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Indie rockers FLIPTURN return with “Burnout Days”: an interview

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flipturn’s much-anticipated album Burnout Days is out today, delivering a deeply personal exploration of resilience, family, and growth. Among its twelve tracks, the standout “Sunlight” anchors the record with its raw storytelling and honest, emotional weight.

Adding to the excitement, the band also released a new video for the title track, “Burnout Days,” today. The video captures the album’s overarching themes of vulnerability and perseverance, bringing flipturn’s evocative sound to life visually.

We sat down with the band to discuss their new release and this interesting project, so be sure to check out our full conversation below.

Drawing from frontman Dillon Basse’s own experiences, “Sinlight” chronicles his mother’s journey to sobriety and the strength it took for his family to support her.

“Amy’s on her way to rehab again / Lily’s gonna drive her there,” Basse sings, weaving deeply personal lyrics into a track that feels both intimate and universally relatable. This vulnerability permeates the entire album, wrapped in flipturn’s signature blend of lush indie tones and driving rhythms.

The song’s imagery draws from Basse’s mother’s journey to sobriety and her post-rehab embrace of bonsai cultivation—a metaphor that anchors the track and threads into the broader themes of the upcoming album Burnout Days.

FLIPTURN

Basse explains, “Like a bonsai tree’s branches needing to be cut to grow, human beings need pruning, even if it hurts.” It’s this careful pruning—of life’s most painful parts—that Burnout Days navigates with a mix of vulnerability and sonic intensity.

Formed in the coastal enclave of Fernandina Beach, flipturn embodies the ethos of DIY determination. Cutting their teeth on three-hour bar gigs before graduating to packed venues, they’ve carried their small-town communal spirit into everything they do. Bassist Madeline Jarman credits those early years for instilling endurance and gratitude, sharing, “Our hometown stuck with us for nine years, and we owe them everything.”

The weight of constant touring and industry demands isn’t lost on flipturn, but they’re not letting it crush them either.

Burnout Days, doesn’t just name the feeling—it wrestles with it. Lead guitarist Tristan Duncan puts it plainly: “We’ve learned to accept the chaos and keep going. It’s an ongoing process, but embracing what’s out of our control has helped.” It’s not about dodging the burnout—it’s about leaning into it and finding ways to grow.

That same balance carries into their work with visual artist Micah Lomel. Her flowing, emotive brushstrokes reflect the push and pull of the album’s sound—delicate in one moment, determined the next. Bassist Madeline Jarman explains, “We wanted Micah to interpret the album her way. Her mood board captured the essence of the songs beautifully.” It’s collaboration, not control, that drives their creative process.

FLIPTURN

Even as flipturn moves into bigger rooms, their focus on connecting with fans hasn’t wavered. Drummer Devon VonBalson lives for breaking the barrier between stage and crowd: “I bring my drum to the barricade; Dillon dives into the pit. Those moments are why we do this.” With stripped-down VIP sessions planned for their upcoming tour, they’re finding new ways to make every show feel personal.

 

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Their recent international debut in London and airplay on BBC Radio 1 highlight just how far their reach has grown. Still, as synth/guitarist Mitch Fountain notes, playing overseas feels different: “Audiences abroad listen intently—quiet and focused. It’s amazing and intimidating.” Whether it’s a hushed crowd in London or a packed house stateside, flipturn’s authenticity resonates.

Check out the full Q&A below for flipturn’s reflections on addiction, indie rock’s demands, and the lessons they’ve learned from their small-town roots.

FLIPTURN

How has growing up in a small coastal town shaped your approach to music? Are there other independent artists from Fernandina Beach or Florida whose work you think deserves more attention?

Madeline Jarman: Growing up in a small town helped us learn the importance of building a community. When we first started the band we used to play 3-hour cover gigs at the bars around town to anyone that would listen. It was a great way for us to build up show endurance and to hone our skills as musicians.

Our hometown is so supportive of us to this day, so we owe them a huge thank you for sticking around with us over the past 9 years! As far as Florida bands, we have to give a shoutout to Rohna (Tampa, FL), Trash Panda (Jacksonville, FL), Coyboi (Jacksonville, FL), and Teal Peel (Jacksonville, FL). They’re all incredible musicians and are so hardworking. They deserve the world!

Indie rock has seen significant changes over the years. Where do you think the genre stands today, and what role do you see yourselves playing in its direction?

Tristan Duncan: It definitely has changed so much! I haven’t been around since the beginning of indie rock hah but even witnessing the direct shift from 2010s indie rock to this decade has been vast.

We’re most inspired by a lot of the 2010s bands, so we hold that era dear to our hearts. I do think the genre is doing pretty well today because of how easy it is to record nowadays. The accessibility has really made a lot of musicians have their input into the genre, which I think has directly challenged a lot of artists to continue innovating. I do hope we can inspire more bands in the scene, because I think working in a group setting always yields interesting results – and usually for the better. We’re strong believers in iron sharpens iron!

Your new track addresses deeply personal themes of family, addiction, and recovery. How do you navigate the process of turning something so specific into a story that resonates widely?

Dillon Basse: Something I’ve found through songwriting is that the human experience isn’t as unique as we think it is sometimes. I find that the more vague some songs are, the less relatable they are. I always try to find the balance between using my own experiences to tell a story whilst not being so specific that others can’t put themselves into the story as well.

The bonsai tree imagery in your latest song feels intentional. Can you explain how this metaphor informed the songwriting and how it ties into the album’s broader themes?

Dillon Basse: My mom started working with bonsais as an activity to help her through the beginning stages of her sobriety. The idea of the constant pruning of the leaves in order to help it grow the right way inspired the song’s title and overall theme of taking pride in the things that may have hurt us because those can be what help us grow the most.

The album reflects on the challenges of constant touring and the demands of the music industry. What steps have you taken as a band to manage those pressures and maintain your creative focus?

Tristan Duncan: With the album being titled “Burnout Days”, it honestly didn’t really start out that way. It was something that was definitely realized throughout the writing process, but I can honestly say we’re not ‘burnt out’.

I think it’s very easy to get stressed and burnt out in this industry, because it’s all built on a non-centralized demand in all mediums that you’re expected to participate in. We’ve been fortunate enough to keep our head above the water by trying to take care of ourselves as best as we can – whether it be mental or physical.

It’s frankly an ongoing process we are still figuring out, but another key part has been acceptance. A lot of things can go wrong day to day being in a touring band, but accepting them as they come and working around it all makes it easier in our experience.

The visuals for the album and single seem to have a strong connection to the music. What was the process like working with the artist, and how did you approach aligning the visual and sonic elements?

Madeline Jarman: For both our debut record (Shadowglow) and Burnout Days we worked with our favorite artist, Micah Lomel. She has such a way of showing emotion through her art. Whether it’s through her color choices or fluidity of the brushstrokes, she has a way of bringing our music to life. For the creation process, we showed her the record and wanted her to interpret it in her own way.

We also gave her some meanings behind the songs, but ultimately we wanted to leave it up to the artist to create something that resonates with them as well. After listening to the record and talking with us, Micah made an awesome mood board where we picked the pieces that we felt embodied the album most. It’s truly a collaborative effort, and she has just been a dream to work with over the years!

With larger venues and a growing audience, how do you ensure the connection with listeners remains as direct and meaningful as ever?

Devon VonBalson: What’s cool about this next tour that we head out on is that every show we’ll be doing a VIP meet & greet where we’ll play a few songs stripped down to create a more intimate vibe, and get to have direct interactions with our people.

Another big thing for me is curating moments in our live show that break the fourth wall between the stage and the audience, so I’ll bring a drum and a cymbal down to the barricade to have our fans hold to be a part of that moment! Dillon will sometimes find his way into the pit to get up close and personal with our fans. Those are my favorite moments in our show, any interaction we get to have with our fans is the coolest part about being in a band.

 

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After playing shows in London and gaining airplay on BBC Radio 1, how does the indie scene abroad compare to the U.S.? What insights have you taken from those experiences?

Mitch Fountain – It’s really cool to see how different countries enjoy listening to music, it can really vary depending on where you’re playing. The indie scene is amazing everywhere you go, and the listeners are very polite. People are SUPER quiet in between songs and actively listening, which is super cool and intimidating haha. We have gotten used to at least a little small talk between songs in the US. It was a great experience and we’re excited to go back.

flipturn Tour Dates:

November 21 – Night & Day Cafe – Manchester, England *sold out*
January 18 – Playground Music + Arts Festival – Gainesville, FL
February 26 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
February 27 – The Factory in Deep Ellum – Dallas, TX
February 28 – Stubbs Amphitheater – Austin, TX
March 1 – Tower Theatre – Oklahoma City, OK
March 5 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
March 6 – The Sound – Del Mar, CA
March 7 – The Novo – Los Angeles, CA
March 8 – The Fox – Oakland, CA
March 9 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
March 11 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
March 13 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
March 15 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
March 18 – The Truman – Kansas City, MO
March 19 – The Hawthorn – St. Louis, MO
March 21 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
March 22 – The Palace Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
March 23 – Val Air – Des Moines, IA
March 26 – Egyptian Room – Indianapolis, IN
March 27 – KEMBA live! – Columbus, OH
March 28 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
March 29 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
March 30 – Beanfield Theatre – Montreal, QB
April 2 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
April 4 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
April 5 – Roadrunner – Boston, MA
April 9 – MEGACORP – Newport, KY
April 10 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA
April 11 – Franklin Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA
April 12 – The Anthem – Washington, D.C.
April 16 – Avondale Brewing – Birmingham, AL
April 18 – HOB Orlando – Orlando, FL
April 27 – High Water Festival – North Charleston, SC

Karol Kamiński

DIY rock music enthusiast and web-zine publisher from Warsaw, Poland. Supporting DIY ethics, local artists and promoting hardcore punk, rock, post rock and alternative music of all kinds via IDIOTEQ online channels.
Contact via [email protected]

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