Riptide Archives - FAULT Magazine

Vance Joy x FAULT Magazine Issue 28

Words and Photography: Miles Holder
Fashion: Rachel Gold

Vance Joy first caught our eye back in 2013 with the release of his debut album EP God Loves You When You’re Dancing which featured his runaway hit ‘Riptide’. In February 2018 Vance Joy returned with his second album record Nation of Two which featured hits ‘Saturday Sun’ and ‘I’m With You’. About to embark on his worldwide tour, we caught up with Vance to find out more!

FAULT: You’re about to embark on your Nation Of Two world tour, excited?

Vance Joy: We did a short European tour last month, and it was so much fun to see the fans and reconnect with them in person. It’d been three and a half years since we’d last played in Europe, so it’ll be great to relaunch with the big shows and play some new material. IT should be a lot of fun, and everyone is really excited.

Do you find that your songs suddenly take on new meaning when you get to play them live to your fans?

Vance Joy: I’m always surprised to find that so many people know the lyrics to a bunch of songs and it’s such a warm and enthusiastic vibe when I’m playing, and it’s super encouraging. You don’t know what songs people will know and recently on tour we played some of the deep album tracks, and it was great to see people enjoying them. As we tour, I’m getting more comfortable with the songs and finding new ways to sing them and wear them in a bit. ‘We’re Going Home’, and ‘Saturday Sun’ are tracks in particular which are starting to feel good to perform on stage.

Is there a date in particular or festival in particular that you’re especially excited for?

Vance Joy: I’m looking forward to going to LA for a rehearsal for a few days, so I’m looking forward to the band and me having a relaxing time out there. We’ll do a couple of shows and then head to Coachella which is a big one that everyone will know. There are also dates in huge venues which will also be a new challenge and experience for us, but it’s exciting to play to bigger rooms and larger audiences. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all goes!

Nation Of Two released a couple of months ago now; do you ever find yourself wanting to make changes or fixes to it or do you feel like the project was exactly what it needed to be at the time and it should remain that way?

Vance Joy: I’m quite relaxed when it comes to that stuff; I think you need a deadline and know when to say goodbye. I feel like when you have a song that you feel strongly about but there’s pushback, and people say, “I don’t think you quite nailed it on this song”, then I listen. I listen to all of those perspectives and then eventually you’ve got to release it and say “that’s it”. I sometimes think instead of looking too closely and getting too stuck on the minutia you can get distracted. Certainly, after two months you might hear it on the radio and say “oh, I’m seeing it differently now” but I think you can get distracted and go off course with perfection and I don’t think there’s such a thing.

What is your favourite tour story?

Vance Joy: I was fortunate and got to play the AFL Grand Final, and I was playing with another band called Living Head, and the main headliner was Sting. After we played, we were chilling out in the green room, and I felt someone hug me from behind, and I turned around, and it was Sting! It was surreal, I just shook his hand and said: “lovely to meet you!”

What is your writing discipline, do you sit down at a writing station and try to get through it or do you just let them come to you naturally?

Vance Joy: I think there’s a bit of both and always a push and pull. If you haven’t written a song in a while, you can get frustrated. Sometimes you just have to pick up your guitar, and a song comes, and other days it feels like you’re trying to force it out. I think ultimately the excellent stuff songs happen mysteriously and catch you off guard. Some days you can write and take the chance that magic will happen again but sometimes you have to approach it with a bit more discipline. The best stuff happens when you’re not trying to force it too much.

What is your FAULT?

Vance Joy: I can be impatient, and when I’m in a bad mood, the atmosphere can be quiet and cold. I might not say anything, but people can tell! I’m learning to try and remove myself at times when I’m annoyed (or hungry) but it doesn’t happen too often, but I’m trying to notice when it does.