Florida-based five-piece Flipturn is just now gearing up for the release of their debut album Shadowglow, which is out this Friday, but its something they’ve been working toward for many years. As longtime friends who grew up together in a Florida beach town, Flipturn officially formed in 2016 and quickly made a name for themselves in the Gainesville underground music scene.
Since then, Flipturn have earned a reputation for their infectious live shows, categorized by off-the-charts energy, striking instrumentals, and nostalgia-inducing lyrical delivery voiced by charming lead singer Dillon Basse. Though Shadowglow is right around the corner, Flipturn have been building sizeable anticipation through recent singles like the cinematic number “Whales” and piano-led album closer “Space Cowboy.” The band has also had the chance to tease their music on massive festival stages this summer, including SXSW, Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees and Lollapalooza.
Newly signed to Dualtone Records, which has housed releases by notable bands like The Lumineers, Mt. Joy, and Shakey Graves, Flipturn gear up for their debut album by sitting down with Uproxx to talk they’re love of Radiohead, tacos, and wild Stranger Things fan theories in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Madeline Jarman: Nostalgic, road-trippy, sun-kissed, introspective
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Tristan Duncan: That we inspired people to create things that mean a lot to them. There’s an unmatched joy in creating something and I hope we can inspire people to chase it.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
Dillon Basse: In Florida, there’s really nothing like a Gainesville show for us. That’s where a few of us attended college and where our fan base really started to grow, so every time we go back it’s very special. Outside of Florida, my favorite city to play personally is Denver. People in Denver go absolutely insane at shows. You can tell everyone there just really loves going to see live music.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
TD: I would say Radiohead. We didn’t start truly listening to them until a couple years after starting the band, but the way they approach music is inspiring.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
MJ: For me, it was at Veracruz All Natural Tacos in Austin, Texas. The migas poblanas taco is freaking incredible and their hot salsa is amazing — 10/10. Can’t wait to go back the next time we’re in Austin!
What album do you know every word to?
DB: I think I could sing every word to Wolfgang Amadeus by Phoenix. Even the words I might not know I usually confidently mumble something when I’m listening.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Mitch Fountain: King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard played at Shaky Knees and we went to watch and it was crazy. They had so many people on stage playing and it was just constant energy the entire time. Definitely one of my favorite shows.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
MF: If there is ever an opportunity to wear shorts without looking weird, then that is my favorite thing to wear. I think bands should wear shorts more. They’re missing out, so much mobility.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
MJ: Bodega Cats for Twitter, Recess Therapy on Instagram.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
MF: There was a time we played “Tequila” by The Champs roughly 120 times back to back. It was four hours. Four hours.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
MF: All my web searches have been wild Stranger Things theories this past week.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
TD: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
TD: The first night of our first ever tour, we stayed in a rickety shed behind the venue we were playing that night. They showed us around before the show and we met a feisty parrot, a rooster, and a couple of goats that’d be right outside our front door. It was an all plywood structure and we just had bare mattresses, but it was such a fun experience. We totally thought every night of tour would be like that.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
DB: My first tattoo is a shortened version of my favorite quote ever by Christopher Reeve. The quote is “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” The reason I got a tattoo was to have this quote somewhere permanently on my body to constantly remind me to keep pursuing and working towards my dreams.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
DB: I don’t think I’ve ever skipped a song by Glass Animals.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
DB: Hard to think of the literal nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, but when my girlfriend brings me coffee without me asking I usually tell her “that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
MJ: To quote RuPaul, “What other people think of me is none of my GD business.” Just continue being your authentic self and you’ll be great.
What’s the last show you went to?
MJ: We all saw Vulfpeck together at Levitate Music Festival a few weeks ago. Their set was absolutely insane! We loved every second of it.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
MJ: Bridesmaids, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, or Jurassic Park.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
DB: My very first instrument I think is a hidden talent. My mom plays the Irish fiddle, and when I was very little she’d bring me to her gigs in Boston. It was at these gigs I learned how to play an Irish drum called a bodhran. It’s a weird talent and I don’t play it as much as I used to, but anytime I do pick it back up it’s like riding a bike.
Shadowglow is out 8/19 via Dualtone Records. Get it here.