Messed!Up
Radio Free Alice have emerged from Melbourne’s fertile indie scene as one of Australia’s most compelling new post-punk bands. Formed in Sydney in 2020 by school friends Noah Learmonth and Jules Paradiso, the group took shape more fully after the pair moved to Melbourne in 2021 and joined forces with Michael Phillips and Lochie Dowd. Maayan Barnatan later completed the original five-piece on keyboards before departing in 2025.
Their music draws heavily on the British guitar tradition, particularly The Smiths, The Cure, Joy Division, early New Order and The Housemartins, but Radio Free Alice avoid sounding like a simple nostalgia act. Learmonth’s yearning vocals, Paradiso’s chiming and angular guitar work, Phillips’ muscular bass and occasional saxophone, and Dowd’s propulsive drumming give the songs an emotional immediacy that feels distinctly contemporary.
After releasing their first single, “Square”, in 2020, the band spent the next few years building a reputation through energetic live performances. Their self-titled debut EP arrived in 2023 via Double Drummer Recordings, earning an AIR Awards nomination and establishing them as one of the more exciting acts in Australia’s post-punk revival.
The momentum accelerated with Polyester in 2024. Radio Free Alice began expanding beyond Australia, making their UK debut and appearing at festivals including The Great Escape and Live at Leeds. They also opened for major acts such as The Killers and Royel Otis, while their increasingly frenetic live shows won them audiences well beyond Melbourne.
Their third EP, Empty Words, arrived in 2025 and represented a significant step forward, combining sharper songwriting with a broader exploration of British indie and post-punk. By then, the band had toured extensively through the UK, Europe and North America, including appearances at SXSW, Reading and Leeds, and other major festivals.
With their debut full-length album scheduled for 2026, Radio Free Alice have moved from promising Melbourne newcomers to genuine international prospects. Their appeal lies in balancing reverence for indie rock’s past with youthful energy, melodic instinct and a restless desire to push forward.
In November, they pop by Europe and have three gig stops in Germany.
GIG DATES
- 6 November at Frannz Club, Berlin
- 7 November at Turmzimmer, Hamburg
- 8 November at Helios 37, Cologne
