Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

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.^[4] 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.^[5] It was followed by their second EP, The French Press, which was mixed by Doug Boehm and released in 2017 on Sub Pop.^[6] They performed at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival on 29 January 2018,^[7] and their debut full-length album, Hope Downs, was released on 15 June 2018 on Sub Pop.^[8] Their second album, Sideways to New Italy, was released in 2020, again on Sub Pop.^[9] Sideways' was met with critical acclaim,^[10][11] and was named as one of the top albums of 2020 by several music publications including Under the Radar,^[12] Rough Trade,^[13] and Double J.^[14]

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.^[15] 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."^[16] 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".^[17][16] Endless Rooms was met with positive critical reviews.^[18][19][20]

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".^[21][22] With the release, the band teased a potential fourth studio album.^[23]

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.^[24][5] The band has also been aligned with Melbourne's dolewave scene.^[25][26]

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.^[6] 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."^[27] 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."^[28] Hope Downs has an 84/100 on Metacritic.^[29]

• 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)