DICE released their first single Reality in 2021 and since then the four-piece have been sharing singles, EPs, and albums galore. On July 31 they continue this impressive trend with their latest LP, I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View available for listening.
And although there’s still a familiarity in the essence of the band, this album acts as a departure from their gritty indie sound that encapsulated their debut album Midnight Zoo, into an atmospheric, synth-driven wave of euphoria.
For Ben Hodge, Tom King, Regan Beazley, and Sam Barrett-Lennard, the sound acts as an evolution to new sonic heights, whilst the lyricism speaks to self-reflection and liberation, all the while toiling with the edges experienced in the early hours of the morning.
The album came to life with musical involvement from Jay Watson (Pond, Tame Impala), imprinting a suite of alternative takes on its final sound. The band boasted a great deal of gratitude and awe for the role that Watson played.
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“Jay definitely brought in a lot of cool new insight into how to play the keys parts that him and I both worked on for a lot of these songs,” outlines Hodge.
“It was just cool to get a whole new understanding of sound and tones from him; he had a lot more in-depth knowledge about how to shape each different preset sound into what we wanted.
“And it became fun because we didn't look for a certain sound. It was more about trying to flick through sounds until one presented as cool enough to use. It definitely helped encapsulate that fun vibe that we tried to nurture in a lot of these songs.”
DICE were also afforded the opportunity to record the album at the renowned EastWest Studios, an experience that only added to the band's evolution, for the people they had the opportunity to work with, alongside the gear that they could access.
“Joe Chiccarelli was the main producer on the whole record,” explains Hodge. “He helped us shape the sound of the record to find a middle ground between where we wanted to sit and where he thought it should sit.
“He was a real mastermind at work. I've never seen anyone work like that in the studio. He was so dialled in, doing 14 hour days. All the guitar tones came from his box of pedals, which was incredible. He just bought in this big laundry basket of expensive and one-of-a-kind pedals.
“He’d start sorting through them and be like, ‘Nah, not that one,’ just throwing it to the side and we were like, ‘Oh my God, that's a $700 guitar pedal!’ But he helped us take a huge step forward with how good the drums sound.”
For King, it was the way Chicarelli meticulously acted with regards to the sound that expanded DICE’s palette in ways they hadn’t chartered before.
“Joe had these little types of things which he would add in when he was engineering the live drums,” adds King. “They were really cool and definitely affected how the energy felt between each song.
“Also, with the pedals, I’ve only ever really used this small delay and overdrive one, but he was way more meticulous with how exact it should be for certain songs.
“It would have been very easy to fall back into how we normally would shape each sound for the keys and for my guitar, so I think it definitely formed this more cohesive elegance with each song being in this realm of the same meticulous tones.”
The experimentation and different application of creating sounds and tones hasn’t just influenced the sound of the album, but the band have also garnered a new approach to the way they rehearse and ultimately intend to play live.
“It’s definitely changed the way we look at dynamics and the way we lock in,” states Hodge. “Especially through the bass and drums being recorded at the same time.
“It refocuses how we play live. I think we've always played with this kind of fun energy, but it’s so fulfilling to be approaching shows way more meticulously, homing in on how exact we want to be with start to finish of each song, as well as the way we want to transition songs”
And this breakthrough comes just ahead of a massive nationwide tour that will bleed into a tour of Europe, migrating on to playing shows across the USA, travelling in an RV.
“It’s an unreal feeling to be heading back to Europe,” expresses King. “We love it over there and they seem to be loving what we're doing. You start to get familiar with places you probably never would have gone to if not for the shows.
“This will be our third time in London and our third time in Amsterdam, too. It’s so weird and surreal. If you told me a few years ago, I would be going to Amsterdam once a year, I'd be like, ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’”
It’s set to be a demanding schedule for DICE, but one they are excited to be in.
“It's such a cool feeling to know we're about to hit the road and as Hodge said before doing 60 shows in three months,” notes King. “We're hiring an RV in America driving around, sleeping in it, doing an old-school style tour. To be able to do that is just the coolest thing ever.”
All things considered it's a dream that’s coming true for the boys from Perth, Western Australia.
“It all feels a bit weird, but it's the dream,” expresses Hodge. “Half the reason we started music was to be able to play and make an impact on people across the world for the better. And I feel like we're making steps towards that, which is really cool.”
DICE’s I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View is out now, with tickets to their Australian tour on sale now.
DICE – The Altitude Tour
2026 Australian Tour Dates
Saturday 8 August — The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Sunday 9 August — Altar, Hobart, TAS
Thursday 13 August — Leichhardt Hotel, Rockhampton, QLD
Friday 14 August — McGuire’s Hotel, Mackay, QLD
Saturday 15 August — The Warehouse, Townsville, QLD
Sunday 16 August — Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns, QLD
Thursday 20 August — Kings Beach Tavern, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Friday 21 August — Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 22 August — Mos, Gold Coast, QLD
Sunday 23 August — The Northern, Byron Bay, NSW
Wednesday 26 August — Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour, NSW
Friday 28 August — King Street Bandroom, Newcastle, NSW
Saturday 29 August — Metro, Sydney, NSW
Sunday 30 August — LaLaLas, Wollongong, NSW
Wednesday 2 September — Baso, Canberra, ACT
Friday 4 September — Torquay Hotel, Torquay, VIC
Saturday 5 September — Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, VIC
Friday 11 September — Astor Theatre, Perth, WA
Saturday 12 September — Dunsborough Tavern, Dunsborough, WA
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
