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Aussie four piece DICE are stepping into a new era with I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View, a record that feels bigger, brighter, and more reflective than anything they’ve made before. Across the album, which will drop July 31, the Perth locals turn growing pains, freedom, and self-reflection into euphoric indie-rock songs built for late-night drives, festival crowds, and moments that feel nostalgic before they’ve even happened. Following the release of “Loose Change,” the band continue to expand beyond the punchy grit of their earlier work while holding onto the raw energy and emotional connection that made people fall for DICE in the first place.

Made between Perth, Melbourne, and Los Angeles, the album pushed the band back toward the heart of who they are. Recording live at East West Studios with producer Joe Chiccarelli forced DICE to strip everything back and reconnect as four musicians in a room together, while years of touring and constant movement shaped the emotional core of the record. There’s a sense of release running through these songs, but also a deeper appreciation for the climb that got them here.

OnesToWatch caught up with DICE guitarist Tom King to talk about the story behind the album title, the long evolution of “Loose Change,” life on the road, and why this chapter feels like the truest version of the band yet.

OnesToWatch: Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View feels really reflective as a title. Where was your head at when that phrase came to you?

DICE: Fun fact, until the final week of recording the album was going to be titled ‘Mirror, Mirror’. I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View was the one lyric that had stuck with me from the demo phase all the way through to the final days of tracking. Coming from my personal favourite track off the album, Rooftops, I originally suggested it to Ben as the song name for Rooftops and he came back with ‘its kind of long for a song name when all the others (song names) are so short but damn it would’ve been a cool album name *sigh*’ Fast forward 2 months to the final days of recording the album and we wrote the two names side by side and it was the obvious winner for us. 

The last two years leading into the writing of this album had felt like a massive uphill climb in so many ways; emotionally, physically, mentally on not only a band level but a personal level too and it felt like we were finally overcoming these hurdles with this album and running faster than we ever had with the wind in our hair. It’s all about the climb to the top, kicking your goals whatever they may be BUT also about taking in that view and enjoying it and being proud of what you’ve achieved. It’s super introspective while also being really extrospective if that’s even possible. 

This album feels brighter and more open compared to Midnight Zoo. Did you naturally grow into that sound, or was it something you consciously wanted to explore?

Definitely a combination of both - a little bit of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ as well as exploring some earlier versions of ourselves pre-Midnight Zoo era. We really tapped into the 4 of us just being in a room together, whether that was in the studio, the RV on tour, at a show, at the pub and I think that’s super reflective in the new record and really shows in the rawness of the tracks, both lyrically and instrumentally. Looking back at who you’ve been over the past 24 months was a super daunting experience but definitely helped us gain some real perspective on what we wanted DICE to be, what we didn’t want it to be, what we tried to make it and what other people want us to be. It helped us remember that we are making this music for us and that is what got people hooked in the first place and we really tried hard to go back to that place on this record and I’d say we were pretty successful. 

Was there a moment during the process where the whole vision for this album suddenly made sense?

I think when we made the decision with long time collaborator (manager, producer, label) Sam Ford to live track the album with Joe at East West. The idea of live tracking the bones of the record was a super unfamiliar and scary experience even though it’s basically what we do 100 nights a year on tour? . It was a challenge that we were up for and it forced us to return back to the early days where it was just the four of us in the room with no synths or extra guitar layers to hide behind. It all clicked that it was just the 4 of us making music again and nothing and no one else mattered. 

“Loose Change” has this really freeing energy to it. What were you channeling emotionally when you wrote it?

It’s a song about taking risks and letting go of your safety net. Lyrically it was constructed and built over the last few years and that really helps the narrative feel natural and flow as it does now. I feel like we channelled a lot of artists who really convey the message of liberation and freedom in their music, from Springsteen and Sam Fender to U2 and you can hear this in the track especially through the guitars. 

The song feels made for late-night drives and live crowds screaming the words back. Did it feel special from the start?

Out of all the songs we’ve ever written I think "Loose Change" has taken the longest… It originally came from a voice notes chord progression from 2023 which led to a writing session with G Flip and Aidan Hogg in LA in 2024 after our first World Tour. We demo’d an early version of the song here and then went and recorded it in Melbourne in 2025. Not happy with the final product, we put the track into the archives and revisited it when we were back in LA at East West Studios. The fact that we held onto the song for that long without hating it at any point definitely speaks volume to our love towards the track. "Loose Change" reignited this spark of super fun music that is definitely a good blend of ‘old’ and ‘new’ DICE that has stuck with us over the whole process of this record. 

The “Loose Change” video is so fun! What was the vision behind it, and how did you want it to match the feeling of the song? Did y’all get dizzy at any point filming on the mini merry-go-round??

This one was actually super fun to film (unlike most music videos which can be super grueling long days that feel very unrewarding until you watch the playback at the end of the day) and only took a couple of hours! We’re working with creative director Anna Cappello who we met in New York after our headline show at Baby’s All Right back in October for all of the visual media related to the album. We’ve put a lot of trust in her and handed over the art we have made in the studio and basically said ‘show us how these songs, alongside with their meanings, make you feel’. It’s been a super vulnerable yet rewarding experience that has really given us great results and shown us great ideas that we usually would throw in the bin at face value. It only took us maybe 2 or 3 takes each so it wasn’t too bad and it was super fun getting to mess around in a playground like a kid for a few hours, spinning around, trying to make each other dizzy and I think this really reflects in the video. 

Did bringing the track into a visual world change the way you saw it yourselves?

I think the visualiser definitely reminded us how fun and exciting the track is and it showed us of a younger, freer version of ourselves that we are really trying to embrace in 2026. 

You worked on this record in LA with G Flip and Joe Chiccarelli. How did getting out of Perth and into a completely different environment shape the album?

100% - recording this album in one of the most iconic rock and roll studios in the world definitely gave us this extra energy and inspiration we hadn’t experienced before. It was also just super cool to be able to record music in LA and that in itself was a whole experience that shaped what we created during the hours at East West. Staying 500m down the road, we got to experience the true Hollywood lifestyle which is so, so, so different from back home in Perth. Spending our time between takes walking around and seeing so many iconic venues such as The Fonda and The Hollywood Palladium and experiencing the night life really helped us channel the ‘rockstar’ energy we were chasing and feeling. 

Joe Chiccarelli has worked with so many iconic artists. Was there a moment in the studio with him that changed the way you approached the record?

Haha yes definitely and he’s going to kill me for telling this story… I think it was day 2 of 7 at East West and we were listening back to the recording of us live tracking "COOLER" and I made a comment along the lines of ‘wow this song really tells a story musically, the bridge feels like it pushes and then there’s this amazing release for the final chorus… almost as if it speeds up and slows back down…’ to which Mr Joe Chiccarelli turned around in the chair and verbatim exclaimed ‘and that’s why I’m the mother f**cking G!’ which was received both shockingly and to a round of cackling and laughter from myself and the boys. From then on we had a lot more trust in his process (which was super different to anything we’d done before) and it allowed us to be more free in the studio as well as breaking the ice with a producer of such a high calibre. 

Over the past couple years, DICE has gone from being a local favorite in Perth to touring internationally. Have you had any moments where you’ve stopped and thought, “How is this actually happening?”

Every day on tour. We are so grateful to be where we are and to have the opportunity to show our art to people from all corners of the globe year on year. It still blows our mind every time we head on tour that we get to do this. One particular highlight was the last tour when me and Regan picked up the 30ft long RV (that our management strongly advised us against getting but we did it anyway) from Long Beach in LA and drove it up through the busy streets of LA, through Beverly Hills to pick up the other two boys and then proceeded to quite literally drive off into the beautiful Californian Sunset towards Coachella Valley on the road trip of our dreams.

What’s been the most unexpected part of connecting with fans outside Australia?

Getting to experience different cultures is always super exciting, although we haven’t travelled to much of Europe or Asia, we’re super excited for that day as we love immersing ourselves in local culture and getting to know what the fans love doing, eating and all the beautiful secrets of their cities and towns.

Are there any songs on the new record that already feel completely different once you’re playing them live?

So far we’ve only played "COOLER" and "Loose Change" live maybe two or three times and we were super ‘by the book’ with those, just to make sure we got them right, so it’s pretty hard to comment on that just yet however I’m super excited for the live versions of these songs to take on their own shape and form over time and become amazing in their own right. 

There’s something really nostalgic about your music, even when people are hearing it for the first time. Why do you think that feeling keeps showing up in DICE songs?

I think the ever-changing melting pot of influences (and by ever-changing I mean weekly) that we all bring to the table and somehow sneak into the songs really creates this beautiful feeling where every listener can find something that feels familiar yet distant to their feelings. 

With four different personalities in the band, what’s the thing that always keeps DICE grounded in its own sound?

I think exactly that, having four completely individual yet similar yet so different personalities in the band. That’s what the sound of DICE has been, is and always will be. 

When this album finally comes out into the world, what do you hope people hold onto after listening to it? 

I hope people feel liberated after listening to our new record. I want people to feel free, to run around and to dance without any care in the world. I want people to feel like they can make change in this world, whether that’s on a personal deeper level for themselves or to go out and be the difference to others. People should walk away from this record and feel like they have the ability to do whatever they set their mind to. Reading back that all sounds super tacky and motivational… but I think you get what I was trying to say - You should get to the end of the album and feel that you should be yourself and only the truest version of yourself. 

You’ve spent the last few years moving so quickly as a band. Do you feel like you’ve actually had time to process everything that’s happened?

Yes and no, I think the last 6 months has been super grounding being able to spend some time at home with our family and friends and it’s probably the longest break from touring we’ve ever had so there’s been heaps of reflection from all of us but I think as soon as we hit the road again in August it’ll be a whole another round of woah where the hell am I and how did I end up here. Both are super exciting places to be. 

A lot of your songs feel very cinematic and emotional without losing that fun, indie-rock energy. What do you think makes a DICE song hit emotionally for you?

Firstly thank you, thats a huge compliment and definitely the vibe we’re going for. Ben’s a great songwriter and he trusts the 3 of us, under his guidance to translate the lyrics and story he’s told into the instrumentation. Someone (I don’t know who, it might’ve actually been me) once said that ‘a great bridge makes a good song into a great song’. While I don’t necessarily know if that’s true… I think bridges are definitely one of our strong points - we’re able to pull the song away slightly into a different direction and shift the mood and then bring it home with a super punchy chorus that’ll hopefully have you singing along and hopefully wanting more. 

Right now, what feels more exciting to you: making the music in the studio or seeing how people connect to it live?

Personally, the latter, as I can’t wait to see the reception to the record at shows. However, I’m always super excited to work on new stuff and get in the studio, so that too.

Listen to "Loose Change" and "Cooler" below: