Flipturn is an American indie rock band formed in 2015 in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The group consists of Dillon Basse (lead vocals), Tristan Duncan (guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), Mitch Fountain (guitar/synth) and Devon VonBalson (drums).
It began by performing at college house shows and gradually built a reputation through energetic live performances and festival appearances, including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and The Governors Ball.
In January 2025, Flipturn released their sophomore album, “Burnout Days,” which the members developed collaboratively, drawing inspiration from their experiences on the road and time spent writing in a cabin in North Carolina.
Flipturn just concluded their tour, which included a sold-out show at New York City’s Terminal 5 in early April.
Flipturn has a fresh indie rock sound with echoes of older bands in its music. While it has carved out their own dreamy, emotional and atmospheric style, Flipturn also draws inspiration directly from earlier artists.
Its songs often feel like a bridge between the heartfelt lyricism of early 2000s indie rock and the textured, synth-tinged ambiance of the ‘80s.
“As a band we’re inspired by Radiohead, we’re inspired by the band Phoenix,” Jarman said in an interview with ABC News. “I grew up a lot listening to, like, the new wave, ‘80s music, The Cure, New Order from my parents.”
That blend of influences — Radiohead’s art-rock experimentation, Phoenix’s polished indie-pop sensibility, and the moody, synth-heavy stylings of The Cure and New Order — can be felt throughout Flipturn’s sound.
It’s not imitation; it’s evolution. Flipturn channels the emotional intensity and sonic layering of those earlier genres into something current and resonant, especially for younger audiences who might be experiencing this aesthetic for the first time. Flipturn isn’t just reviving rock — it is reimagining it for a new generation.
Somewhere along the way, our generation lost the raw spark that made rock and indie music such a driving force in the ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s.
In those eras, bands weren’t afraid to get loud and show vulnerability to make listeners feel something real.
Think of how The Strokes broke through the polished pop surface in the early 2000s with gritty guitar riffs and unfiltered emotion — it didn’t just feel like a rebellion — it was one.
Flipturn channels that same spirit, not by mimicking the past, but reawakening the emotional urgency and authenticity that once defined rock’s golden moments.
Flipturn is proof that there’s still — and always will be — room for raw passion and indie rock that wears its heart on its sleeve and connects with a crowd hungry for something that feels human again.
