There weren’t many good things to come out of 2020 – but it was the year that gave us Spacey Jane. The indie rock quartet, which formed four years earlier in Fremantle, burst onto the scene with breakout single Booster Seat (which earned them the ARIA Song of the Year award). Their first two albums, Sunlight and Here Comes Everybody, were both a commercial and critical success.

After extensive touring at home and in the US in recent years, the band took a break in 2024 and focused on making their third studio album If That Makes Sense. The record, which was produced by Mike Crossey, who has worked with The 1975 and the Arctic Monkeys, is released on May 9. The first single from the new album, All the Noise is out today.

Broadsheet spoke to lead singer Caleb Harper about his favourite spots in Perth, what he misses about WA while on the road, and the song he associates with moving to the big city from his childhood home in Geraldton.

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Tell us a bit about yourself and the band.
I’m Caleb and I’m in a band called Spacey Jane. We’re all WA kids and started the band in Freo way back in 2016.

What do you love about Perth?
The pace of the city; there’s something beautifully lazy about it. I also love that it takes a bit of digging to find all the Perth gems. There’s so much below the surface if you take the time to explore.

Do you have a favourite restaurant or cafe in Perth?
I’ve got a strong Fremantle bias on account of calling it home for the past decade. It would have to be a tie between Vin Populi and Madalena’s (honourable mention to Everyday Bread).

What about a favourite bar?
Again, I’m going to cop out and say it’s a tie between Patio and Percy Flint.

When you want to impress someone, where do you take them?
Has to be Wildflower!

What do you reckon is underrated about Perth?
I think it’s related to what I said earlier. People think Perth has nothing going on, but it’s actually a lively place with people doing incredible things. If you have the patience to look beyond what’s immediately available, there’s so much to eat and do!

What do you miss the most about Perth when you’re away touring?
The beaches!

Is there an essential song or film about Perth?
I’m going to go with something that feels very Perth to me. Methyl Ethel’s Twilight Driving came out not long after I moved from Geraldton to Fremantle, and it became the soundtrack to that transition. There’s a lot of nostalgia tied up in that song for me.

@harperchino
@spacey_jane