Staying Loud, Staying True: Spacey Jane’s Evolution from Perth to the World

Australian indie rock band Spacey Jane are back with a brand-new album, produced by Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, MUNA, Foals, The Killers). If That Makes Sense is release May 9th, 2025; with various underplays across Australia followed by a post-release tour in US, UK, Europe and headlining tour back home in Australia and New Zealand.

Spacey Jane is an Australian indie rock band formed in 2016 in Perth, Western Australia. Spacey Jane initially gained attention through their DIY recordings and performances, building a strong following in the Australian indie scene. Their sophomore album debuted at number one on the ARIA charts, with six tracks landing in Triple J’s Hottest 100, half of which were in the chart’s top six spots. And the plaudits just kept coming: in 2022 they were the most played artist on Triple J, with the influential radio station nominating Here Comes Everybody for Album of the Year, plus they received a nod for Best Rock Album at that year’s ARIA Awards.

Communication, in whatever form that takes, is a leap of faith, and on If That Makes Sense, Caleb’s trademark mode of lyrical honesty is honed to its finest point, his vulnerability revealing profound strength. It is an album that parses the big stuff: heartbreak and longing; how the past can prefigure the future; the gulf between what’s been said and what’s been done; rewriting the script. It’s the sound of a band breaking new ground. But the beauty of art is that it serves a purpose for those who make it, while offering itself up for interpretation entirely divorced from its creators. What the listener takes from Spacey Jane is for the listener alone to divine.

Spacey Jane has come a long way from your DIY roots. What do you think helped you transition from an indie favorite to a mainstream sensation?

First of all I think we’ve been extremely fortunate in terms of timing and the opportunities we’ve had. We’re also surrounded by really talented and loyal people that have believed in us for a long time. We’ve been completely obsessed with the band for years now and collectively made it our sole focus and goal in life to have it succeed. I don’t know exactly what drives us but we just love it and it’s all we want to do. I think people romanticize the idea of falling into a musical career almost by mistake, but everyone I know who’s made it work has been dogged in their pursuit of that. I guess it’s about persistence and believing in what we were doing.

How has the music scene in Perth influenced your sound and approach as a band?

The Perth scene revolves around playing live. We played the Perth club circuit week after week for over a year before we had put any music out and that experience formed the foundation of the band. I remember when we started seeing unfamiliar faces at our shows for the first time and those faces started screaming our lyrics with their eyes closed. I was hooked. I think we’re always thinking about how a song is going to make someone feel when they’re hearing it loud in a sweaty room. We have an almost backwards approach to being a band, sometimes it feels like we’re making music just so we can play it to a room full of people. I think we have Perth to thank for that.

Can you share any stories from the recording process or what fans can expect from the album’s sound?

It was a pretty new recording experience for us. The whole album was written and recorded in LA which was exciting and new but presented us with a lot of challenges too. We often felt out of place and in over our heads and I think the discomfort of that pushed us to make our favorite album yet. To me, the record feels bigger than anything we’ve made before. We spent 3 months tracking and that allowed us to obsess over every little detail and record and re-record parts over and over again. It feels like everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be and not where it shouldn’t be. I don’t know if that answers the question but those are some thoughts ha.

As a band, what themes or messages do you aim to communicate through your music?

We’ve never tried to say anything in particular. When it comes to songwriting the goal is always to be as honest and concise as possible. Sometimes certain themes seem to recur throughout a record but I think that just comes from feelings that won’t go away. Collectively we want the music to make you feel something. I think music is its best when you’re really moved by it and that’s the experience we want to give listeners.

With your growing international presence, how do you balance staying true to your roots while expanding your global reach?

That’s a good question and maybe I’ll have a proper answer in a couple of years. I think our roots are defined by the experience we have of being in this band. Spacey Jane is four people who love each other and love being in this band. We get to live out our dreams and do it with our closest friends and as long as we don’t lose sight of that, I think we’ll be ok.  

How do you hope Spacey Jane is remembered in the Australian music scene and on a global scale? 

I don’t mind, to be honest. I just hope that we’re doing this for a long time to come and that it gets bigger and better. Maybe I’ll worry about that when it’s all over?