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Photo credit: Dara Munnis

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[1 September 2023] Today, ARIA nominated band The Paper Kites share their highly anticipated sixth studio album At The Roadhouse, featuring singles ‘The Sweet Sound Of You’, ‘Till The Flame Turns Blue’, ‘Hurts So Good’, ‘Black & Thunder’, ‘I Don’t Want To Go That Way’, ‘Junes Stolen Car’, and today’s focus track ‘Pocket Full Of Rain’.

The Paper Kites music has always been marked with emotion and introspection. Following their acclaimed album of duets Roses (2021), a beloved collection with artists like Julia Stone (AUS), MARO (PTR), Lucy Rose (UK) and Aoife O’Donovan (USA), At The Roadhouse is a triumphant addition to their lore and legacy as one of Australia’s most successful folk exports.

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“It’s a place you’d want to stay – warm and inviting, and the pace is unhurried… File next to your Ryan Adams records – this is quality Americana…” – Jeff Jenkins for STACK Magazine

“Songs that distill heartbreak and longing into beauty and hope… everyone who stepped into The Roadhouse — in person or via listening to the recording — can carry with them a light against the darkness.” – Stacy Chandler for No Depression

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Nestled in regional Victoria, the band was initially drawn to Campbells Creek by Alex Bennet’s residential studio ‘Sound Recordings’ – an all-analogue studio in an old, converted barn on the family property. Upon visiting the studio, the band was also shown an empty heritage building that sat vacant off the main road, sparking the idea of creating a venue they could perform a residency in while recording the album. Enlisting the help of set designer Matilda Woodroofe, the team spent the following weeks creating what would become “The Roadhouse”.

In the winter of July 2022, The Roadhouse doors were opened to the public Friday and Saturday nights, with the only indication being a beam of red light shining down upon the usually darkened façade. The band’s expectations for attendance were modest, yet as word began to circulate, the unfolding weeks saw evenings awash with curious locals, travellers, and passersby who became enchanted by the music, atmosphere and the spirit of togetherness it fostered.

“Word started to get around the community that something was happening there”, lead singer and songwriter Sam Bentley recalls. “It started with a small gathering, but by the end of the month it was so full we had to keep turning people away.” Guitarist David Powys adds,“What began as something imagined, became an experience realised by everyone in the room. A kind of magic born from people connecting with music and friends”.

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A performance at The Roadhouse in July 2022.

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Tracking the album live in the old barn on weekdays, the 5-piece added friends and multi-instrumentalists Matt Dixon (The Teskey Brothers, Gretta Ziller), Hannah Cameron, and Chris Panousakis (AKA Timberwolf) to their Roadhouse band on the album recorded by engineer Matt Redlich. Cinematographer Kieran Watson-Bonnice (Shayda, Caravan) and his team captured The Paper Kites’ time in Campbells Creek, with the footage edited into a feature-length film by Sam Bentley. Watch the trailer here.

The Paper Kites cover new ground on At The Roadhouse, a freewheeling epic that spans 16 tracks of nostalgic warmth, earthy grit and character driven narratives. Songs like ‘Hurts So Good’, ‘Midnight Moon’ and ‘Rolling On Easy’ hark to the great singer-songwriters of the folk and americana movements while filtered through their unique ‘Australiana’ lens. Darker nods to the blues in tracks like ‘Black & Thunder’ and the pulsating ‘June’s Stolen Car’ see the band lift the lid on restraint and carry the listener to The Roadhouse itself. Select songs such as ‘Pocket Full Of Rain’ and ‘Green Valleys’ draw inspiration from more traditional folk tunes, while other tracks like ‘Good Nights Gone’ evolved across performances at The Roadhouse, shining a light on the musicality of the extended band members. The final track, ‘Darkness At My Door’, concluded each evening’s set at The Roadhouse, making it a fitting and memorable conclusion to the record. 

At The Roadhouse captures The Paper Kites month-long residency in Campbells Creek with powerful sincerity – a contribution to Australian music as emotive as the landscape itself.  

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THE PAPER KITES
AT THE ROADHOUSE

Out now via Wonderlick

Listen/Purchase

Midnight Moon
Till The Flame Turns Blue
Black & Thunder
Marietta
 Rolling On Easy
Hurts So Good
Good Nights Gone
 Burn The Night Away
June’s Stolen Car
Maria, It’s Time
Green Valleys
The Sweet Sound Of You
I Don’t Want To Go That Way
Pocket Full Of Rain
 Mercy
 Darkness At My Door

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Follow THE PAPER KITES
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About THE PAPER KITES

The Paper Kites are a folk/rock band from Melbourne, Australia, composed of Sam Bentley, Christina Lacy, David Powys, Samuel Rasmussen and Josh Bentley.

Formed in 2010 in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, The Paper Kites have released 2 EPs, 6 studio albums, continuing to capture hearts around the world with their sincere songwriting and moving performances. Their first ever single ‘Bloom’ (2011) is certified platinum in 6 countries. Their fourth album, On The Train Ride Home (2019), received an ARIA Award nomination for ‘Best Adult Contemporary Album’, and their podcast Between The Houses earned an Australian Podcast Award nomination for ‘Best Entertainment Podcast’ (2021). The bands music reach extends over 7 million monthly listeners and over 1 billion listens across their catalogue.

Selling out international tours throughout 2023 and performing at prestigious festivals such as Edmonton Folk Music Festival and Calgary Folk Festival, The Paper Kites are preparing to embark on a world tour with The Roadhouse band.

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AMNPLIFY – ML