Alpine

Australian ensemble Alpine fuse synth textures, sweet vocal harmonies, and bright rhythms into a stylish, soaring blend of alternative dance and post-punk. The Melbourne-based group originated in 2009 from an earlier high-school collaboration between vocalist Phoebe Baker and guitarist Christian O'Brien. Once school ended, Louisa James came aboard to support the vocal arrangements, soon followed by the addition of keyboardist Tim Royal, bassist Ryan Lamb, and drummer Phil Tucker. Before Alpine had performed live, their demo reached Australian radio station Triple J, where it gained traction on the Unearthed platform for emerging artists. The band quickly began playing shows, including a monthlong residency at Melbourne's Northcote Social Club and a signing to the Ivy League Records roster. Their first EP, Zurich, appeared in November 2010 while Alpine shared stages with fellow Australian acts Cloud Control, Jinja Safari, and the Naked and Famous. The debut album A Is for Alpine came out in Australia in 2012 and reached the United States the following year, coinciding with a national tour and a performance on the American television program Jimmy Kimmel Live! The group's sophomore release, Yuck, was slated for 2015.