The Paper Kites
The Paper Kites are an Australian indie folk group based out of Melbourne whose sound mixes lush harmonies, introspective lyrics, and wistful, often soaring melodies. They rose to popularity in the mid-2010s with albums like States and the more inventive, more pop-oriented Twelvefour. The group earned an ARIA Music Award nod for their fourth album, 2018's On the Corner Where You Live, and followed it three years later with a collection of duets called Roses. 2023's At the Roadhouse grew out of a monthlong live residency in rural Victoria.
The Paper Kites initially formed around the duo of Sam Bentley and Christina Lacy, who had been performing and writing together since high school. Members David Powys (guitar/banjo), Sam Rasmussen (bass/synth), and Josh Bentley (drums) were recruited from other Melbourne-based bands in 2010 to complete the lineup that was responsible for their debut single, "Bloom." With their warm, harmonic blend and acoustic-oriented indie folk-pop sound, their first EP, 2011's Woodland, began to pick up steam, and by early 2012 the Paper Kites were headlining across Australia and had landed a couple of key television song placements. By mid-2012, they had more than enough material for a full-length album yet decided to continue developing their sound live, and issued a second EP instead called Young North.
The band's debut LP, States, finally arrived in late 2013, and they made their first trip to North America, first supporting Canadian group City & Colour, then embarking on their own headlining tour. Seeking a different direction for their sophomore album, the Paper Kites headed back to the U.S. to work with Seattle-based producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Manchester Orchestra), who helped them develop a more lush, synth-based sound. Released in late 2015, Twelvefour was a sort of concept album that was composed entirely between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m. Arriving in April 2018, their follow-up, On the Train Ride Home, proved to be a dramatically understated affair, consisting largely of hushed acoustic material. Initially conceived as a double album, its second half was split into a separate release titled On the Corner Where You Live, which appeared in September of that year. The latter of the two albums netted the Paper Kites an ARIA Music Award nomination for Best Adult Contemporary Album of the Year.
For their fifth album, 2021's Roses, the band opted for a collaborative approach and recorded a set of duets with a range of other artists including Aoife O'Donovan, Julia Stone, Lucy Rose, and more. The group's next project was an immersive one. Holing up in the rural Victorian town of Campbells Creek, the Paper Kites started an unannounced monthlong residency at a local roadhouse, writing and recording songs there by day and acting as the live house band in the evenings. They came away with 2023's At the Roadhouse, a studio album that bore the immediacy of their nightly live gigs.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo
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Discography
22 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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At the Roadhouse
Folk - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 1 Sep 2023
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Roses
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 12 Mar 2021
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
States
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 30 Aug 2013
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Walk Above the City
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 5 Feb 2021
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Without Your Love
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 13 Nov 2020
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
For All You Give
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 21 Aug 2020
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Climb on Your Tears
The Paper Kites, Aoife O'Donovan
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 18 Dec 2020
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
The Sweet Sound of You
Folk - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 24 Feb 2023
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
By My Side
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 25 Sep 2020
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Black & Thunder
Folk - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 30 Jun 2023
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Till the Flame Turns Blue
Folk - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 7 Apr 2023
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Woodland
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 5 Mar 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
On the Corner Where You Live
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 21 Sep 2018
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
twelvefour
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 28 Aug 2015
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
On the Train Ride Home
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 18 Apr 2018
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Young North
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 5 Mar 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
St. Clarity (Mahogany Sessions)
Pop - Released by Mahogany Sessions on 9 Feb 2018
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
twelvefour: outtakes (twelvefour outtake)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 13 Jan 2017
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Tenenbaum (Mahogany Sessions)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 6 Apr 2018
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
I Don't Want to Go That Way
Folk - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 4 Aug 2023
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Hurts so Good
Folk - Released by Nettwerk Music Group on 19 May 2023
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo