Messed!Up
It was after seeing a show at The Tote Hotel in Melbourne that Floodlights came together. When the band gathered, Louis Parsons and Ashlee Kehoe both played guitar and sang, with Parsons taking the lead vocals and Kehoe adding harmonica. Joe Draffen played bass and Archie Shannon, a member of the more experimental Dragoons, drummed and used his experience to engineer and produce their first recordings. These took place in mid-2018 at Love Shack Studios in the Footscray district of Melbourne.
Inspired by Parsons’ road trip to the titular southern Australian coastal region, “Nullarbor” snuck out digitally as their first single in March 2019 and they added “Small Town Pub” and “Backyard” to it for their self-released debut EP, Backyard, in May. In addition, the release was front-loaded with a meditative spoken-word introduction on the healing properties of the Nullarbor Plain by Bunna Lawrie, a Mirning Elder and Whaledreamer. To promote the EP, Floodlights subsequently played a number of hometown shows and toured the east coast that October. By November, they’d been signed to Spunk Records, a company with an already impressive roster of homegrown and international indie rock artists. That same month, they recorded their debut full-length in two days at the local Head Gap studios, with the first of this material appearing the following spring. Meanwhile, Spunk’s reissue of Backyard sparked interest further afield and began to garner plays both on U.K. and U.S. alternative radio programming.
Their debut album From a View, established their identity: politically aware lyrics paired with expansive, atmospheric rock. While the album arrived during the global pandemic, limiting touring opportunities, it laid the groundwork for a loyal following and critical attention, positioning the band as part of a new wave of thoughtful Australian indie rock. By 2023, Floodlights had evolved significantly with their second album, Painting of My Time. The record became a breakthrough moment. It earned a nomination for the Australian Music Prize and widespread praise from major outlets, with critics highlighting the band’s mix of social commentary and emotional intensity.
Touring became central to their identity in the following years. Constant travel exposed the band to new audiences and influenced their songwriting, embedding themes of displacement, connection, and cultural observation. Their growing international presence reflected a broader appeal, even as their lyrics remained rooted in Australian perspectives. This evolution culminated in their third album, Underneath, released in 2025. The album signaled a turning inward: a more vulnerable and reflective work shaped by years on the road. Critics noted its balance between personal introspection and broader societal themes, capturing “the push and pull of life on the road” through layered, expansive arrangements. It also marked a lineup milestone, with trumpeter Sarah Hellyer becoming a full-time member, subtly expanding the band’s sonic palette.
By the mid-2020s, Floodlights had transformed from a local Melbourne project, formed in a pub conversation, into an internationally touring band with a distinct voice and identity. Their trajectory over the last five years reflects not sudden fame but sustained growth: a commitment to craft, a willingness to evolve, and an ability to translate lived experience into music that resonates far beyond their origins.
And in June, they’ll return to Germany for three new dates after last year’s massive success.
DATES
19 June at Molotow, Hamburg
23 June at Nachtleben, Frankfurt
24 June at Pop Bar, Haldern
