It’s a uniquely modern experience: discovering that a band has been quietly soundtracking your life all along. You weren’t looking for them, but there it was—a song by The Paper Kites humming through tiny speakers as your best friend walked down the aisle. Another arrived tagged to a clip of a life-changing vacation, and yet another played endlessly as everyone toasted a new chapter, a new baby on the way.

These are the songs of The Paper Kites—gentle, achingly beautiful works that give voice to feelings we often struggle to express. Records filled with tender love songs, flawless harmonies, and guitar melodies that seem more universal and comforting than words ever could be. Their music becomes a quiet companion to our stories, subtly woven into our most intimate memories.

Few bands find their way into so many defining cultural moments quite like The Paper Kites. Their songs have underscored powerful scenes in series like Grey’s Anatomy, This Is Us, and Virgin River. Their breakout track “Bloom” blossomed into a global phenomenon, gathering over two billion views across platforms and inspiring countless covers—including a luminous rendition by Kelly Clarkson on her talk show.

Even fewer acts create such a seamless emotional throughline from album to album. As they approach their seventh record, The Paper Kites have amassed over two billion streams, with 40 million monthly views across social media. Their songs have quietly shaped the soundtracks of countless artists who cite them as key influences, from Zach Bryan to Lizzie McAlpine.

For all their accolades—RIAA Platinum certifications and industry nominations—they remain understated. Their rise has been slow and organic, built heart-to-heart, share by share. For fans, these songs are trusted companions through long-distance heartaches, changing seasons, and the restless years that shape who we become. There was never a flashy marketing machine—there didn’t need to be. The songs spoke for themselves. They still do. A decade into their career, The Paper Kites continue to champion patience, intimacy, and the quiet power of a perfectly crafted song.

Their latest single, “When The Lavender Blooms,” offers the first glimpse of a new chapter. Mixed by multi–Grammy winner Jon Low (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, The National, Gracie Abrams) and recorded at Melbourne’s iconic Sing Sing studios, the track’s video was filmed in the band’s rehearsal space in the Yarra Valley—the very room where the song first took shape. It’s another tender entry in a catalogue that keeps finding its way into our lives, exactly when we need it most.

Foy Vance @ Perth Festival

Performers