Band: Alpine
From: Melbourne, Australia
Members: Phoebe Baker and Lou James (vocals), Christian O’Brien (guitar), Ryan Lamb (bass), Tim Royall (keyboard), Phil Tucker (drums)
Their sound: A dreamy electro-pop sound more evocative of Scandinavia than Australia
3-Minute Bio: The sextet has already made a splash in their native country with iTunes’ Australian Alternative Album of the Year, but Alpine is just arriving to the American indie-music scene with their debut album, A is for Alpine. While there’s something about their music that calls to mind the crisp air and snowy foothills of the Swiss Alps, it’s actually the Australian Alps that lead singer Phoebe Baker recalls when talking about the origins of the band name.
The album is full of sugary, melodic songs including one of the band’s most recent singles, “Gasoline”, a catchy electronic track that belongs on any summer playlist. Don’t expect their live show to match whimsical innocence of Baker and her co-singer Lou James’s dual vocals. The band performed at SXSW for the past two years, gaining attention for their energetic, effervescent sets (think Lykke Li, times two). “The stage is a great form to get your alter ego on and play,” Baker tells TIME. “Take all your crazy out and hope the audience feels comfortable with that as well.”
The album drops today (May 21), and the band kicks off its U.S. tour on June 1.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/2426559″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]