With their debut EP Woodland and follow-up EP Young North, Australian indie-folk outfit The Paper Kites melds earthy instrumentals to create a perfect backdrop for the band’s harmonies. The standout tracks from Woodland - “Bloom” and “Featherstone” (as prominently featured in the season 8 finale of Grey’s Anatomy) - have generated over 7 million combined YouTube views.
“Up until recently we never expected much of a response (from our recordings) outside of Melbourne, let alone the other side of the world,” says bandmember Sam Rasmussen. “We are currently plotting out the next year and beyond. Their debut full-length, called States, continues a steady trajectory toward more fully realized arrangements and a larger band sound.
The Paper Kites began with Sam Bentley and Christina Lacy playing local cafes in their hometown of Melbourne, Australia. When invited to play a local festival, they decided it was time to expand by adding David Powys, Sam Rasmussen and cousin Josh Bentley. “Sam and I worked together in a warehouse, Josh was my cousin and I liked his drumming…we liked David because he could sing and were big fans of his other band. It was never really an official ‘let’s start a band’ conversation, we just kind of fell into it,” says Bentley.