Talking to: flipturn

Nine months after their national TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, flipturn are heading to Bristol.

The indie-rock five-piece - Dillon Basse (vocals, guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Mitch Fountain (synth, guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), and Devon VonBalson (drums) - have come a long way from college house shows. They’ve carved out their own path through festivals and late-night TV, and now they’re set to light up The Fleece on 13th November.

Their latest album, Burnout Days, brims with infectious hooks and nostalgic lyricism - a burst of warmth and energy just in time for the dark British winter. Filled with some of their most intimate and cathartic tracks yet, it recounts hours spent in vans, green rooms, and onstage, all while navigating life in their mid-20s.

"'Burnout Days' feels like a further push into what our sound can be, whilst also staying familiar to our roots," says Basse. “…It's the most honest we've been to our audience about what life has looked like for us the last few years."

We can’t wait to catch them live at The Fleece - but before that, we sat down with the band to talk touring, the new album, and which Spice Girl they think they’d be.

1. If you weren’t in flipturn, what band - past or present - would you love to have been in?

Mitch Fountain: Tame Impala all day every day.

2. Describe your latest album “Burnout Days” in three words

Devon VonBalson: Existential, lush, electric.

3. What can people expect from your gig in Bristol on 13 November?

Dillon Basse: High energy and a welcoming fanbase.

4. Do you prefer being in the studio, or being on tour, and why?
Mitch: I prefer being in the studio but eventually I will want to leave and go on tour. It’s nice to be in the same place and I enjoy that. Touring you have to move around and you’re not home, but I eventually get stir crazy, so touring is also so fun and important.

5. Would you rather play outside at a festival or inside at a venue?
Madeline Jarman: This is tough! There’s great aspects of both types of shows. I love playing outside at a festival because you can get in front of a bunch of new people that will hopefully become fans of our music after our set, but a show inside a venue has an insane energy that’s hard to create at an outdoor festival. I think for practicality’s sake, I’ll say indoors at a venue since there can’t be any delays due to weather and it’s a more controlled environment for our show on the tech side of things!

6. Which country has the craziest crowds?
Dillon: Last year some of our most electric crowds were in Germany.

7. What’s your favourite gig you’ve ever played?
Dillon: Halloween in Atlanta, GA last year. The whole band dressed up as Luigi.

8. Which one song do you wish you’d written?
Devon: There are so many, but the latest one is a song called Angie by the artist, Spill Tab.

9. Any advice for an indie band just starting out?

Tristan Duncan: The best thing you can do is play as many shows as you can! It’s tough to get in front of people and share your music, but every show is a learning experience you never would have had otherwise. And another big thing is to not take yourself too seriously. It’s paramount to be serious with your intent- but just know that if things don’t go the way you want them to, it’s going to be okay! Learning to laugh off the silly things that happen makes you appreciate the good things that happen all the more.

10. flipturn, meet the Spice Girls: If you had to assign each band member a Spice Girls persona – Scary, Sporty, Baby, Ginger, or Posh – who gets what?

Madeline Jarman: Okay amazing, here’s what I’m thinking! Ginger Spice = Tristan, Scary Spice = Mitch, Sporty Spice = Dillon, Posh Spice = Devon, Baby Spice = Madeline (me).