Australia’s biggest indie-folk band, The Paper Kites, are hitting home soil in 2024. Frontier The Melbourne-born band will return to Australia for a series of special headline shows this June.
Performing alongside The Roadhouse Band in what will be their first Australian shows together, The Paper Kites will kick off at Freo.Social on Saturday 8 June, heading to Brisbane’s The Tivoli on Friday 14 June, Enmore Theatre, Sydney on Saturday 15 June, to Forum Melbourne on Friday 21 June, before a final show at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on Saturday 22 June.
Saturday 8 June | Freo. Social | Fremantle, WA
Friday 14 June | The Tivoli | Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 15 June Enmore Theatre | Sydney, NSW
Friday 21 June | Forum Melbourne | Melbourne, VIC
Saturday 22 June | Theatre Royal | Castlemaine, VIC
2010 saw the debut EP release for The Paper Kites – Sam Bentley, Christina Lacy, David Powys, Sam Rasmussen and Josh Bentley – which yielded global attention with the song ‘Bloom’ hitting platinum certification in the US (and subsequently going platinum in 6 other countries, including Australia). Tallying over half a billion streams to date, the success of ‘Bloom’ is still felt fourteen years on.
Following on from their trailblazing debut, The Paper Kites commanded the global stage, redefining the growing folk country scene and quietly amassing a huge global audience of over 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Releasing full-length projects, States (2013), twelvefour (2015), On the Train Ride Home (2018), On The Corner Where You Live (2018), and Roses (2021), the band garnered nominations in their home country from the ARIA awards and J Awards, alongside consistently sold-out tours across the globe.
2023 saw the band release their sixth studio album and most poignant project to date – At The Roadhouse. Stumbling across an abandoned heritage venue in the small Australian town of Campbells Creek in 2022, the band repurposed the space into a venue (The Roadhouse) and embarked on a month-long residency – bringing this album project to life. Writing and recording in the barn behind The Roadhouse, word soon got around that the band were in town and weekends became a chance to perform the songs and allow them to evolve. An approach to songwriting and producing the band had never explored before, At The Roadhouse is a project deeply connected to community with smoky vocals and a magnetic groove that conjures the spirit of old-time country and blues.
The success of the small-town residency and performing alongside newly formed The Roadhouse Band – Hannah Cameron (vocals, piano, percussion), Chris Panousakis (vocals, guitars, percussion), Matt Dixon (pedal steel, guitars) – The Paper Kites knew they had to take the now eight-piece band on the road. Beginning in North America, The Paper Kites and The Roadhouse Band blew fans away, bringing the album to life on stage evoking the essence of a home-town show, yet so far away.
Last in Australia in 2022 performing sold-out shows across the country, Melbourne locals The Paper Kites will return this June, joined by The Roadhouse Band. Due to play at this year’s Bluesfest in Byron Bay, the band will then embark on their European tour with multiple sold-out dates before a highly anticipated return home.
Performing their most-loved tracks as well as the At The Roadhouse project for the first time down under, don’t miss The Paper Kites for these special homecoming headline shows.