Radio Free Alice

Radio Free Alice takes its name from a record store in Sydney, where Jules Paradiso and Noah Learmoth spent much of their teenage years hanging out. It’s where they immersed themselves in the sounds of Radiohead, New Order, The Smiths, Happy Mondays and The Go-Betweens – which they consider the finest Australian rock band of all time. With the blessing of store owner James Tsai, they adopted the name of their source of inspiration when they formed a band in Melbourne in 2021, alongside like-minded musicians Lochie Dowd, Maayan Barnatan (on and off) and Michael Phillips. Tsai himself, incidentally, had borrowed the name Radio Free Alice from an Italian free radio station. The band’s direction was quickly set: the best of the 1980s, translated for modern ears. The build and momentum of their shows was shaped by scrutinising The Who live videos hundreds of times.