Spacey Jane

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.

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 Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020. 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 Hottest 100 of 2022, with six tracks in the countdown.

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 in a grunge band called Sicchino. 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. In 2016, the four played their first show in Harper's dad's backyard. The name Spacey Jane is derived from one of the member's friends.

The band would play one or two local shows "every week for a good year and a half", and sometimes "two shows a night at different venues". Their debut single "Still Running" was a re-recorded Sicchino original, released in August 2017. They received airplay on Perth station RTRFM with their second single "Feeding the Family", a track that has been credited for the band's breakout success. In November 2017, Spacey Jane released their six-track debut extended play (EP), No Way to Treat an Animal. It peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Albums Chart in December 2020.

On 16 April 2018, the band released a dual single titled In the Meantime, featuring the songs "Old Enough" and "So You Wanna". Its sound was noted as being brighter and poppier than that of their EP. Spacey Jane's second EP, In the Slight, was issued on 9 November 2018 with five tracks. It was preceded by two singles: "Cold Feet" on 17 August, and "Keep a Clean Nose" on 12 October. After winning the Triple J Unearthed Falls competition, the band performed at Falls Festival 2018/2019.

2019–2020: Sunlight and breakout success
On 24 April 2019, the band released the first of six singles supporting their debut studio album. Lead single "Good Grief" was supported by an Australian tour, with "Good for You" and "Head Cold" following in August and November 2019, respectively. "Good for You" went on to poll at number 80 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2019, marking the band's first appearance in the annual countdown. In July 2019, Murray announced she was amicably leaving the band to focus on her medical career, playing her last show on 13 July. 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. Lane's second show with Spacey Jane was at Splendour in the Grass 2019. Harper has retrospectively admitted that Lane joining "revitalised" the band.

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". Spacey Jane signed a global deal with AWAL in December 2019.

In February 2020, the band announced their debut studio album, Sunlight, was due in June. A fourth single, "Skin", was issued alongside the news, kicking off an Australian and New Zealand Tour. In March 2020, the band participated in the first round of Isol-Aid, a stay-at-home festival initiative to assist the Australian music industry during the pandemic. They performed a 20-minute set via an Instagram livestream.

Upon the release of Sunlight on 12 June 2020, Triple J named it their weekly feature album. It peaked at number two on the Australian charts and went on to top the 2020 Triple J Album Poll. Album track "Booster Seat" also received acclaim from music publications, with Al Newstead of Triple J calling it a "life-affirming song with a platinum-strength sing-along quality". It went on to win Song of the Year at the 2021 ARIA Awards and Best Independent Song of the Year at the AIR Awards. By September 2022, the song was verified triple platinum in Australia for the shipment of 210,000 copies.

Leading up to the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020, multiple publications predicted that "Booster Seat" would top the list, 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". In January 2021, "Booster Seat" polled at number two. This milestone led Leeson to call Spacey Jane "arguably the breakthrough Aussie band of 2020".

2021–2023: Here Comes Everybody
In February 2021, the band signed to Lama's management company, Anybody Management. In June, they renewed their deal with AWAL, with marketing director Ben Godding stating that the label "firmly believe[d] [Spacey Jane] are now poised to break through on a global scale".

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. 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". In October, they released second single "Lunchtime" and dates for a UK tour. Further, in December, they contributed to the tribute double-album ReWiggled, for children's music group the Wiggles, providing a cover version of "D.O.R.O.T.H.Y (My Favourite Dinosaur)". "Lots of Nothing" and "Lunchtime" were listed in the Hottest 100 of 2021 at number three and number 12, respectively.

In February 2022, Spacey Jane announced Here Comes Everybody, along with a track listing and dates for an Australian tour in March. On 8 April, its fourth single "It's Been a Long Day" was released, followed by "Hardlight" in May. After the record's release on 24 June, it debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts. It also went on to top the 2022 Triple J Album Poll. The band embarked on the Here Comes Everybody Tour in August 2022, and released a dual single exclusive to Spotify featuring an acoustic version of "Hardlight" and a cover of Paramore's 2010 single "The Only Exception".

In the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2022, the band scored six tracks in the countdown– most notably, "Hardlight" at number three, and "It's Been a Long Day" and "Sitting Up" at number five and six respectively. This feat equaled a record for most songs charted in a single countdown, previously set by Wolfmother in 2005. Spacey Jane also became the first ever artist to have three top-6 songs in a single countdown.

A deluxe version of Here Comes Everybody, featuring four new tracks, was released in February 2023. The band played nationwide on a regional tour from May, and headlined several Australian festivals along the east coast, including Grapevine Gathering, Rolling Sets (Central Coast), and Changing Tides (Kiama) until December 2023.

2024–present: Third studio album
On 5 January 2024, Spacey Jane announced via social media that their third studio album was half recorded, and that they would be issuing a standalone single titled "One Bad Day" the following week. Written at the end of sessions for Here Comes Everybody, the song's release is to "bridge the gap between what was then and what is next".

Artistry
Harper's most important influences growing up included the Pixies and Wilco, later exploring the Strokes, Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys. As they continued to develop their sound with Here Comes Everybody, the band's inspirations expanded to the work of Phoebe Bridgers. Harper finds that songwriting is "not an actual way of dealing with things. It’s a way of expressing them, and describing them, and trying to relate to people with them". He claims that his inspiration comes from "processing emotions and life experiences" and "music as a means of catharsis". Spacey Jane's musical foundations are indie rock and garage rock.

Their earliest singles and debut EP from 2017 "integrated a bold indie pop sound with their own raw Australian top coat... Packed full of pulsating rhythm and dirty guitars." 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". In the Slight developed a "dreamy shoegaze" intersection with their brand of "catchy indie pop", and pointed towards the direction they would take with their debut studio 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 and jangling melodies.

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". However, some critics found the album's identity fatiguing– Shaad D'Souza of The Guardian wrote "most of the songs here hit the same beats over and over", and Al Newstead of Triple J noted it "mostly sticks closely to the model established on Sunlight". 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.

Band 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)

Australian tours

 * In the Slight Australian Tour, 2019
 * Good Grief Australian Tour, 2019
 * Australian tour, 2019
 * Back on the Road (Western Australia), 2020
 * Spacey Jane with Special Guests (Western Australia), 2020
 * Sunlight Australia Tour, 2021
 * Australian tour, 2022
 * Regional Australia Tour, 2023

International tours

 * Head Cold Tour (Australia & New Zealand), 2019
 * New Zealand tour, 2020
 * Skin Tour (Australia & New Zealand), 2020
 * Europe tour, 2022
 * Here Comes Everybody Tour (Australia, New Zealand, Europe & North America), 2022–2023

Singles
Other appearances

AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

! Ref.
 * rowspan="4"|2021
 * rowspan="2"| Sunlight
 * Independent Album of the Year
 * Nominated
 * rowspan="4"|
 * Best Independent Rock Album or EP
 * Nominated
 * "Booster Seat"
 * Independent Song of the Year
 * Won
 * Spacey Jane
 * Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year
 * Won
 * Spacey Jane
 * Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year
 * Won
 * Won

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".

! Ref.
 * rowspan="2" |2021
 * "Good for You"
 * Most Performed Rock Work
 * Nominated
 * rowspan="2" |
 * "Booster Seat"
 * Song of the Year
 * 2022
 * "Lots of Nothing"
 * Most Performed Rock Work
 * Won
 * rowspan="3" | 2023
 * "Lunchtime"
 * Song of the Year
 * Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, Caleb Harper,Kieran Lama and Peppa Lane (Spacey Jane)
 * Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
 * Nominated
 * rowspan="2" |
 * "Lunchtime"
 * Most Performed Rock Work of the Year
 * Nominated
 * 2024
 * "Sorry Instead"
 * Most Performed Rock Work
 * Nominated
 * Nominated
 * rowspan="2" |
 * "Lunchtime"
 * Most Performed Rock Work of the Year
 * Nominated
 * 2024
 * "Sorry Instead"
 * Most Performed Rock Work
 * Nominated
 * Most Performed Rock Work
 * Nominated

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).

! Ref.
 * 2021
 * "Booster Seat"
 * Song of the Year
 * Won
 * 2022
 * Here Comes Everybody
 * Best Rock Album
 * Nominated
 * Here Comes Everybody
 * Best Rock Album
 * Nominated

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.

! Ref.
 * 2019
 * Spacey Jane
 * Unearthed Artist of the Year
 * Nominated
 * 2020
 * Sunlight
 * Australian Album of the Year
 * Nominated
 * 2022
 * Here Comes Everybody
 * Australian Album of the Year
 * Nominated
 * 2022
 * Here Comes Everybody
 * Australian Album of the Year
 * Nominated
 * Nominated

National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.

! Ref.
 * 2023
 * Spacey Jane
 * Best Live Act in Western Australia
 * Nominated
 * Nominated

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.

! Ref.
 * 2021
 * Spacey Jane
 * Rolling Stone Reader's Award
 * Nominated
 * rowspan="2" | 2023
 * Here Comes Everybody
 * Best Record
 * Nominated
 * rowspan="2" |
 * "Hardlight"
 * Best Single
 * Won
 * "Hardlight"
 * Best Single
 * Won
 * Won

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 Inc (WAM).

! Ref.
 * 2019
 * Spacey Jane
 * Most Popular Live Act
 * Won
 * rowspan="4" |2020
 * rowspan="2" |Spacey Jane
 * Most Popular Act
 * Won
 * rowspan="4" |
 * Best Pop Act
 * Won
 * Sunlight
 * Best Album
 * Won
 * "Booster Seat"
 * Best Single
 * Won
 * Best Album
 * Won
 * "Booster Seat"
 * Best Single
 * Won
 * Won