Aussie indie upstarts Radio Free Alice caught up with NME backstage at Reading 2026 to talk about Anglophile sound, playing with “genius” Cameron Winter and Geese, plans to move to London, and what to expect from their “coming of age” debut album ‘What’s In Between’.
After smashing an early afternoon set in The Gallery set – one of our highlights of the weekend – frontman Noah Learmonth, drummer Lochie Dowd and guitarist Jules Paradiso came and sat on the NME couch where they they reflected on their set and the “hefty weight” that comes with playing a festival with the history and legacy of Reading & Leeds.
“We were playing at 2pm, but we were really happy with the crowd. It was a full tent and it was sick,” said Learmonth. “I feel like this is the one festival that, being from Australia, you’re so aware of – this and Glastonbury. Nirvana at Reading and all these legendary gigs means that it carries a particular weight that other festivals don’t.”
Off the back of a packed summer of festivals and just a couple of months away from the release their long-awaited debut album, Radio Free Alice have been enjoying a runaway 2026 as recent singles ‘Kick In The Shins’ and ‘Crying For You’ dominate indie airwaves and take on a life of their own online. The year started with the band being thrown right in the deep end, supporting Geese back in their native Australia.
“It was crazy to see Geese in person,” Learmonth told NME. “Cameron Winter and Geese have been on my phone incessantly, so to see him in person and be talking to him backstage was so strange, so topical. That was sick. It was amazing to share a stage with the most talked-about band in the world.”
Does Cameron have linear conversations or do things tend to veer off into another universe?
“He seems, as you’d expect, to be super-smart to me,” the frontman replied. “He’s an interesting guy. He played a solo gig in Melbourne the night before, and we were talking about how in Melbourne there’s a law where you have to have a support act. He never has a support act when he does solo shows, so he brought on this 10-year-old child prodigy to come on and play a piano concerto before him. That’s just a perfectly genius Cameron Winter idea. He was lovely.”
But now the spotlight falls on Radio Free Alice. How does it feel to suddenly have so many more eyes and ears falling upon them?
“I don’t know,” replied Dowd. “It just feels like all of our eyes and ears are contained in the van that we move in, and we wouldn’t even know if anyone was paying attention.”
Paradiso agreed: “Since we announced the album, it feels like there’s a little more attention than there would be otherwise. That’s equally as anxiety-inducing as it would be exciting: just to finally put it out.”
The band previously told NME that the core of their sound is the shared influences of New Order, The Jam and The Housemartins – with their open-hearted but bittersweet, kaleidoscopic and widescreen approach to indie calling on the more euphoric elements of The Smiths and The Cure.
Asked where the album takes their sound from what we’ve heard before, Paradiso replied: “The songs weren’t all written at the same time. Some of them were written two years ago, some a month ago, a lot of them weren’t written with the intention of being on the album, a lot of them were jams we’ve been playing over the years. It’s a bit of a mixed bag. You can expect a sound very similar to what we’ve got out already at the moment, but I think it’s a step in a slightly different direction.
“I’m not sure exactly what that direction is. The album is still very melodic, but I think it’s a lot more considered, a lot more intentional, and we’re all really proud of it.”
Also, with such an Anglophile sound that’s proving to be catnip for miserable British indie fans, have that not considered a move to the rainy UK?
“We love Australia and we’ve grown up there, but we’re quite excited with the prospect of moving to London,” Paradiso shared. We’re all already looking for places and some of us have found places. We’ve kind of made the move.”
And how are they finding London rent prices?
“Brutal. Very brutal,” said the guitarist. “Noah’s just moved to Bow.”
Learmonth agreed: “Bow is a good part of town, but rent is tough…”
To help make rent, the five-piece are hoping that you’ll be heading out to buy their debut album next month – one written with a heart that we can all relate to. “Looking back, I’ve always been a sucker for anything ‘coming of age’,” said Learmonth of the LP’s lyrics. “A lot of my favourite movies growing up were that. There is a theme of ‘dispossessed young person’, amongst others.”
You’ll have to wait until the day before Halloween to get your hands on it, mind. Sharing their costume choice would be Learmonth as Gru and the rest of the band as minions, the Aussie trio looked ahead to the spooky season. Paradiso ended: “I’m going to be scared enough with the release.”
Radio Free Alice’s debut album ‘What’s In Between’ will be released via October 30 via Atlantic Records, and is available to pre-order here. Their upcoming UK and European headline dates are below, with tickets available here.
NOVEMBER
4 — Copenhagen, DK — Ideal Bar at Vega
6 — Berlin, DE — Frannz Club
7 — Hamburg, DE — Turmzimmer
8 — Cologne, DE — Helios37
10 — Amsterdam, NL — Tolhuistuin
11 — Brussels, BE — Botanique Rotonde
12 — Paris, FR — Point Ephémère
14 — Bristol, UK — Thekla
15 — Birmingham, UK — O2 Institute2
17 — London, UK — Electric Ballroom
18 — Leeds, UK — Brudenell Social Club
20 — Manchester, UK — Academy 2
21 — Glasgow, UK — Art School
22 — Belfast, UK — Ulster Sports Club
24 — Dublin, IE — Button Factory
Check back at NME here for all the latest news, reviews, photos, interviews and more from Reading & Leeds 2026.
