can check out their live performance of 'Look What You've Done' here^
Whether the crew have taken note of it or not; their frequent gig-devours are following in the footsteps of our country’s past bands and the scene we Aussies adore and claim as our own: the pub rock scene. Playing at every pub in the neighbourhood that welcomes them is an age-old recipe that the greats have followed in the past. Just like RFA, Bands like Men At Work of ‘Down Under’ fame were known back in the eighties as the Cricketer Arms Hotel’s Thursday band.
Even now in these modern days as we’re given way more means of discovering a band then just popping to the local bar, bands like yours truly have proven that the old ‘blood, sweat ‘n’ tears’ approach of playing a gig every second day is still an age old tactic to get your name out there. However, despite the energy they put into showing up live, It doesn't feel like an effort to them as even if a single punter didn't rock up to their show, they’d certainly still be belting it out live every chance they get. When I asked them why they make music, my simple question was replied with a simple answer; they love it. It comes naturally to them as they said.
Photo Credit: Jackmoran_76
So what’s next for these guys? Well gig playing is a no-brainer; aside from catching them locally, this June will see our Aussie lads do their first overseas tour in the U.K. However, it’s not just seeing them bang it out live that we can look forward to as I can gladly inform you that we’ve got a sophomore EP just waiting round the corner with the first of its string of singles set to release sometime in April.
To wrap up our conversation, I asked the members of RFA a question I like to end my pieces with and that is ‘what do you want your audience to get out of your music?’. After taking a second to chew on the question, what followed suit was a sincere convo about that one-of-a-kind feeling you get when you discover a song you really dig and get obsessed over. It’s this feeling that the members collectively considered, deeply appreciated and then expressed how they’ve got the opportunity to produce and provide that feeling to their own audience. So that’s that; I began that interview with no clue whatsoever of who I was meeting and whether I’d get along with them or not. So I’m pleased to tell ya that I met four of the coolest dudes (and a very talented cat apparently) who, as a bonus, make some real wicked music in their down-time.
Check out Radio Free Alice on Instagram here
Listen to their Debut EP here