Alpine will perform at The Loft tomorrow night.
PRIOR to the release of their debut album, Melbourne sextet Alpine were just hoping for "a good reception", according to singer Phoebe Baker.
They got much more than that. Their record A Is For Alpine landed at #11 on the ARIA charts and has attracted rave reviews.
It's the latest accomplishment in the rapid rise for the band who played their first gig at Hamer Hall in Melbourne and featured by UK newspaper The Guardian as part of their "new band of the day" series before they've even set foot for a gig in Europe.
"We'd love to go over to Europe to play," Baker said.
"We'll take it as it comes."
It's a safe bet Alpine's sound would go over well in Europe, given there is something indefinably European about the band's dreamy indie-pop sound.
"We all feel very Aussie... but I've read a lot of articles that compare us to a European sound.
"Or maybe it's do with having two front singers being women. I can't think of many Aussie-sounding bands that have two females out front."
Baker shares vocal duties with Lou James, and their pairing is one of the points of difference that helps separate Alpine from the crowd.
"Me and Lou have known each other for over 10 years now and we're best friends really."
The idea of two lead vocalists came about while Baker was recording with guitarist Christian O'Brien, with Baker bringing in her best friend to add harmonies.
"We just naturally clicked," Baker said of sharing the mic with James.
"The tones of her vocals mashed well with mine.
"I feel like I couldn't do it any other way - it's so nice having her on stage."
Those recordings were the fore-runner to Alpine, who were originally known as Swiss.
In fact, naming the band has been something of a headache, Baker laughed.
"There was another band (called Swiss) from Adelaide just starting getting a lot of recogniation and people were calling us to call them. So we went to Alpine.
"Now there's another band called Alpines - it's so hard to come up with a name!"
She said the name "evokes a fresh feeling... being high in the Alps".
"I like the Victorian Alps and camping up there."
It's unlikely the band will have much time for camping any time soon. Earlier this year Alpine conducted a blistering run through the South By South West music festival in Austin, Texas - 10 gigs in five days - and there are plans afoot to return to North America.
Firstly though, there is their own national headline tour, which is halfway complete and finishes mid-way through September.
It will bring them to The Loft in Warrnambool tomorrow night with support from Clubfeet and Georgi Kay.