Radium Dolls: rock and resilience in the land of opportunity
SAN DIEGO — Few bands have what it takes to withstand the physical and emotional toll of traveling halfway around the world only to pile into a van and drive around the U.S. for weeks on end.
In their introduction to touring in North America, Radium Dolls endured it all, from fortune to heartbreak. While their adventure began on a high note, the band had to cancel its last four shows due to visa issues upon reentering the U.S. from Canada. But Radium Dolls is a force that persists, and they will return.
Still buzzing from New York City and SXSW, the band sat down with me in San Diego to answer a few questions about how things were going.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jack: So, you guys made it.
Bryce: Sure did.
Jack: And you didn’t get shot.
Bryce: Not yet anyway.
Will: It wasn’t a concern so much as we were like, “It’ll be good if we don’t get shot.”
Jack: Of course. Did your gear survive? I know there was concern over that as well.
Will: Yeah, our gear got here, and then funnily enough when our driver got here, his bag got lost, so, better him than us [laughs].
Jack: Right. You guys just came from South by Southwest recently — what was that experience like?
Will: It was fucking crazy busy, man. It was the busiest we’ve ever been as a band. Some days we were doing three shows. I was just really stoked, personally, that my voice held up. But we had fun, there’s some really great venues there in Austin, we met some great people and, yeah, it was good.
Jack: Was it everything you dreamed it would be? Did you have any expectations for it that were met?
Will: I didn’t really have any dreams about it. We were just so stoked to be asked to play, and it feels like some sort of badge of honor, you know, to go there and do it.
Bryce: It’s definitely different from a normal show, like it’s a lot more stiff.
Will: But it was good that it was at the start of the tour, because it made us get quite fit — like “band fit.” We’ve played all the songs a million times already now.
Radium Dolls guitarist Tom Perkins, left, and singer Will Perkins perform at Hotel Vegas as part of the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, March 16, 2026. The band was on its first tour of North America. (Photo courtesy of Haley Plotkin)
Jack: I was just talking to your manager before this, and she said New York was also really cool.
Will: It was awesome.
Bryce: It was amazing, yeah.
Jack: It was your first show on this tour, and now that you’ve played more, do you think New York set expectations high?
Will: Nah, we’re not delusional [laughs]. We sold out in New York, which was just unbelievable to us. But then back at South By, we had to work to win the crowds over. Most of the numbers for the ticket sales have been really good, so we’re excited we’re on good shows, but we’re here to work.
Jack: Last month you toured the album around Australia — it was like six or seven shows — how does this tour so far compare to that one?
Will: I mean, it’s different. We’ve done a lot of work there already, and we were fortunate enough that every single show sold out. Those were the biggest rooms we’ve ever played. We felt like proper rock stars, it was sick. Everywhere we went it was packed. So that was nice, but over here it feels like starting from scratch. But we’ve got a bit of a leg up. People are buying the tickets, some people already know the words. It feels really good.
Bryce: We’re not just touring the album, but we’re playing our music for the first time for new people, so that’s kind of new for us in five years.
Will: And we speak different from everybody here, so it’s like, can they even understand us half the time? Totally different beasts, but we’re just happy to be here.
Jack: When we spoke last, we talked about your on-the-fly songwriting. Have any experiences on the tour so far sparked any of that?
Will: Definitely, man, heaps. I wrote like three songs in the van yesterday. The goal was definitely to write, because we’ve got a lot of spare time driving, and we picked up a cheap acoustic guitar from a pawn shop. Anything I see or anything somebody says, I write it down and try to work in the quiet moments, so I’m sure there will be songs that come inspired by this trip. I’m kind of thinking about making just a whole America-themed album [laughs].
Jack: Similarly, you talked about some of the songs on the album coming about really organically, while others required a lot of work, like “Rat Song.” Assuming you’ve played a lot of those songs now on the tour, have any of the more regimented songs felt more natural?
Will: Definitely. Before, we got them to a point where we felt like they were good songs, but just the effort it took to get there was a lot. But that’s part and parcel. Some songs you’ve gotta slog. But they feel good now — we played the “Rat Song” a bunch, and it’s all feeling pretty relaxed.
Jack: You guys are a fully independent band; it’s just such a big deal for you guys to be here. How does it feel as a band to be really “doing it” here, touring the U.S.? Did you ever think you would be here?
Bryce: No, never [laughs].
Will: I have always believed in this band — I’ve always believed that if we keep working, then we will get where we need to go, but you have those moments where you’re driving along, and you’re like, “Fuck, we’re here. This is crazy.” Like, driving here from Arizona today, seeing all the scenery, that’s kind of when it sets in the most. It’s really cool that we’re here. I’m just super proud of us here, and I’m really grateful to [our manager] Agnes, because she’s just the reason that this came to be.
Bryce: I think just people knowing our songs is kind of crazy, because a lot of them seem like maybe only Aussies will get it or something in my head, and then it’s weird seeing that it translates to Americans. It’s so wholesome.
Will: Making new fans is so wholesome. We’re just really grateful to be honest.
Radium Dolls singer Will Perkins perform at the House of Blues in San Diego, March 20, 2026. The band was on its first tour of North America. (Photo courtesy of Jake Foote)
Jack: I saw you guys getting stopped by people inside who just wanted to meet you — has that been happening at every show?
Bryce: To some degree.
Will: We had some guy that brought his whole family down from Tennessee to South By, because he heard the “Tractor” song on his Spotify one day. People stop us like that all the time with stories, and we love to hear it.
Bryce: There was a band last night that was like, “Hey, we covered ‘Tractor Parts,’” and there was like 60 people there last night, so it as kind of funny to hear that.
Jack: What has been your favorite part about the US so far?
Will: Mine is booze at service stations. That to me is just flabbergasting, seeing, like, your Powerades and then just big cans of Bud Light. Try and stop me.
Bryce: [laughs] It’s gotta be the scenery for me. It’s kind of cool how you can drive for like five hours and it totally changes. The culture changes state to state. We probably don’t have as drastic of changes in Australia between states, so it’s just fun to get around and see what’s happening in the next place.
Jack: Last time we talked, Bryce said you guys might be at each other’s throats after a few shows, but Will said you’d be fine. Has anything happened yet?
Bryce: Nah, we’ve been fine.
Will: I mean we’re only halfway through it, but I think we know each other pretty well. If you can see that someone’s having a hard time, you don’t put shit on him. We try to help each other out. We’ve all gotta get through this together. So, yeah — so far, so good.
Except for Ewan. Ewan’s pissed off because he slipped over in the bath and fucked his hand up.
Bryce: Fair enough.
Will: [laughs] Yeah, which is fair enough. So we’ll wait a couple of days before we start putting shit on him.
Jack: That’s really nice of you guys.
Bryce: Oh yeah, we’re kind guys.
Jack: What do you think would make this tour a success for you guys, realistically? What do you think you’ll be most proud of?
Tom: I think it already is a success. I think the hardest part was getting here, being here and selling the tickets that we’ve sold, and having done South By. This is already a success.
Will: It became a success as soon as we got our visas. And then when we got on the plane and got let through. So now, everything is a bonus. We’re having a great time, we’re here to rock and that’s exactly what we intend to do now that we’re here. We’ll go back with a lot more new fans, sell some merch, and we’ll make it so the next time we come back, more people know who we are.
Jack: You crossed off New York City, South By Southwest — huge milestones, even for a band in the U.S. to do both of those in one tour. What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the tour?
Tom: It’s my birthday when we play in Seattle, so I’m looking forward to that, and I’m looking forward to LA tomorrow. I think that’s going to be cool. Even coming to San Diego, it’s cool. Especially coming through the desert and stuff and hours and hours of nothing and then it’s just San Diego and then LA — plenty I’m excited about.
Bryce: Yeah, dropping from 41 degrees to 34 was lovely.
Will: It was like 40 degrees in Phoenix.
Tom: Celsius.
Will: Yeah, celsius. I used to live in Canada a little while. We’ve got the one show in Vancouver, so I’m really looking forward to that. Every day you wake up and there’s something to look forward to. A new place to go, new people to meet, new food to eat, new beers to drink. It’s all pretty exciting.
From left, Radium Dolls guitarist Tom Perkins, drummer Bryce Equinox, bassist Ewan Day and singer Will Perkins in San Diego, March 20, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Jake Foote)