With the scorching hot days of summer upon us, life on the road for a nonstop touring band like Florida indie-rockers flipturn can border on breakdown.
This current run in support of their second album, Burnout Days (released back in January), has them playing nearly every night for two months, including a stop at The Intersection, July 31. The rising band did a similar stretch of shows after the album’s release, crisscrossing the country, while carefully avoiding complete exhaustion.
No strangers to pushing themselves to the limit, flipturn has built their reputation, and their ever-growing following, on sheer will and relentless gigging.
Formed in 2015 while still in high school, the group began by playing house parties in and around the University of Florida in Gainesville, before branching out and hitting the highway.
They released their critically-acclaimed debut album, Shadowglow, in 2022, and that led them to tours with the likes of The Revivalists, Mt. Joy, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. They also quickly became festival favorites, performing everywhere from Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo to Electric Forest right here in West Michigan.
All that success put some strain on the band when it came time to begin writing a follow-up record, so they made a point of calling it out, compartmentalizing it in a way, by calling the new album Burnout Days.
“That title honestly just felt so accurate to where we were in our careers at the time of writing and recording that record,” flipturn guitarist Tristan Duncan said. “We definitely weren’t necessarily ‘burnt out’ as much as we saw the signs of what it means to fall into that burnout. We were touring as much as we physically could while trying to create a second album, and I know for a fact we all probably had to let ourselves take a breath here and there.”
Taking a breath is easier said than done for a band playing hundreds of concerts a year, now over a decade into their career, but their close friendship that goes all the way back to starting out in a garage includes time to give each other space.
“I think the key to avoiding burnout is learning where to take time for yourself, and how that lines up in a ‘take it day-by-day’ format,” Duncan told Revue. “It’s easy to leave your nose on the grindstone, and it’s hard to avoid losing sight of a goal—but in the end, taking pride in the work you’ve done, and what it means to you, makes it all worth it. And it really helps to be eternally grateful for the everyday stirrings of life, and the world that continues to keep on spinning around you.”
Filled with the band’s signature chill vibes, Burnout Days pushes at the boundaries of their genre, while speaking to the struggles of their generation. It also includes some of flipturn’s most personal songs to date, with vocalist Dillon Basse addressing sensitive subjects including his own mother’s addiction and recovery on the track “Sunlight.”
“Music has always been a therapeutic release for us,” Basse said. “Just writing music alone has helped us heal from certain experiences, but hearing stories from people who can relate to the music can also be very healing. Sometimes making a living off of being vulnerable can be very strange, so we have always appreciated the care and understanding our fans have given our songs.”
All of their touring also gave the band a new appreciation for their home state of Florida, which inspired the album in a number of surprising ways.
“For me personally, I wanted to get out of Florida so badly because it’s all I ever knew,” drummer DeVon VanBalson said. “Once touring actually started picking up, and we were away from home for much longer, that’s when it turned to an ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ sort of thing. There was this grown appreciation for our city, but mostly our people in it. (Jacksonville) has so many artists and bands who are so creative and inspiring. I’d say coming home to the charm and beauty from our communities, and even just the nature—the river, the beach, the trees, the wildlife—subconsciously seeped through our writing process.”
Since the release of Burnout Days, flipturn has landed their first radio hit, with lead single “Rodeo Clown” cracking the Top 20 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.
The band has also broken into bigger and bigger venues, headlining some of the very same places where they opened for other artists just a year or two ago.
“It’s been a crazy feeling,” bassist Madeline Jarman said. “We feel super grateful that we’ve been able to play at bigger venues with each new tour, and that’s all due to people spreading the word about our music. The only big change that it’s made on our live show is that with bigger stages, we’re able to travel with a whole lighting package that brings our show to life in a whole new way. Whether it’s a 400 or 3,000 capacity room, we aim to bring the same level of energy to each show.”
flipturn will play The Intersection, July 31, before performing as part of this year’s Lollapalooza in Chicago, August 1
flipturn: The Burnout Days Tour
wsg. Joe P
The Intersection, 133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Grand Rapids
July 31, 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show,
$47.25, All Ages
Sectionlive.com, flipturn.band
