If you haven’t heard, I’ve got news for you. DICE, the indie rock group from Perth, Western Australia, released their second album, I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View, at the end of July to celebrate my birthday month. Actually the release date has nothing to do with my birthday month. I digress.
DICE is made up of Ben Hodge, Sam Barrett-Lennard, Tom King, and Regan Beazley, who are not only co-workers in music but in the art of landscaping. Since forming the band in 2020, they have released three EPs and two albums, including Midnight Zoo. They are currently embarking on the Australian leg of The Altitude Tour, finishing up at the Dunsborough Tavern in their hometown before heading to Europe, the UK, Ireland, and the US.
While I did not get to speak with the members of DICE in person, I had the chance to conduct a written interview. I was thoroughly entertained reading through their responses and getting to know the band in such an unconventional way: via a Google Doc.
Here’s how the interview went down.
Q: Firstly, where did the name DICE come from, and what’s the story behind it?
A: Our band name DICE originated from a matching tattoo that myself (Tom) and Ben got together back in 2019 on our first international holiday together. It is a representation of our long lasting friendship and is the one thing that will hold us together through everything life throws at us. In 2023, we took Regan and Lenny back to the same tattoo parlour in Bali and they got the matching tattoo which was sick!
Q: For the average listener, Tame Impala might be one of the first artists associated with Perth’s music scene. What was it like growing up within that scene, first as listeners and then as musicians yourselves? Which artists changed the way you think about music?
A: Being from Perth definitely feels like its own little bubble and hub of creativity. While being from the most isolated city in the world definitely has its limits, it’s also very motivating to break out of that bubble and experience what the world has to offer. Seeing artists like Tame and Spacey Jane achieve this feat over the last decade has definitely sparked inspiration and belief within the Perth music and creative scene. It’s so cool to have been able to watch bands like Spacey Jane play to 80 people at The Bird back in the day and to now watch on as mates as they play iconic festivals such as Lollapolooza.
Q: Congratulations on the album release. To me, the album title, I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View, is very reminiscent of an early Arctic Monkeys title. How did you cement this as the album name?
A: Firstly, thank you, as that’s what we were going for! I’m a huge fan of the long and thought-provoking album titles that the Arctic Monkeys have released. We were actually running with the album title MIRROR/MIRROR for the majority of the recording and creative process, however, in the final stages, the new name was suggested amongst us. It stood out as the clear front-runner as we felt it perfectly described everything we have been through as a group of best friends and band mates over the last 5 years.
Q: Your artist page on streaming platforms says “It’s been said that young people don’t know how to communicate anymore. DICE exists to respond to that idea.” Do you navigate that throughline consciously or subconsciously, and how present is it in your latest album?
A: We are trying to bring the genuineness of human connection back to our generation and the younger generations. We are all so caught up online that sometimes we can’t even see the beauty that is right in front of us. We are so privileged to be able to provide a platform where fans and us alike can be so expressive and unapologetically themselves that it feels almost criminal to not take advantage of it!
Q: Can you speak to the recording process, from working with different collaborators to gaining access to EastWest Studios? How did being in that space influence your creative flow?
A: Working out of EastWest Studios was quite literally a once in a lifetime experience that people only dream about, so we feel very privileged to have been able to step through those doors and have the honour to create something great. We really felt the energy of every artist and creative that had been in there before us, it was this indescribable feeling that just made us feel like everything we had ever worked towards had led to being at EastWest.
Q: How do you know when a song or album is finished and ready for the audience? Do you ever revisit demos or songs that didn’t make the final cut?
A: Honestly there are usually heaps of logistical deadlines that all signed artists have to meet so we try to get on top of our songwriting so that we feel the song is as good as possible before we take it to the studio! I think we’ll always feel like we could’ve added more to a song or changed a note or melody but that’s the great thing about hindsight hey! We love revisiting old demos and there’s definitely a few that always come up in the jam room every few months that we play out and deliberate whether it’s up to scratch or not!
Q: What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming tour? How does this moment compare with winning triple j Unearthed’s Splendour in the Grass competition?
A: Wow, that feels like a long time ago! Although winning that competition was so cool and an amazing opportunity, we’re definitely super excited to embark on this tour and play the new record live for everyone across the world. This record feels the most like DICE compared to anything we’ve put out so far and I think that translated live really well so far across the Australian dates. Each tour and show is so unique that it’s hard to compare them honestly!
Q: Do live performances and audience reaction influence how you make music?
A: Although our music definitely is inspired by our live performance, we’ve really tried to come back to earth with this record and remind ourselves why we started DICE in the first place—we love making music with each other. We’ve come to the realization that if we are 100% true to ourselves with our art that it will connect with the right people in time.
Q: How do you view the rise of DIY music and artists increasingly creating music without sticking to one genre?
A: I’m all for it! I love how accessible music and production is in 2026 that anyone who’s interested in it can give it a shot! It shouldn’t be a foreign or scary concept. But stay the fuck away from AI! And make whatever music makes you happy!
Q: How do you separate your work as a band and your friendship outside of the work?
A: Funny that you ask that, as 3 of us actually all work together landscaping… Honestly, it’s pretty hard to separate the two, as all 4 of us are so in deep and committed to this band and project that it consumes our whole life (which we love!) You’ll rarely find us talking about anything other than music or topics related to DICE as we are all so passionate about it.
Q: Working 9-to-5 jobs while pursuing making art is becoming a norm across creative industries, so what would you say to young people having to navigate similar situations where they want to have a steady income and still be able to make the art that they want?
A: Take the risk, it’s worth it!
Rapid Fire Questions:
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be:
Nickelback
Rising artist/band in Perth to look out for:
Blush
Favourite era of indie rock:
Very early 2000s
Favourite Nothing But Thieves song:
Got me here hahaha! Maybe “City Haunts” from Dead Club City but can’t go wrong with “Amsterdam” either.
If you had to pitch your album as evoking the mood of a film (or other piece of art), what would that be:
Karate Kid (the original obviously!)
Current favourite track off the album:
“Cooler”
If I had to pick my standout tracks, I would also say “Cooler,” and add “Breathe,” “Rooftops,” and “Call Me For A Good Time” to the mix. This album definitely feels like it’s retracing steps back to connection until we see, as DICE wonderfully put it, the “beauty that is right in front of us.”
We often associate altitude with reaching someplace so high that our ears start to pop. DICE’s altitude is one you want to buckle your seatbelt for and leave the distractions behind. If I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View had a thesis statement, it would be to truly listen—to the music, to each other, and to what’s right in front of you. Your ears might pop along the way, but they’ll definitely rock and find some relief from the unceasing noise of the outside world. Whether that’s momentary relief or a long-term vacation at the altitude of DICE is up to you.