The Paper Kites formed in Melbourne, building a gentle indie folk sound around Sam Bentley and Christina Lacy's close harmonies.

From quiet tapes to Roadhouse nights

Their 2023 At The Roadhouse project widened the palette with pedal steel, organ, and a looser bar-band feel captured during a months-long residency. That shift is the backdrop for this run, and older songs get roomier edges and country shades without losing their hush.

What you might hear

Likely picks include Bloom, Featherstone, On the Train Ride Home, and Electric Indigo, with Roadhouse-era textures threading between them. Expect quiet, attentive rooms, small groups leaning in, a few film cameras near the back, and the kind of breath-held silence that makes brushed snares pop. A neat footnote: the band wrote the entire twelvefour cycle between midnight and 4 a.m., and "Bloom" went viral years after release thanks to fan tutorials and wedding playlists. For transparency, the set and production ideas here draw on recent shows and could change from venue to venue.

The Paper Kites Crowd, In Soft Focus

The scene skews thoughtful and calm, with earth-tone knits, worn denim, and boots that look ready for a winter walk.

Quiet rooms, full hearts

People swap film shots and song notes between sets, and the room falls quiet enough to hear picks click on strings. Singalongs tend to bloom on the older choruses, then fade fast so the next verse can breathe.

Little rituals, lasting mementos

Merch tables lean tasteful: screen-printed posters, lyric notebooks, and a few vinyl variants of At The Roadhouse. You will see fans compare favorite openers and talk about which version of Bloom hits hardest, studio or the slowed live take. Post-show, it is more warm goodbyes than selfies, with lots of trading playlists and promising to catch the next run.

How The Paper Kites Build Quiet That Carries

Sam Bentley's soft tenor sits close to the mic, while Christina Lacy stacks light thirds that thicken the chorus without crowding the mix.

Arrangements that breathe, not brag

Dave Powys moves between lap steel, banjo, and chiming electric, giving gloss or twang as needed. The rhythm section favors round bass tones and brushes or rods, so tempos feel steady but unforced.

Small moves, big feels

Live, the band often stretches intros with droning guitars, then snaps into a clear verse, letting small rises feel big. Songs like Electric Indigo tend to land more tender than on record, with keys softening the edges and less bite on the beat. A small nerd note: they like 12-string and baritone guitars to thicken low mids, which lets whispers sit on top without getting lost. Lights run warm ambers and night-sky blues, and the stage often nods to the Roadhouse era with simple bulbs and gentle haze.

If You Like Them: Why The Paper Kites Fans Cross Over

Fans of Daughter will recognize the slow-bloom builds and airy harmonies, though The Paper Kites lean warmer and less bleak.

Kindred hush and heartbeat

Angus & Julia Stone share the mellow duet energy and coastal sway that suits candlelit rooms. Novo Amor brings similar falsetto lifts and soft-glow textures, appealing to listeners who like songs that exhale more than they shout. For story-forward folk with careful dynamics, Gregory Alan Isakov draws the same patient crowd.

Threads that connect the rooms

Each act values tone and space over flash, and their live shows hinge on hush, harmony, and subtle swells. If you drift toward fingerpicked guitars, brushed drums, and small epiphanies, this is a shared lane. The overlap also comes from vinyl-first fans who prize thoughtful sequencing and room sound. Even when tempos rise, the mood stays intimate, which makes these bills feel like cousins.