Spacey Jane
Australian indie rock band From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spacey Jane are an Australian indie rock band formed in Fremantle in 2016. The group consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Caleb Harper, lead guitarist Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, drummer Kieran Lama and bassist Peppa Lane, who replaced Amelia Murray in 2019.
Spacey Jane | |
|---|---|
 Spacey Jane performing in Miami, Queensland in 2019. From left: Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, Caleb Harper, Kieran Lama and Peppa Lane. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels | AWAL |
| Members |
|
| Past members | Amelia Murray |
| Website | spaceyjane |
The band released their debut EP, No Way to Treat an Animal, in 2017. It was supported by "Feeding the Family", their platinum-certified breakout single. In the Slight (2018), their second EP, saw a sonic development from garage to indie rock. Spacey Jane's debut studio album, Sunlight, was released in 2020 and peaked at number two on the ARIA Charts. Its 7× platinum single "Booster Seat" won the ARIA Song of the Year and was the runner-up of the 2020 Triple J Hottest 100. They released their second studio album, Here Comes Everybody, in 2022. It debuted atop the ARIA Charts, supported by the singles "Lots of Nothing" and "Hardlight". Spacey Jane were the most-played band of the 2022 Hottest 100, with six tracks in the countdown.
In May 2025, they will release their third studio album, If That Makes Sense.
History
Summarize
Perspective
2016–2018: Formation and early releases
Originally from Geraldton, singer and guitarist Caleb Harper and drummer Kieran Lama met in high school, and played together (alongside friends Jed Law-Davis and Clinton Hewitt) in a grunge band called Sicchino.[1][2] They would busk and upload music on Triple J Unearthed. By 2015, Harper and Lama had both moved to Perth as teenagers and were studying at the University of Western Australia, where they met guitarist Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu and bassist Amelia Murray (originally from Tincurrin).[3][4] In 2016, the four played their first show in Harper's dad's backyard.[5] The name Spacey Jane was inspired by the name of a member's friend.[6]
The band would play one or two local shows "every week for a good year and a half",[1] and sometimes "two shows a night at different venues."[7] Their debut single "Still Running" was a re-recorded Sicchino original, released in August 2017.[3] Spacey Jane received airplay on Perth station RTRFM with their second single "Feeding the Family",[8] a track that has been credited for the band's breakout success.[9][10] In November 2017, Spacey Jane released their six-track debut extended play (EP), No Way to Treat an Animal.[11] It peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Albums Chart in December 2020.[12]
On 16 April 2018, the band released a dual single titled In the Meantime, featuring the songs "Old Enough" and "So You Wanna".[13] Its sound was noted as being brighter and poppier than that of their EP.[14] Spacey Jane's second EP, In the Slight, was issued on 9 November 2018 with five tracks, including two singles.[15] After winning the Triple J Unearthed Falls competition, the band performed at Falls Festival 2018.[16]
2019–2020: Sunlight and breakout success
Preparing for the release of their first studio album, Spacey Jane released the lead single "Good Grief" on 24 April 2019 and toured Australia through May.[4] "Good for You" was the second single and went on to poll at number 80 in the 2019 Triple J Hottest 100, marking the band's first appearance in the annual countdown.[1]
.jpg)
In July 2019, Murray announced she was amicably leaving the band to focus on her medical career, playing her last show on 13 July.[17] She was replaced on bass guitar by Peppa Lane from Margaret River, who had studied at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and performed on double bass in her group, the Friendly Folk.[18] Lane's second show with Spacey Jane was at Splendour in the Grass 2019.[19] Harper has retrospectively admitted that Lane joining "revitalised" the band.[20]
According to Lama, the band toured nationally to "crowds of 20 people" between 2016 and 2019, but that their appearances at Splendour in the Grass and Brisbane's Bigsound festival in 2019 were "pivotal moments for the band" providing a "ridiculously upward trajectory".[2] Spacey Jane signed a global deal with AWAL in December 2019.[21]
In February 2020, the band announced their debut studio album, Sunlight, was due in June.[22] They toured Australia and New Zealand from March to April in support of their latest single "Skin".[23] In March 2020, the band participated in Isol-Aid, a stay-at-home festival initiative to assist the Australian music industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, by performing a 20-minute set via an Instagram livestream.[24][25]
Upon the release of Sunlight on 12 June 2020, it peaked at number two on the Australian charts and went on to top the 2020 Triple J Album Poll.[28] Album track "Booster Seat" received particular acclaim from music publications,[29] with Al Newstead of Triple J calling it a "life-affirming song with a platinum-strength sing-along quality."[26] It went on to win Song of the Year at the 2021 ARIA Awards and Best Independent Song of the Year at the 2021 AIR Awards. By September 2022, the song was verified triple platinum in Australia for the shipment of 210,000 copies.[30]
Leading up to the 2020 Triple J Hottest 100, multiple publications predicted that "Booster Seat" would top the list,[31] with Josh Leeson of Northern Beaches Review writing it "is the one presenting the best chance of securing the first Australian Hottest 100 winner since Ocean Alley's 'Confidence' in 2018".[32] In January 2021, "Booster Seat" polled at number two.[26][33] This milestone led Leeson to call Spacey Jane "arguably the breakthrough Aussie band of 2020."[7]
2021–2023: Here Comes Everybody
In February 2021, the band signed to Lama's management company, Anybody Management.[34] In June, they renewed their deal with AWAL, with the label claiming they "firmly believe[d] [Spacey Jane] are now poised to break through on a global scale."[35]
On 24 June 2021, the band released "Lots of Nothing", the lead single to their second studio album. It peaked at number 34 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[36] Partnering with Apple Music in August, Spacey Jane released a three-track EP with acoustic versions of "Lots of Nothing" and "Booster Seat", and a cover of Phoebe Bridgers' 2017 single "Scott Street".[37] They toured the United Kingdom through April, having to add several additional dates after the initial run of shows sold out in a few hours.[38] In December, they contributed to the Wiggles' tribute album ReWiggled, providing a cover version of "D.O.R.O.T.H.Y (My Favourite Dinosaur)".[39][40] "Lots of Nothing" and "Lunchtime" were featured in the 2021 Triple J Hottest 100 at number three and number 12, respectively.[41]
Spacey Jane's second studio album, Here Comes Everybody, was released on 24 June 2022,[a] following six singles including "It's Been a Long Day" in April and "Hardlight" in May.[43][44][45] The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts,[46] and went on to top the 2022 Triple J Album Poll.[47] The band embarked on the international Here Comes Everybody Tour in August 2022,[48] and also released a cover of Paramore's 2010 song "The Only Exception" as part of a Spotify Singles release.[49]
The band scored six tracks in the 2022 Triple J Hottest 100, including "Hardlight" at number three, and "It's Been a Long Day" and "Sitting Up" at number five and six respectively.[50] This feat equaled a record for most songs charted in a single countdown, previously set by Wolfmother in 2005.[50] Spacey Jane also became the first ever artist to have three top-6 songs in a single countdown.[51]
The band played nationwide on a regional tour from May 2023,[52] and headlined several Australian festivals along the east coast, including Grapevine Gathering,[53] Rolling Sets (Central Coast),[54] and Changing Tides (Kiama) until December 2023.[55]
2024–present: If That Makes Sense
In January 2024, Spacey Jane issued a standalone single titled "One Bad Day", which was written at the end of sessions for Here Comes Everybody. According to the band, the track was released to "bridge the gap between what was then and what is next."[56]
Following a year-long hiatus from live performances, Spacey Jane announced in January 2025 that their third studio album, If That Makes Sense, would be released in May. It was announced alongside the release of lead single "All the Noise".[57]
Artistry
Summarize
Perspective
.jpg)
In an early interview, Harper said that a lot of his songwriting from the first two EPs were about "moments in life, not necessarily events, but periods in time; and a lot of processing things from childhood and teenage-hood." Lama claimed that the band was "Caleb's vessel to vent teen angst."[4] Harper says that his lyrical inspirations come from understanding "music as a means of catharsis".[58]
Spacey Jane's musical foundations are indie rock and garage rock.[59][10] Harper's most important musical influences growing up were the Pixies and Wilco, and said that the Strokes, Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys were essential sonic foundations for their first album.[8] As the band continued to develop their sound with Here Comes Everybody, their inspirations expanded to the work of Phoebe Bridgers.[60]
The band's earliest singles and debut EP were "packed full of pulsating rhythm and dirty guitars," integrating a "bold indie pop sound with their own raw Australian top coat."[11] With the two singles from In the Meantime in 2018, the band showcased a "notably bright and summery" sound with "light-hearted melodies" with "soaring vocals".[14] In the Slight developed a "dreamy shoegaze" intersection with their brand of "catchy indie pop",[15] and pointed towards the direction they would take with their first album, Sunlight. According to Ali Shutler of NME, the album includes "festival-ready songs that embrace a freewheeling joy... But there’s more to this record than purely chasing the roar of a crowd," commending Harper's vulnerable storytelling contrasting with its affable, jangling melodies.[61]
Spacey Jane continued developing their sound for Here Comes Everybody, which was praised for showcasing new instrumentation and Harper's "fuller use of his vocal range".[62] However, some critics found the album's identity fatiguing– Shaad D'Souza of The Guardian wrote most of the songs "hit the same beats over and over,"[63] and Triple J's Al Newstead wrote its model was noticeably similar to that of Sunlight.[64] Nevertheless, Caleb Triscari of NME observed that the album dives "head-first into something the band didn’t explore too much in Sunlight: dreary music for their equally dreary lyrics," particularly referring to tracks "Clean My Car" and "It's Been a Long Day" which "dial down the tempo" to honestly embody the songs' themes.[62]
Members
Current members
- Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu – lead guitar (2016–present)
- Caleb Harper – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2016–present)
- Kieran Lama – drums (2016–present)
- Peppa Lane – bass guitar, backing vocals (2019–present)
Past members
- Amelia Murray – bass guitar, backing vocals (2016–2019)
Tours
Australian tours
|
International tours
|
Discography
Summarize
Perspective
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [80] | |||
| Sunlight | 2 | ||
| Here Comes Everybody |
|
1 |
|
| If That Makes Sense |
|
To be released | |
Extended plays
| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [80] | ||
| No Way to Treat an Animal |
|
23 |
| In the Slight |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart in that territory. | ||
Streaming-exclusive releases
| Title | Details | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Music Home Session: Spacey Jane |
|
|
| Spotify Singles |
|
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [80] |
Triple J Hottest 100 [84] |
NZ Hot [85] | ||||
| "Still Running"[86] | 2017 | — | — | — | No Way to Treat an Animal | |
| "Feeding the Family" | — | — | — | |||
| "Thrills"[87] | — | — | — | |||
| "Old Enough"/"So You Wanna"[14] | 2018 | — | — | — | In the Meantime[c] | |
| "Cold Feet"[88] | — | — | — | In the Slight | ||
| "Keep a Clean Nose"[89] | — | — | — | |||
| "Good Grief"[90] | 2019 | — | — | — | Sunlight | |
| "Good for You" | — | 80 | — |
| ||
| "Head Cold"[91] | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Skin"[92] | 2020 | — | 15 | — |
| |
| "Straightfaced"[76] | — | 28 | — | |||
| "Booster Seat" | 2021 | 8 | 2 | — |
| |
| "Here Comes the Sun"[93] (Like a Version covering the Beatles) |
— | 14[d] | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Lots of Nothing" | 34 | 3 | 36 |
|
Here Comes Everybody | |
| "Lunchtime"[94] | — | 12 | — |
| ||
| "Sitting Up"[95] | 2022 | — | 6 | 40 |
| |
| "It's Been a Long Day" | 79 | 5 | 26 |
| ||
| "Hardlight" | 68 | 3 | 37 |
| ||
| "Pulling Through"[96] | — | 25 | — | |||
| "Lots of Nothing"[97] (featuring Benee) |
2023 | — | — | 34 | Here Comes Everybody (Deluxe) | |
| "Sorry Instead"[98] | — | 20 | 29 | |||
| "One Bad Day"[56] | 2024 | — | 18 | 27 | Non-album single | |
| "All the Noise"[57] | 2025 | — | — | 19 | If That Makes Sense | |
| "How to Kill Houseplants"[99] | — | — | 8 | |||
| "Through My Teeth"[100] | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart in that territory. | ||||||
Other appearances
| Song | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "D.O.R.O.T.H.Y (My Favourite Dinosaur)"[101] (covering the Wiggles) |
2022 | ReWiggled |
Awards and nominations
Summarize
Perspective
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
APRA Awards
The APRA Awards have been presented annually since 1982 and are organised by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".[103]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | "Good for You" | Most Performed Rock Work | Nominated | [104][105] |
| "Booster Seat" | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | ||
| 2022 | "Lots of Nothing" | Most Performed Rock Work | Won | [106] |
| 2023 | "Lunchtime" | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | [107] |
| Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, Caleb Harper, Kieran Lama and Peppa Lane (Spacey Jane) |
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year | Nominated | [108] | |
| "Lunchtime" | Most Performed Rock Work of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | "Sorry Instead" | Most Performed Rock Work | Nominated | [109] |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987 and are organised by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | "Booster Seat" | Song of the Year | Won | [110] |
| 2022 | Here Comes Everybody | Best Rock Album | Nominated | [111][112] |
J Awards
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.
Rolling Stone Australia Awards
The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.[117]
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The West Australian Music Industry Awards (WAMIs) are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, presented annually by the Western Australian Music Industry Association (WAM).
Notes
- The album was originally slated for release on 10 June 2022, however it was postponed to 24 June due to vinyl production delays.[42]
- A large part of the Skin Tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[76]
- In the Meantime is a dual single.
- "Here Comes the Sun" has polled twice: No. 30 in the 2021 countdown, and No. 14 in the Hottest 100 of Like a Version (2023).
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.