The five bandmates in flipturn — Dillon Basse, Tristan Duncan, Madeline Jarman, Mitch Fountain and Devon VonBalson — kicked off their tour on Feb. 26 in Houston and are now heading to Newport.
Based out of Fernandina Beach, Florida, flipturn was formed in 2015 when Basse, Duncan and Jarman were seniors in high school. Fountain and VonBalson joined in the band’s college days, and the group’s early work included the release of their Citrona EP in 2018. The EP is packed with the band’s signature blend of nostalgic sounds and lyrics, catchy riffs and synths, and an overall cinematic listening experience. The fifth track on that EP, “August,” ended up being the band’s most-streamed song with 62 million streams on Spotify. The song’s dreamlike sound and introspective lyrics, reminiscent of the passing of time and the people who fade in and out of one’s life, make for a perfect soundtrack to some of the bittersweet life experiences everyone can relate to.
Their debut album, Shadowglow, was released in August 2022 and features another hit, “Sad Disco,” which lives up to its name through the song’s melancholic lyrics backed by a bouncy melody. This makes for a tune one can both dance and cry to, depending on the day. The album showcases more of the band’s songwriting abilities, exploring the hardships of balancing youth and the inevitable responsibilities of entering adulthood. Fast forward to January 2025, and flipturn’s most recent album release, Burnout Days, is an extension of the band’s ability to juxtapose upbeat melodies with heavier subject matters through its exploration of accepting change and adapting to the good and bad side effects of tireless hard work.
Playing their lively sets at festivals like Bonnaroo, Governor’s Ball and Lollapalooza, flipturn has brought their sprightly performances across the states and beyond throughout the past ten years. Bringing their songs to life on stage, flipturn’s dynamic performances allow fans to leave their inhibitions behind and fully immerse themselves in the band’s atmospheric music for as long as possible.
flipturn plays MegaCorp Pavilion at 8 p.m. on April 9. More info: promowestlive.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 2 print edition.
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This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2025.