Vance Joy Is (Almost) Arena-Ready

We interviewed Vance Joy about his upcoming tour and the making of his massive hit "Riptide".

James Keogh, better known as Vance Joy, is about to play the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, just sold out Rod Laver Arena, and has a song that spent 124 weeks in the ARIA Top 100.

In response to that last factoid, he finds only one suitable response: "Uh, that’s really crazy."

Honestly, that’s not a bad way to encapsulate the last few years for Keogh, who followed-up a supporting slot on Taylor Swift’s international tour with a new album—Nation of Two—that topped the charts in Australia and debuted at #10 on America’s own Billboard rankings. He also cameoed in Charli XCX’s video for "Boys".

And, then there's "Riptide", which previously held the record for most consecutive weeks in the ARIA Top 100. (It's 110-week streak was broken by "Uptown Funk", which now holds the record with 113.)

"It’s like lightning in a bottle," he tells Student Edge. "I never expected that song to have the impression it has."

"When we recorded it, we didn’t really know what we were doing," he explains.

"It was me and my drummer, Edwin White, who helped produce it; it was one of our first times in a proper studio, that we’d paid for the day.

"It was early days for my singing; I feel like I really sang my heart out, but I was also pushing it as hard as I could. I think that intensity is all captured in that recording; it’s not perfect, it’s kind-of a bit off-kilter, but I think that can lead to it being memorable."

Over the next few months, the 30-year-old singer-songwriter will take "Riptide", Nation of Two and his band on the road, kicking off with an 8,500-capacity amphitheater in America.

"You’re just surprised that there are maybe 1,000 people that want to come and see you when you’re playing Indianapolis or something."

After the States, Vance Joy brings the show and his new songs to Australia in September. However, he’s hesitant to call it a 'victory lap'.

"I think you always probably feel like you want to win the audience over, because you never get too complacent," he says.

Still, he’s working with a stacked deck down under: "You’re in the Southern Hemisphere. The air smells familiar to us. It’s a bit more relaxed. You’re in your natural habitat and that’s a nice thing."

That certainly sounds like it would suit a ukulele-strumming artist. Nonetheless, these days, James is selling out Rod Laver Arena (capacity: 16,000).

He stresses, "I don’t think of myself as an 'arena artist'."

"First it was like, 'Woah, okay? Do Rod Laver?' And then [after selling it out] it was like, 'Okay, we’re at least vindicated in aiming high for that one.'

"Before we play that show, I think we’ll be super pumped up and also nervous, because it will be the biggest show that we’ll have played as a band.

"It’s nice that there are more people, I guess, interested in coming along. It’s a very pleasant surprise."

Will that mean a change to his sound in the future? Will Vance Joy’s next songs be written with arenas in mind?

"I guess I’d like to stick to the similar recipe," he says.

"You follow your instinct and see what happens at the time, but I like the combination of intimacy and the voice feeling right in your ear, and having some depth and subtlety to the instrumentation.

“We’ll figure out how it’s all going to make sense, and try to make a big room—even somewhere as big as Rod Laver—feel intimate; that’s the challenge but I think it can be done.”

All going well, maybe Taylor Swift could even join him on stage. Though, as James warns, that would require a very specific set of circumstances.

"If I had a song on the radio that was doing well, and she was in town... and she wanted a guest to come up and sing a song, all those things would have to align, but I would be very willing," he says.

"It’d be cool because I’m a fan."

Vance Joy plays Rod Laver Arena in VIC on 8 September, Hordern Pavilion in NSW on 13 & 14 Sep, Rod Laver Arena (again) in VIC on 15 Sep, Thebarton Theatre in SA on 17 & 18 Sep, Riverstage in QLD on 20 & 21 Sep, and Fremantle Arts Centre in WA on 23 & 24 Sep. Tickets are on sale from Frontier Touring. Nation of Two is now available.

Photo: Mushroom