Indie rock darlings Spacey Jane are growing up and getting deep. Releasing their third album If That Makes Sense in May this year to ARIA chart glory and a steady success of streams – the album is testament to the power of change, present in both the music making process and the core themes of the album.
Building on the dreamy guitar riffs and heartfelt lyrics they're known for, this album dives into more personal and reflective territory than ever before. Confronting themes of love, loss and finding your way back, If That Makes Sense feels like a coming-of-age record wrapped in a lush, indie sound.
RUSSH photographer Olivia Repaci met the band's lead singer, Caleb Harper, backstage before their second Sydney show, to reconnect and reflect, mid-tour.
Congratulations on If That Makes Sense! How does this release feel compared to your previous albums?
Thank you! It feels like a long time coming. This is the first interview I’ve done since we’ve been touring the album, so I have a different perspective to how I felt a couple of months ago. The album was made differently to how we’ve worked in the past. It was written and recorded in L.A., isolated from many of the comforts of home and the safety of precedent. But despite all of that, playing it for fans around the country has made it feel collaborative and like a natural progression for us. People have shared so much with us about the record and it's been welcomed into the Spacey Jane world with open arms.
What was the emotional or creative core of this album?
Upon reflection, the album is the result of uprooting your life and transplanting it in another hemisphere. There was a lot of loneliness, there was isolation and anxiety and that forced me down a rabbit hole of reflection and relitigating. When I listen back or play the songs, I hear confusion about the past and a longing to reconcile the patchy memories of what happened.
Did you approach this album differently from Here Comes Everybody and Sunlight in terms of production, writing, or even just headspace?
Definitely. It was the first time I’ve worked with other songwriters. I learnt a lot about the craft, and I gained a stronger sense of what I do and don’t like. Production-wise, we leaned into making the record feel *big*. It’s more textural, and the drums feel bigger and over-pronounced. It was the first time we’d ever gone about making a whole album with only the finished LP in mind.
Something about moving overseas and giving ourselves a couple of years to get it right helped us focus and be more intentional with the whole process.
If each of you had to describe If That Makes Sense in one word, what would it be?
Long.
With most of your Aussie and New Zealand shows sold out. What’s been the most surreal or emotional moment on this tour so far?
The three nights at Hordern were my highlight. I broke down in the hotel room before the first show, while practising what I would say to the crowd. I’ve wanted to play there since I was a kid and to sell out three nights was unreal. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face when we first walked in. I think you can trace the story of the band by seeing the progression of shows and moments in Sydney and it was overwhelming to see it come together there.
Which was your favourite city to play?
Well I guess I sort of answered that! Has to be Sydney on this run.
With the scale of the shows growing, how do you keep your performances feeling intimate and personal?
That’s something that we focus on, heavily. That’s partly why we opted to play multiple smaller shows versus swinging for arenas. We’re conscious of how we want the show to evolve and how we can bring fans on the journey with us. Another part of it is making sure that we appreciate each other and enjoy the time on stage. I believe that sentiment is infectious – if we’re engaged with each other and the people we’re playing for, that feeling spreads throughout the room.
What’s the most unglamorous thing that’s happened while on the road?
God – there’s a long list. This tour has been relatively professional but one of my less glamorous moments stands out from a few years ago. We landed in Brisbane brutally hungover and got KFC. I got a bloody nose in the back of the van and we drove up to the Sunny Coast covered in blood eating wicked wings. That felt pretty grim.
What have you been listening to while travelling on tour?
I’m loving The Marias at the moment!
What’s next after the tour? Are you thinking about the next chapter already, or just trying to soak this one in?
We’ve always got one eye on what’s next, but I think we’ll take a few weeks to wind down. I’ve started writing for the next album so I might poke that around a bit more then we’re back on the road in North America come September.
You can catch Spacey Jane on their North American tour dates from September, and in Europe and the UK from October. You can find ticketing details and dates on the Spacey Jane website.
