Q&A: flipturn
FROM THEIR GARAGE TO TOURING AROUND THE US - flipturn has made their leap. The Florida based indie rock group gives their music their all, allowing them to build a supportive and strong foundation. flipturn’s raw power draws their listener in and leaves them wanting more - and their streaming numbers definitely speak to that. Dillon Basse, Tristan Duncan, Madeline Jarman and Adrian Walker come together to create flipturn’s identity, each bringing their own unique energy and flow. Hot from the release of their third EP Something You Needed, flipturn has kicked off their 28 date US tour. Read below to hear more about their new EP, the value of their live show and more.
LUNA: How would you compare your new EP Something You Needed to your previous music?
TRISTAN: It still definitely contains elements and aspects of our sound, in general. But in a broader sense, I like to think that we pushed our personal boundaries with how we approached the writing process and what things we wanted to accomplish. With our previous releases like Heavy Colors and Citrona, there was still a lot of searching for a sound that we wanted. Our first single release after Citrona was “Eleanor” and that one was one of the first where we were able to hone into what we were wanting to create and how we wanted to do it. Something You Needed was a fruition of all that searching and hopefully sets a higher bar for ourselves to shoot for with everything we do in the future.
LUNA: What are some sonic elements that create the foundation of your sound?
MADELINE: As a band, I think we can collectively say that we love catchy guitar hooks, driving drums and lyrics that everyone can relate to in one way or another. We don’t really think that our music fits in too distinctively in a certain niche or genre, and I think we kind of embrace that aspect of us. Even though we all have a general love for “indie music” we all sort of come from different musical backgrounds that influence our own styles of playing.
LUNA: Are there any common themes or narratives in this EP?
DILLON: Yes! Very much so actually. Something you needed is a combined collection of songs that digs into what we need as living, breathing, loving, and dreaming human beings.
The title track “Something You Needed” focuses on one basic human need; love. Since humans can naturally be naive creatures, we all have at one point in our lives felt as though we were going to have something just because we thought life owed it to us . “Something You Needed” explains that life actually doesn’t owe us anything.
The rest of the tracks on the ep follow a similar theme with different needs.
The philosopher Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explains that there are four needs that human beings strive for before reaching “self-actualization”. Maslow describes that when a person reaches self-actualization they only have the need to be the best that they can be. Before that however, humans have physiological needs, safety needs, a need for love and belonging, and for recognition.
Each song in its own way tells the story of someone yearning for each need but in a bittersweet manner in which they never quite received what they required due to one simple truth; life did not owe it to them.
LUNA: Who are some influences, both musical and non musical, that you feel has shaped the outcome of the EP?
MADELINE: Back in November we went on a writing trip to North Carolina in the mountains. We stayed at a cabin for a week to write some new songs for this EP. We were so inspired by the mountains (which are a very different backdrop from our Florida palm trees) and tried to give a different kind of outlook for this record. Saying so, I would definitely say that the mountains were a major influence for Something You Needed. Musically, I believe that our desire to broaden our use of instrumentation influenced us. We incorporated strings and horns this time around, and it was fun experiment with those instruments in a way that still felt like “us”.
LUNA: You’ve got a long tour starting soon - congrats! How have you seen your live show evolve since your start?
DILLION: One of the things we definitely pride ourselves in is trying to put on the best live show possible. I’ve always found it disappointing when I see a band that I really like for the first time and their live performance doesn’t match how their recordings sound. The reason I go to shows in the first place is because I like the music enough to want to experience it in an entirely new way. We are constantly trying to mature our performances and bring a high level of energy to the stage. The one thing I think we try to work on the most and really focus on is making sure people don’t see the exact same show twice. Every time we go back to a city we try and give them a different show and I believe that’s what keeps bringing people back to our shows.
LUNA: What value/power has streaming services and social media served for you as a band?
TRISTAN: Streaming services are simultaneously a great thing and not a great thing. Services like Spotify have enabled our music to reach more people than I ever thought we would. Such a large platform with so many opportunities allows a lot of homegrown projects to become huge almost overnight. On the other side, it’s also set a precedent on what is ‘required’ to get on a playlist so that can happen. Frankly, it’s no different than the criticisms of what radio did. Social media is a little bit different, as it has a way of being personal and impersonal at the same time. I don’t use my personal social media enough to have a full opinion of it, but I do think it has been very beneficial for us, like promotion and allowing us to show our personalities outside of the music we make.
LUNA: Between a new EP and tour you’re kicking 2020 off with a great start. What would you like the rest of the year to bring you?
DILLON: Both the new music and the tour are extremely exciting things. Our experience we’ve gained over the years though has taught us to always keep the momentum going. However, after our tour we are going straight back to writing and recording and making sure that we keep our foot on the pedal. Obviously we hope to keep growing our following and hopefully the new music and the upcoming shows will present even greater opportunities later in the year.
