Radio Free Alice: UKNY Session 2025

Listen to the session tonight, November 23, on "UKNY" at 11 p.m.

Melbourne-bred, London-based Radio Free Alice has barely been off the road over the last handful of years, headlining on their own and supporting bands like The Killers, Royel Otis, and ahead in 2026, Geese. There's been rapid word of mouth about Radio Free Alice beyond their native Australia, especially for the group's electrifying live gigs, as I experienced firsthand in August, catching them at a seriously sold-out show at The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston where they knocked out a confident, crackling set (one of six sellouts in their London residency this summer).

The quartet of Noah Learmonth (vocals, guitar), Jules Paradiso (guitar), Michael Phillips (bass, saxophone) and Lochie Dowd (drums) has released three EPs to date, most recently 2025's Empty Words.  They sold out their New York gigs in September too, and visited FUV's Studio A  for a "UKNY" session — the band's first radio session in the United States.

With angular, punchy singles like "Toyota Camry," Radio Free Alice are also sharply focused on what it means to be Gen Z in these unsettling post-pandemic years of disquiet and global chaos. In our conversation, Learmonth, Paradiso, Phillips and Dowd chatted about the sometimes serious slant of their lyrics, their work with American producer Peter Katis for Empty Words and the guys' deep love of British music — from baggy Manchester grooves to propulsive indie pop (clearly heard on "Johnny"). They also mused on what it means to live out of hotel rooms, touring the world, and chasing after a dream. 

Radio Free Alice are working on their debut album with a new record label ahead  — and 2026 promises plenty of good happenings for this terrific band.

[Recorded: 9/12/25; Engineered by Jim O'Hara  with Nadia Garriga, Thomas Lapus, and Holden Buckley. Produced by Kara Manning. Videographers: Nikki Phillips, Bella Lipayon, Mia Vilke, and Gina Slavin.]