A Night Drive Through Australia with an ’80s Spirit
Radio Free Alice, one of the standout names in the new wave of post-punk, is a four-piece band hailing from Melbourne, Australia. Formed in 2020, the group consists of Noah Learmonth (vocals, guitar), Jules Paradiso (guitar), Michael Phillips (bass, saxophone), and Lochie Dowd (drums). They seem to have grown up in the shadow of The Cure and The Smiths, but accelerated by the influence of The Strokes.
Their new single, “Toyota Camry,” released on July 30, 2025, is a highlight from their upcoming Empty Words EP, set to drop on August 20. Behind the production is Peter Katis, known for working with legends like Interpol and Bloc Party.
The song feels like a blurry glimpse of the past seen from the window of an old car. With jangly guitars, vintage vocal touches, and a danceable rhythmic flow, it resurrects the ’80s British new wave spirit on the streets of Melbourne.
Vocalist Noah Learmonth, inspired by cult writer Mark Fisher’s phrase “haunted by lost futures,” infuses the track with the melancholy of living in the shadow of lost possibilities and the past.
🎬 The music video for “Toyota Camry,” directed by Finn Robilliard, adds a visual velocity to the song’s nostalgic tempo.
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“Toyota Camry” is more than a song; it’s a brief return to that old car still parked in your childhood neighborhood. While navigating the intellectual vein of post-punk, it also winks at the indie dancefloor. This Melbourne quartet rewrites the spirit of the classics in a new city.
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