Q&A: Vacations Chase the Next Big Thing on Upcoming Album ‘Pursuit of Anything’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY JASMINE AGUIRRE ☆
Photo by Andrew Boyle
IN PURSUIT OF MORE—Australian indie-rock band, Vacations continue to build momentum as they step confidently into their next big change in their era. Formed in 2015 in Newcastle, the group features lead songwriter and vocalist Campbell Burns, bassist Jake Johnson, guitarist Nate Delizzotti and drummer Joseph Van Lier.
With the release of their latest single “Holy Grail” and the announcement of their upcoming album, Pursuit of Anything (set for release on October 2nd), Vacations reflect on the constant pursuit of their next milestone in their career as a band. Even after achieving the goals that once felt out of reach or unattainable, the band finds themselves still chasing that elusive “next thing.”
“It has this almost mythical status, like it’s impossible but it’s out there.” Burns shares to Luna. In our conversation, Burns expands on the band’s creative growth, and the challenge of knowing when the chase will be enough, not just for Vacations, but for all musicians.
As the band wraps up their Holy Grail Tour across the U.S., Asia and Australia, Vacations are looking ahead to the release of Pursuit of Anything. Burns also reflects on the importance of building spaces for artists, fostering community, and preserving the DIY scene that helped shape Vacations in the first place.
Vacations describe this new era as an open space for exploration in their music that has opened new routes for their sound. “This entire album is different, but it’s still very Vacations,” Burn says confidently. The new record also signals a direction that Vacations are eager to continue exploring deeper moving forward in their future musical endeavors.
Read on for Vacations’ chat with Luna, where they dive deeper into the pressures of constantly looking for what’s next, the importance of community and their excitement surrounding a summer of touring and the upcoming release of Pursuit of Anything.
Photo by Pooneh Ghana
LUNA: First off, you've got a lot of things going on — the Holy Grail Tour and obviously new music. Starting with your new single “Holy Grail,” it feels like there's a bit of an emotional shift there. Where were you at mentally when you were making that track?
BURNS: The song is loosely based off a Zoom call we had as a band with our manager. It was a time when morale was feeling a little bit low because we were getting caught in this cycle, this feedback loop, of needing to go on tour to sustain the band financially, but also being aware that creatively we were starting to feel a bit choked. We needed to get into the studio to write new music so we could tour that instead of the same songs over and over again. But we were sort of caught with the record label and it was like, “We can only really keep this up for a couple more months. Can we get this record done?” It was a lot happening all at once. It was very much a shift of priorities and we were like “Okay, let’s just go to the studio and get this smashed out.”
Lyrically, it’s based on that, but musically, when I was writing it, it was one of the first songs when I was living back in LA. I was just at my piano playing, and I was like, “This sounds really pretty.” I really liked the idea. It came about very naturally musically, because I didn’t really attach it to lyrics yet. All the music came first and the lyrics came months later.
LUNA: How does your songwriting process usually work? Do you typically do melodies first and then lyrics?
BURNS: It’s different every time. More typically, music comes first. It’s very rare that lyrics come first and then music, but it has happened before. In this case, it was music first, then having this idea that sort of sat there for a moment. Then, as life happens and you have these experiences, you think, “Now I have something I want to say or express,” and you assign those thoughts to the piece. Then, the two start to interact and play with each other.
LUNA: You mentioned feeling some pressure to keep creating music. Can you expand on that?
BURNS: Not necessarily just creating. We wanted to, but we had toured for three years straight at that point. We wanted something new to tour as well. Being in the studio was taking us away from opportunities of playing shows and festivals, which would keep revenue coming in, which keeps the band sustained. So it’s like you’re taking a gamble by putting yourself in the studio, where there’s no money coming in and you’re spending money.
LUNA: How long did it take you guys to create the new album, Pursuit of Anything?
BURNS: Honestly, not long. I always feel like these albums take forever, but this is the quickest gap we’ve had. No Place Like Home came out in 2024, and this new album will come out this year. It’s only two years. The whole writing process was like a year and a half, if that. It was very straightforward. We know how to work a studio by now, so it never really felt strained or rushed. If there was ever any kind of pressure, it was more like a fun challenge or a puzzle, like “How can I reinterpret something I’ve done before or approach it differently?” The studio time itself was a very fun process.
LUNA: What does the title “Holy Grail” mean to you personally?
BURNS: It’s funny because I love a lot of medieval and fantasy imagery. There’s a lyric: “Happiness, the holy grail / A quest to keep 'til old and frail.” I thought it was really good and kind of funny. A lot of things artistically, you should have that little bit of “this would be fun” rather than being so serious all the time. Originally, that lyric wasn’t in there, and I really wanted to insert it. Because on paper it sounds a bit silly, but when it’s sung with the music, it felt appropriate.
For us collectively as a band, it kind of feels like we’re always chasing the next thing. I know a lot of other friends of mine who are also musicians in this industry, are sort of in this similar spot. Where they have one thing that’s going well for them, but then they’re also chasing this other thing. It has this almost mythical status, like it’s impossible but it’s out there. There are things as a band I would really love to achieve, like I would love more press outlets to write about us or for us to be in more festivals. But we’ve also already achieved so much and it’s like “When is it enough?” That can apply to any facet in life. Because I tend to write for the band, but then for myself, that’s what I think it means for the band. Personally, I’m not entirely sure. I used to live in Australia, moved to LA, wasn’t really connecting with that. Then I moved to New York and this is kind of my last stop. I’ve been here for a year now, I really enjoy it and can’t see myself being anywhere else.
LUNA: So you prefer New York more than LA?
BURNS: I love New York. I do like LA. I love performing in LA, but would I live there? Probably not. I’m very much East Coast-coded in that way.
LUNA: In terms of how you guys have evolved as a band, do you think you continue to evolve, or do you feel like you’re getting closer to what Vacations actually is?
BURNS: We continue to devolve [laughs]. I think yes to both. This record is like what I wanted to make when I was 20 or 21 in the Vibes era, but I wasn’t proficient enough as a producer or songwriter. Now at almost 31, after over 10 years in the band, it feels like I’m ticking off things I wanted to explore as Vacations. This entire album is different, but it’s still very Vacations. I would say it’s just more refined and almost extravagant, with a Wall of Sound approach, lots of layers, dense vocal harmonies, pianos, drums, etc. It’s the first time where I feel really comfortable. This feels like it's maybe the most Vacations it's ever been, which is also kind of funny, because I feel like sometimes we have that figured out. When I'm making a record there’s multiple paths or different avenues. Because with No Place Like Home there were songs like “Next Exit" or "Midwest” where I could have just kept going down that path of making indie rock music, like faster tempos and more pop orientated stuff. But then I was like, I kind of want to go down this different route of a more ‘70s or ‘60s chamber pop, Motown thing going on, which also feels very Vacations. It's like we can exist in a lot of different formats,and it's fun to explore them to the fullest extent. No Place Like Home was sort of like a shotgun of different sounds, and that was really fun, but I just really wanted the one consistent throughline from start to end with this record. This is definitely a sound I want to continue exploring, which usually isn't the case. Normally when we finish a record, we move on to the next thing, because I tend to be very regimented in the sense that I'll give myself a set of parameters. Now we can kind of expand the palette a little bit.
LUNA: Where did the name Vacations come from?
BURNS: It came about because Jake and I, and our original drummer Harrison Chapman, had a friend who was putting us on a house show. We were like “Sick, that's great.” But, we needed a name for the poster. We just kept shooting names back and forth and landed on Vacations. It wasn’t super thought out; it was out of necessity. I’m surprised no one else has taken just “Vacations.” I like it, but searching for us online is impossible [laughs] you mostly get holiday listings, like Hawaii.
LUNA: You’ve thrown your own festival a couple of times in the past. What originally inspired you to create it, and why was it important for you to build something like that of your own before?
BURNS: Yes, our MATES festival. It came out of nostalgia and a desire to go back to our roots. We were part of an arts collective called No Fly Collective in our hometown Newcastle. It was us and a bunch of other bands, visual artists, graphic designers, and we would always just throw DIY shows around the city in clubs, cafes or just whoever would host us at people's houses. I missed that community energy, because that all folded pretty much when COVID hit, and then all of us were kind of moving in our own different directions of life. So I missed putting on festivals, and I missed putting on shows. The first one in Newcastle was beautiful and then we did it in LA. I’d love to keep doing it in the future yearly or bi-yearly, changing locations—London, Melbourne, back to LA, etc. I knew I wanted to do it once, and in Newcastle it was absolutely huge with lots of local bands, lots of friends, lots of different people from the community and coming together. It was a really beautiful experience.
LUNA: Looking back, how did the behind-the-scenes of creating a festival look?
BURNS: It’s not that crazy. It’s probably really boring [laughs]. It was me having calls with my manager or booking agent, hitting up bands, getting a bunch of no’s and some yes’s, refining the list. It’s a small, DIY operation—mostly me on the creative side, trying to work with a booking agent, management team, marketing and all that. I approached it from taste-making, pairing bands that make sense together, from similar communities or playlists. It’s curated rather than just what’s trending. It’s something that I hope continues to grow in the future.
LUNA: You mentioned that your music and vibe feels very community-driven. What do you want that space to feel like for people when they go to your shows?
BURNS: Fun, inclusive, safe, and comfortable. Just a good time to be had by all!
LUNA: What are you most excited for on the Holy Grail Tour and for the new album?
BURNS: I’m excited to be on stage with my best friends. I haven’t played live with the full band in a while. Being with my friends is the best part. And then the fact that we get to play songs that we've all written to people that enjoy it, that's even better. I’m also excited to see the reception to the new album and just be back in the news cycle like “Hey we’re a band and we’re still here” [laughs]. When you’re away from something for so long, it kind of feels like it's not real anymore. I'm currently living my civilian life, settling into New York and thinking about things like groceries, or doing my laundry. Things that are very human. I definitely miss it, so I'm excited to just get on the road and play these songs and see how people feel about it.
LUNA: Well, best of luck and congratulations on your new upcoming album! To end it off, what do you want people to expect from this new era of Vacations?
BURNS: Thank you! I honestly don’t know. I wish I knew what the fan brain was thinking. I’m gonna do whatever I want, but people always want you to either keep making the same thing or do something completely new. Your fan base will always be kind of alienated, in some sense, but then you'll get all these new fans. All I know is that I really like this next record, and I’m already thinking about the next one. It’s a good time to be a Vacations fan.
