This weekend, concertgoers are flooding the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, Massachusetts for the Green River Festival. The three-day event includes headliners such as Cake, Fleet Foxes, and Gregory Alan Isakov. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons spoke with Florida-based Flipturn, who is playing tonight, June 23, about the festival and their current projects.
Originating out of a Florida garage in 2015, Flipturn, an indie rock band brings feelings of love and loss and growing up to audiences in catchy, energetic songs. The band recently got home from their “Something More” tour where they hit nearly 40 cities in less than two months. In the next few months, the band will hit several festivals and tour with Two Door Cinema Club and The Revivalists. I'm joined by flip turns lead singer, Dylan bass and vocalist and bass player Madeline Jarman.
You guys just came off your “Something More” tour, which was pretty much nonstop. So how was it being out on the road for pretty much two months straight with no days off.
Dillon Basse:
It was, it was crazy. It was definitely our longest run yet, but it was one of it was my favorite. I think we've ever been on, just the crew we had was amazing. Everybody on the tour was got along really well and that made it super fun. Everything was a little new too, because we were going into some bigger rooms. It was our first tour with a bus. So, it was really, it was really special.”
Madeline Jarman:
Oh yeah, we keep talking about how much, like, we talked about how much we love that tour and this, like, honestly, can't wait for the next one. Sometimes, after a run like that, we're like, ‘Woo, it's time for a break,’ you know. But after this one, we're like, ‘We could have gone a little longer.’
You'll be hitting a ton of festivals in the next few months, and festivals typically draw bigger crowds, more diverse crowds, people aren't there just to see you. What kind of feedback do you guys get when you're coming off these festivals?
Madeline Jarman:
I just love playing festivals honestly. Because, even if it's not super direct feedback, even seeing people out there is kind of cool even if they're way in the back talking to their friend or something, like, they're still there and, like, maybe looked us up on their phone or something. So, festivals are a really great way to get in front of a bunch of new ears. But, also, we have people at shows all around being like, oh, ‘I saw you at Bonnaroo, or saw you wherever,’ because people travel for festivals, so it's a great way to kind of get people to your shows all around the country.
Dillon Basse:
That's true. The feedback isn't always immediate. It’ll sometimes be six months or a year down the line when somebody's like, ‘Yeah, I saw you. I saw you last year at Bonnaroo and now, like that, you're back playing a venue near here. I came to the show,’ stuff like that is always really cool to see.
I know you said you guys felt like you could maybe tour a little bit longer. This summer, you'll be supporting Two Door Cinema Club and The Revivalist. How does it feel to come off your own headline tour and then to go support? I assume the energy is still there.
Dillon Basse:
Absolutely. Yeah, it's going to be really exciting, just because those are both bands that we grew up listening to, we were fans of when we were middle school, high school, like early college. So, to be able to share the stage with them is going to be really cool, honestly, very exciting.
I saw you guys last year at Lark Hall in Albany. And I don't usually interact with bands I like anywhere else, outside, on social media or anything like that. So, I went in not knowing the energy that you guys bring to a show. Life changing. I'm just going to say I remember turning to my friend and I was like, ‘There’s no way,’ like Dylan had a smile on the entire time. And it was, it was very vibey. The synergy that you guys have on stage. Have you guys always played this well together? Did this come with time?
Madeline Jarman:
Well, thank you, first of all. That's so nice. I think it honestly just takes playing a ton of shows. You could probably find videos of us playing on YouTube or something from that first year when we started, and we're just like sticks, like, just trying to get through the songs but now we have a lot more fun with it, and just knowing that, if they're there, they're open to listening to some music for the night, and hopefully they'll have a fun time. So, it's kind of like that energy of knowing, there's comfort in that, knowing that they're there to have a good time. So, we like to have a good time, too.
Dylan, you jumped in the crowd, and you were maybe like one person away from me, just singing. I can't remember what song it was, but it was just electric. It was it was so fun. I was showing one of my coworkers the video today, and just amazing. So well, how do you you know, I guess, prepare to bring this energy to assume all your shows?
Dillon Basse:
You kind of have to remind yourself, since you do it every single night, that most of the crowd is new. Sometimes there's people that travel from show to show, but like these are. People like for them, it's like they're paying money to come see you and like they they've been supporting you forever. And like for them, this is, like, THE night, you know? I mean, this is the show they've been looking forward to. Even though we've been doing it every single night, you kind of have to remind yourself of that, I think. Sometimes is like, you can't really take nights off, because it's not, it wouldn't be very fair to people that, bought tickets, I think. And that's why we tour, and that's how we've been able to grow. I think a lot of people seeing us live and talking about us word of mouth, or telling your friend, like, ‘Oh, you should come see this band.’ So, like, that's another thing too, just knowing that if you give 100 percent, it just doesn't feel right coming off knowing you didn't give that audience like, the same that you would give another audience you know. Like, you try to give each audience the same amount of respect and energy that they deserve.
Speaking of new audiences, you guys are going your first European tour later this year. How do you feel about knowing that your music extends beyond the border and beyond English language and connects with people overseas?
Dillon Basse:
Crazy.
Madeline Jarman:
Crazy. I was gonna say it's just wild. We make music because it's fun, and we tour because it's fun, and like, the fact that we're able to go overseas with that is just insane. And like, some of these shows have sold out, which is just nuts. So, it's just all very exciting, and I'm looking forward to see, like, how shows are over there too. You know, we'll bring our same show, but, yeah, I don't know. Just excited.
And you guys just got off tour, and I heard you guys got into the studio, and I'm sure you can't share much about it. But what can we expect with the next album, maybe? And when can we expect it? Is it really different from Shadowglow?
Dillon Basse:
Oh, man, I wouldn't say. So., I think each project we've worked on, there's always been a newness to it. You know? I think we've always like with Shadowglow, we were pushing some boundaries, I think, for what we have done before. And with this album, I know there's some new sounds, there's some new feelings and vibes, I guess you could say that are just new territory for us. But nothing, I wouldn't say it's like a the most crazy experimental like album in the entire world, you know, like, we definitely stick to our roots and things that feel good to us always, while trying to push a little bit further and see where else we can take the sound. But it is, I think, going to be some of our best sounding stuff ever. The producer we've been working with, Chad Copelin, is incredible. And just sonically has taken our sound in a really cool direction that I'm very excited for people to hear.
And lastly, the either of you have a favorite song that you can pick, I know you guys have been together for almost a decade now doing this, but is there a favorite?
Madeline Jarman:
That's a tough question. Off the top of my head, I would say sad disco. That one's like off of Shadowglow, that one's been really fun to play live.
That's also my favorite, not to play live, obviously, but to listen to. That's my favorite.
Dillon Basse:
Mine would probably be Space Cowboy, just because it's a very dynamic song. It has, almost has, it has so many different parts to it within the song and it's usually the one we like and end our set on. So, it always feels like, almost like a deep breath whenever we play it, you know, because the start of the night, you're really nervous because you're like, Alright, how's this set gonna go? And no matter what, whether it was like, my favorite show or not my favorite show ever, by the time we get to that song, I'm always like, ‘Okay, you know, we've, we've gotten, we've, like, the night is, like, this is it, you know what? I mean, like, this is the end. So, like, give this one everything you have, you know, no matter what the rest of the show felt like.’ So that one, I like, where we put it in the set specifically, and it's just, yeah, I don't know that one always hits home for me, never get tired of playing that one.
Flipturn will be playing at the Green River Music Festival at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, Massachusetts on June 23.