On Shadowglow Deluxe, Touring with Shakey Graves: An Interview with Flipturn

It’s been just over a year since indie rockers, Flipturn, released their debut album, Shadowglow (2022). Since then, the band has released a deluxe version of the album and played packed shows at iconic venues like Red Rocks and House of Blues Orlando.

Fans of the band – who are currently on tour opening for Shakey Graves – were treated to a one-night headline show in Berkeley at The UC Theatre on Oct. 4.

Prior to the show, the band sat down with The Berkeley B-Side to chat about Shadowglow Deluxe (2023), touring with Shakey Graves and some of the major milestones they have experienced since The B-side’s last interview with the band one year ago.

The band’s lineup consists of Dillon Basse (lead vocalist), Madeline Jarman (Bass), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Mitch Fountain (synth), and Devon VonBalson (Drums).

The B-Side: Shadowglow Deluxe was released in August of this year – a year after the debut album dropped. Congratulations. It includes a collab with Hotel Fiction and a cover of the beloved Tears for Fears song, ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’. What went into the decision to release a deluxe version of the album and what did that process look like?

Madeline: It was something we had been kind

of planning it for a bit. We knew that it would be cool to give sort of different sides of some of the tracks and also provide some live takes of some of our stuff as well, because we’ve been touring it like crazy.

As far as some of the deluxe tracks go, when we originally did halfway acoustic, it was just Tristan and Dillon. We went to record it and everything, but it needed something more added to it. Then, we thought of Jess and Jade of Hotel Fiction, who our good friends of ours. They were down and came to Jacksonville to stay for a couple of days and we recorded it. It was really cool.

Dillon: To show the other side of some of those songs was really our main focus.

The B-Side: You guys have been on tour with Shakey Graves. Tonight is a kind-of fortunate one-off headline show in Berkeley, so we are really glad you could make it out here. What has the tour with Shakey Graves been like for you guys?

Devon: They are super sweet. This is the first week of tour, really, so we haven’t had a ton of chances to interact with them. But, the brief times we have, they have been so down-to-earth and awesome.

They are incredible live. It is definitely inspiring. I am really excited to do the rest of this run with them.

Dillon: I’ve been a really big fan of them. I never knew if I would be able to see them live and now we’re touring with them.

Devon: We’re label mates now!

The B-Side: So cool! Tonight, you have Finish Ticket opening for you. How did you all link up with them?

Devon: I grew up as a really big fan of Fini

sh Ticket. I saw them when I was 15 in Jacksonville and they blew my mind. It was right around when I started to do the whole band thing. They were one of the bands that made me want to do music.

Last time they played in Jacksonville, I caught up with their drummer, Gabe, after the show and we have kept in touch since. I think our management have crossed each other’s at some point and we both put in a good word for one another. That’s how we ended up here. I think they are actually from right here in the Bay Area. It worked out perfectly.

The B-Side: Since Shadowglow‘s release, have you all celebrated any major milestones? Have you played any venues you were particularly excited to play?

Mitch: Yes! Red Rocks was a big one!

Madeline: That was so special. Mt. Joy had us for both of those shows. The shows sold out before we were even added so they could have performed without us, but they had us on anyway and that was so cool. That was probably the craziest moment of my life and the best moment of my life, for sure.

We also have a song in Rock Band, which is really, really cool. I grew up playing Guitar Hero so it was kind of surreal.

The B-Side: Oooh! Which song made it?

Madeline: ‘The Fall’ which was a really cool choice!

Devon: I was really stoked to play House of Blues Orlando. I have seen a lot of incredible shows there, so it was really full circle.

Mitch: Yeah! That was the biggest headline show we have ever played.

The B-Side: You guys have been playing an opening set on tour with Shakey Graves. Tonight, we get to hear a full length set. One by one, what song are you each the most excited to play tonight.

Dillon: I am really excited to play ‘Hollow.’ I don’t think we played that song last time we were out here. That’s one that is a lot of fun to play in general.

Devon: We’ve been opening with ‘Weepy Woman’ recently and that has been very fun.

Madeline: I am going to say ‘Space Cowboy.’ That one is always really fun to play. It is always one we close with. Its a really cathartic way to end the show.

Tristan: I was going to say ‘Hollow’ and then I was going to say ‘Space Cowboy.’ They got to it first, haha. I would say Goddamn is really cool. It’s towards the end of the set, so we are pushing a little harder.

Mitch: I like playing ‘the Fall.’ We haven’t played it that much this tour, but it is one of my favorite songs to play.

The B-Side: Great! Thank you so much everyone! It was nice catching up with you all.

At the end of the tour, the band says they will be working on new material. The band has already started sound checking a couple new songs and may add them to a setlist closer to the end of the current tour.

Flipturn is on tour with Shakey Graves until Oct. 28. Be sure to catch them in a city near you and stream Shadowglow Deluxe. 

Interview by Anna Armstrong

Photos by Kyle Garcia Takata