After Breaking Australia, Spacey Jane Have the World in Their Sights

The steady rise of Spacey Jane over three years hit its flashpoint in 2022 when they became the band of the moment.

After starting the year with three entries in the triple j Hottest 100 with “Lots Of Nothing” at No. 3, their second album “Here Comes Everybody” debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA chart in June, and a sold-out Australian tour in August shifted 30,000 tickets.

After generating 200 million streams, vocalist and guitarist Caleb Harper, guitarist Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, bassist Peppa Lane and drummer Kieran Lama also made their strongest strides into the global field.

While marketing graduate Lama remains on management duties, this year Spacey Jane signed co-management with Los Angeles-based Monotone, home to the White Stripes, Cold War Kids, The Shins and Against Me!.

Thirteen UK dates in May sold out, they undertake their first North American tour in October/ November, and wind up their most successful year to date with a run of Australian summer festivals.

Ian Monotone says, “Spacey Jane are incredible artists – they write great songs, are amazing performers, and obsessively push themselves daily to be better at their craft.  

“As people, they are grounded and relatable.  

“Our global plan is simply to get as many people to listen to their music and to see them perform.  

“If we can do that – and we will – the success they’ve rightfully seen in Australia will follow them worldwide.”

When Spacey Jane first emerged out of Fremantle/Perth, one of their strengths was the ability to write songs that lifted spirits and voices and became a soundtrack for Gen Z.

“I want it to be a guide to the experiences that are coming for those entering a period of life I’m leaving”, 25-year old Harper explained, alluding to lyrics about (his) teenage depression, self-destruction, isolation and regret.

Spacey Jane concerts showed total engagement with their audiences, they had strong support from triple j, and streaming stats were impressive.

Lama concurs: “The feeling of connection with crowds is so important to us, and it honestly feels like a feedback loop of energy when we’re on stage. 

“The more that crowds are into it, the more we are too. It’s a really wholesome symbiotic relationship kinda thing. 

“I think any of the recent headline shows have felt particularly special, as we’re stepping into larger rooms and upping the production value as best we can. 

“We had confetti cannons at a bunch of the album tour dates, and it was a bloody amazing feeling wrapping up each set with those moments.”

Lama describes the band’s Australian strategy as “a lot of troubleshooting and figuring stuff out, maybe even happy accidents, along the way.”

It was a first for band members. They were never trained for the music industry but stepped up to the mark and put in the work ethic.

“We know the U.S. is going to take a massive effort to break into, which is a large part of the reason we’re so excited to be working with such skilled and experienced managers at Monotone,” Lama explains.

Spacey Jane’s debut album “Sunlight” in June 2020 debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA chart, going on to be certified gold.

It was voted Album of the Year in the triple j Listener’s Poll, and tied with Tame Impala as the WAM Album of the Year.

The “Booster Seat” single picked up Song Of The Year at the 2021 ARIAs, Best Independent Song Of The Year at the AIR Awards, is certified 3 x platinum.

For record label AWAL’s Ben Godding, the starting point was Spacey Jane’s dedicated fanbase. “Their fans are one of the most passionate groups of fans I’ve seen.”

AWAL’s goal for “Here Comes Everybody” was to broaden the base.

“With week one sales in Australia being triple to that of their debut Sunlight, we certainly achieved that. 

“Unique vinyl bundle offerings and a well-executed retail campaign, their vinyl and streaming sales exceeded all expectations, really cementing that #1 album here.”  

Godding says a week of indie instores, across six cities in as many days on the week of release, was just as critical. 

Huge lines of fans, “numbers never seen by retailers before”, saw the band interact with fans for hours on end.

“Spacey Jane well and truly set a new benchmark as to what instores can do for a band,” Godding declares.  

“In fact they continue to set the benchmark in everything they do as a band, from touring, to sales, to the music itself. 

“It’s a dream to see this unfold.”

The album was written in isolation during WA’s lockdown. They weren’t to know that in that time, new fans were discovering their music, especially those from outside Australia.

Aside from the UK full capacities, ten of the 25 shows of the October 10 to November 9 North America have sold out.