Flipturn Reveals ‘Playground’ A Piece Of Debut Album

Hailing from a cozy beach-side garage on Amelia Island, FL, Flipturn turned “do it yourself” into “conquer it all”– all within a 6 year time span and an experimental approach to alternative grunge. Built by longtime friends Dillon Basse (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), Mitch Fountain (synth), and Devon VonBalson (drums), the band let their minds wander into endless spontaneity creating melancholically-driven , spell-binding singles, harnessing over 40 million streams and an intimate group of likeminded supporters.

Today, the group adds another emotionally refreshing project to their psychedelic tool-belt, which features their powerhouse single “Playground,” out now on all streaming platforms. Standing as their first release since 2020’s Something You Needed, Shadowglow displays the bands creative maturity both lyrically and instrumentally, introducing avid listeners to their semi-sonic side with remnants of their garage-rock roots.

Along side fan favorites like “The Fall,” “Space Cowboy,” and “Sad Disco” is the underrated underdog track “Playground.” While simultaneously stepping into self-proclaimed themes of maturation while reaching for what was, “Playground” combines the freshening energy of new beginnings with the nostalgic after taste of simplicity.

Speaking on the track, lead guitarist Tristan Duncan said, “Growing up has a way of taking all that away. You learn through trial and error while unknowingly laying the bricks below you. New things feel a little less shiny and the weight of your world pushes a little harder down on you. At some point, you realize you forget what it felt like to be a kid. That’s when it becomes easy to romanticize it, but a lot harder to shrug away the sobering thoughts of your adult life.”

Mimicking the feeling of watching the innocence be stripped from your fragile yet inviting existence, the track begins with plucks of nostalgia, followed by a whimpering introduction by Dillon Basse. His high pitched vocals render the unknown as a new path is being paved, emphasized with each bellow and rasp. As the remainder of the group come into the track, a shimmering image of driving down the beach appears, as if they’re both running away and running home at the same time.

As the track continues, a hypnotic trance is put upon the strings, divorcing from its original, almost folk driven chords, and marrying Mitch Fountain’s synth-driven hypnosis. After a break between lines, a large portion of the song is dedicated to interpretation– a place for you to write your own narrative scored by the incredible talents of Tristan Duncan and Dillon Basse. The two build a piece that escalates with each passing second but amount to an infinite amount of realizations, adding both tension and release simultaneously.

“Playground,” along with the rest of the record, is Flipturn in a rather mellow and tranquil light, a true display of their musical maturation and emotional intelligence. Listen to the track and remainder of the album here, now available on all streaming platforms.