They’ve gone from house shows to festival stages — now, flipturn is returning to Gainesville’s High Dive before they embark on one of their biggest adventures: their very first cross-country tour.
The formerly local and currently favorite band started their year with a bang. On Friday, flipturn released their new EP “Something You Needed,” a five-track compilation of brand new songs that will be performed on their tour of the same name.
Following the release of singles “Eleanor” and “Darling” late last year, the band is eager to finally introduce a new EP — their first since “Citrona” in 2018.
“Something You Needed,” which comprises the title track, “Savannah,” “Poppies,” “Glistening” and “Did I Love You (Like I Promised To),” signifies a new era for the band. flipturn announced via their Twitter in December that keyboardist Taylor Allen would be parting ways after four years in the band.
The band said they will miss Allen, who is leaving to focus on school.
“We just have so many great memories with her playing with us,” Madeline Jarman, flipturn bassist, said, “She's doing what's best for her and it's making her really happy and everything, but she loved her time with us in the band, and we just miss her so much.”
This year’s upcoming “Something You Needed” tour is flipturn’s biggest feat yet, as it is the first time they will be hitting the road nationwide.The band, which has yet to travel west of Memphis, Tennessee, will be touring across the country, hitting long-awaited California and several other destinations across the U.S.
Amid all these big changes, Jarman said the band has no intention on drifting from the adoration of current flipturn fans.
“Things may be a little bit different, but, like, not different at all,” Jarman said. “Things are changing, but in good ways, and we’re excited to keep moving forward and see what the future has for us.”
This landmark for the band is especially significant as they return to Gainesville to kick off the tour, the city where it essentially all started.
“We definitely did it on purpose,” Dillon Basse, flipturn’s lead vocalist, said. “We want to make sure that Gainesville feels special, as in we’re showing you guys this first. They get to be the first ones to hear these songs live.”
Looking back on the past few years for the band, it would be easy to see how Gainesville could get swept away after flipturn’s move back to Fernandina Beach. For the members, though, Gainesville still holds some of their most unforgettable memories.
Basse said his favorite show was an unusual one. “We played this house show at the [Gainesville Dojo] for the surf club,” he said. “It was this really just like sweaty house show and everybody was really packed in together, but it’s cool to just see how some of those same people that were at one of those house shows still come out to shows, still support.”
According to Jarman, the tour opener at High Dive will be a significant moment for the band.
“Our first ever show as a band, as in not playing at like fundraisers and stuff in our hometown, was in Gainesville. It was the High Dive,” Jarman said. “So it's always been a very special place in our hearts, before we even started college.”
The show Saturday, which is sold out, will feature opening acts Driveaway and Saint Simon and begins at 9:30 p.m. A second show at High Dive takes place Sunday with the band Driptones. Tickets for this show are $15 in advance and can be bought on the High Dive website.
“Something You Needed” is streaming on Spotify and tickets for the tour can be purchased on flipturn’s website now.
