Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, also sometimes known as Rolling Blackouts C.F., is an Australian indie rock band, formed in Melbourne in 2013. The band consists of three lead vocalists and guitarists — Fran Keaney, Tom Russo, and Joe White — alongside bassist Joe Russo and drummer Marcel Tussie.
Rising to prominence following the release of their second EP, The French Press, in 2017, the band has released three studio albums: Hope Downs (2018), Sideways to New Italy (2020) and Endless Rooms (2022).
History Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever was formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 2013 by three guitarists; cousins Fran Keaney and Joe White, along with their longtime friend and musical partner Tom Russo. Soon after, the band recruited Tom Russo's brother Joe Russo on bass guitar, as well as Fran Keaney's housemate Marcel Tussie on drums. Their debut EP, Talk Tight, was released in 2016 on Ivy League Records. It was followed by their second EP, The French Press, which was mixed by Doug Boehm and released in 2017 on Sub Pop. They performed at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival on 29 January 2018, and their debut full-length album, Hope Downs, was released on 15 June 2018 on Sub Pop. Their second album, Sideways to New Italy, was released in 2020, again on Sub Pop. Sideways''' was met with critical acclaim, and was named as one of the top albums of 2020 by several music publications including Under the Radar, Rough Trade, and Double J.
The group followed up their 2020 effort in 2022 with their third studio album, Endless Rooms, which was written during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia while the band was in quarantine. During the process, the band described how quarantine made the songwriting process difficult. In 2022 interview with Stereogum, lead singer Tom Russo said that "despite being so close to each other, we couldn't see each other or get together and practice. As a result, the songs on Endless Rooms are ones that follow a more logical structure, because they haven't had their limbs ripped off them and stuck back on other songs." Despite these challenges, the band did songwriting throughout much of Summer 2020, and in December 2020, the band was able to begin recording the album, where they recorded it on a ranch about two hours north of Melbourne owned by extended family of brothers and bandmembers, dubbed "The Basin". Endless Rooms was met with positive critical reviews.
After touring for much of 2022 and 2023, the band was rather inactive throughout 2024 and 2025. In 2026, the band released their first song in four years, "Sunburned In London". With the release, the band teased a potential fourth studio album.
Reception Robert Christgau gave Talk Tight an A grade, writing that "If you like the [guitar] effect—and why not, it's beautiful—you'll gravitate to it on sound alone. But what I'm loving at least as much is lyrics that suit the bright white male culture the sound implies." He also compared the band's sound to that of the Go-Betweens, a comparison that has also been made by critics like Stephen Deusner. The band has also been aligned with Melbourne's dolewave scene."Best New Music: Odette, Aminé, Aurora, Remi, Haiku Hands" (23 April 2018), Triple J. Retrieved 25 December 2018.Condon, Dan (18 June 2018). "Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs", Double J. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
According to Metacritic, The French Press has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 4 reviews, indicating that it has received "universal acclaim" from critics. One favorable review of the EP was written by Pitchfork Media's Stuart Berman, who gave it an 8.1/10 rating, writing that The French Press "shines just as bright as their last EP [Talk Tight], but the songs cast darker shadows." In a more mixed review, Landon MacDonald of PopMatters gave the EP a 5 out of 10 rating, writing that "Ultimately, this record is for indie rock fans alone and can't stretch past the borders of the genre." Hope Downs has an 84/100 on Metacritic.
Members Fran Keaney – vocals, acoustic guitar (2013–present) Tom Russo – vocals, guitar (2013–present) Joe White – vocals, lead guitar, keyboards, harmonica (2013–present) Marcel Tussie - drums, percussion (2013–present) Joe Russo – bass guitar (2013–present)
Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions AUS BEL(FL) IRE NLD SCOPeak chart positions in Scotland: Hope Downs: Sideways to New Italy: Endless Rooms: UK UKInd.Peaks on the UK Independent Albums chart: The French Press: Hope Downs: Sideways to New Italy: Endless Rooms: USHeat Hope Downs Released: 15 June 2018 Label: Ivy League, Sub Pop 24 198 — 79 20 45 5 3 Sideways to New Italy Released: 5 June 2020 Label: Ivy League, Sub Pop 4 64 77 66 8 45 1 — Endless Rooms Released: 6 May 2022 Label: Ivy League, Sub Pop — 187 — — 11 — 6 —"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
EPs Title EP details Peak chart positions AUSHit. UKRec.Peaks on the UK Record Store chart: Talk Tight: The French Press: Live At KEXP: UKInd. Talk Tight Released: 25 November 2016 Label: Ivy League 18 14 — The French Press Released: 10 March 2017 Label: Ivy League, Sub Pop — 31 33 Live At KEXP Released: 13 November 2018 Label: Sub Pop — 13 —"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Charted or certified singles + List of charted or certified singles, with selected details Title Year Chart positions Certification Album ICE MEXAir. UKSalesPeaks in UK Physical Singles Chart: "Popinjay": "Julie's Place" 2016 — 39 — The French Press "French Press" 2017 — — — ARIA: Gold The French Press "Talking Straight" 2018 — 48 — Hope Downs "In The Capital" 2019 — — 4 "She's There" 2020 40 — — Sideways to New Italy"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Notes
Awards and nominations AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| 2019 | Hope Downs| Best Independent Album
Australian Music Prize The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award.
| 2018 | Hope Downs| Australian Music Prize
J Award The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J.
| 2018 | themselves | Double J Artist of the Year
| 2020 | themselves | Double J Artist of the Year
Music Victoria Awards The Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.
! |- | rowspan="2"| 2018 | Hope Downs| Best Album | | rowspan="2"| |- | Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever | Best Band
| rowspan="2"| 2020 | Sideways to New Italy'' | Best Album | | rowspan="2"| |- | themselves | Best Band
| 2022 | Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever | Best Rock/Punk Work
National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene.
| 2020 | Joe Russo (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever) | Live Bassist of the Year
References
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