Alpine, the six-member band based out of Australia, is absolutely sensational. Consisting of Phoebe Baker and Lou James (dual vocals and longtime best friends), Christian O’Brien on guitar, Ryan Lamb on bass, Tim Royall on keys, and Phil Tucker on drums, the chemistry between the six is rousing. Their debut album, A Is For Alpine, recorded with producer Dan Hume, made its U.S. debut on May 21.

In 2009, Alpine began getting attention from the music scene in Australia with a set of demos they put out. After signing with Ivy League Records in Australia, the band released the Zurich EP in 2010, attracting applause from The Guardian. Alpine began touring across Australia playing shows and festivals. That love for playing festivals led them to their U.S. debut performing last year at SXSW. This past March they played in New York and L.A. and returned to SXSW for their second year.

Alpine’s manager asked the essential question that concerns every group’s beginning, “What's the main thing you guys want to get out of this?”

“We probably should have listed a million things before we said this, but we were like "Festivals, we just want to play festivals," James admits.

“I think we have always had a huge love of going to festivals. That idea of -- I guess in comparison to a venue, it's quite enclosed and festivals have that real sense of community and openness and everyone is just there all together, and everyone is just having a good time,” she adds. “If the crowd is having a good time, we're having a good time. I think that we're really sensitive to sort of crowd environment and things like that.”

A Is For Alpine is alluring and the kind of album that will make you want to listen to it from start to finish. The album has upbeat, feel-good songs that we all love and is perfectly balanced with its mellow, deeper moments. The honesty and personal reflection throughout the album is striking and sincere.

“We sort of hoped that people could feel that they'd get something out of each song in a way. I feel like it really does tell a story,” James states earnestly. “I just love the beginning and the ending of the album and I just feel it really comes full circle. It really feels like when you listen to it - at the end you kind of go "Whoa, okay! I went somewhere with it."

Alpine’s plans for 2013 consist of being in the United States as much as possible, touring and playing shows.

“We love playing shows [in Australia], but the next step for us is like a new adventure,” James confesses.

“We got a little taste of [America] when we went over for two and a half weeks. We met some amazing people and the reaction that we got really blew my mind for such a short time frame. I just couldn’t stop smiling because it was just so surreal.”

A Is For Alpine is out now via Votiv.