Vacations Announce New Album, Pursuit of Anything, out 10/2 on Nettwerk
Holy Grail Tour Across The U.S., Asia & Australia This Summer;
MATES Festival in NYC on June 20th
Vacations—the Australian indie rock band of lead songwriter and vocalist Campbell Burns, bassist Jake Johnson, guitarist Nate Delizzotti, and drummer Joseph Van Lier—announce their new album, Pursuit of Anything, out October 2nd on Nettwerk, and release the lead single/video, “Holy Grail.”
Pursuit of Anything captures Vacations at a turning point as Burns reflects on the disorienting, often contradictory experience of growing up, tracing his path from Newcastle (Australia) to Los Angeles and New York—caught between ambition and the more traditional lives unfolding back home. Written by the band and produced by Burns, the album finds Vacations operating as a fully creative force with Burns drawing constant inspiration from his bandmates’ lives and perspectives: exploring how they’re each living out different lives yet share a common experience, all in their own “pursuits.”
Mixed by Beatriz Artola (Geese, Caamp), the result is a richer, more intricate, and emotionally expansive sound. Pursuit of Anything arrives as the band solidifies their place as one of the most globally resonant indie acts of their generation with sold-out world tours, double-platinum certified hits, and over 3.5 billion streams. The record turns inward, driven by the push and pull of devotion to music, relationships, and self-discovery. It is this tension that fuels an earnest, dreamy pop album that feels instantly classic.
This is on display on today’s single, “Holy Grail,” a diamond of a pop song, the sort of music you want to listen to while lying out in the sun. The track is impressionistic and melancholy: “How can I fool myself,” Burns sings in the song’s opening moment. The synths around him twinkle and the song lilts.
“‘Holy Grail’ was based on a stressful Zoom call we had together as a band last year,” Burns reflects. “We were in this period of wanting to write and record new material, but then also being stuck in a loop of unsustainable touring. So many people I know have devoted their entire lives to music, and yet, at times it can feel as if you’re in pursuit of anything just to make it work for you. This push and pull dynamic of something I love so much is fascinating to me. I may struggle at times, but I will always return to it because it brings so much joy and fulfillment and ultimately outweighs any negative.”
Pursuit of Anything is a labor of love, the product of a group of friends who have been making music together since they were barely out of their teenage years. On it, there are weddings, families, reflections on the past, and hope about the future. “It’s about happiness as a feedback loop,” says Burns of the record’s title, “How you keep chasing the next thing.” It’s a record that feels classic the first time you listen to it, it feels like chasing that rush, that sense of self discovery and rediscovery. And it shows Vacations at the height of their songwriting powers. It’s a pop record that takes pop music seriously. Lovely, earnest, dreamy and hopeful as they come.
This summer, Vacations will embark on their Holy Grail Tour across the U.S., Asia and Australia. The run of dates also includes the band’s very own MATES Festival with the third installment taking place at Knockdown Center in NYC on Saturday, June 20th. The all-day, full-building, multi-stage event will take over the Main Hall and Ruins at Knockdown Center, and feature Vacations, grentperez, girlpuppy, Mamalarky, Alex Lahey, Horse Jumper of Love, Thelma Plum, and Winter. Tickets for all dates are on sale and available here.
Pursuit of Anything Tracklist
1. Congratulations
2. Yesterday
3. Holy Grail
4. Ready or Not
5. Last Call
6. Fooling You
7. Punchline
8. So Suddenly
9. I See Myself In You
10. Lucky Forever
Vacations Tour Dates:
Tue. June 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour [SOLD OUT]
Wed. June 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour [SOLD OUT]
Thu. June 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour [SOLD OUT]
Mon. June 8 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s [SOLD OUT]
Tue. June 9 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s [SOLD OUT]
Wed. June 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada [LOW TICKETS]
Thu. June 11 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada [NEW SHOW ADDED]
Sat. June 13 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean [SOLD OUT]
Sun. June 14 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean [SOLD OUT]
Mon. June 15 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean [LOW TICKETS]
Sat. June 20 – New York, NY @ Knockdown Center (MATES Festival)
Wed. June 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison [SOLD OUT]
Thu. June 25 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison [SOLD OUT]
Fri. July 3 – San Juan City, PH @ Music Museum
Sun. July 5 – Kuala Lumpur, MY @ Voxlive
Mon. July 6 – Singapore, SG @ Foo Chow Building
Thu. July 9 – Jakarta, ID @ M Block Live House
Sat. July 11 – Perth, AUS @ Freo.Social
Sun. July 12 – Adelaide, AUS @ The Gov
Thu. July 16 – Brisbane, AUS @ The Triffid
Fri. July 17 – Melbourne, AUS @ 170 Russell
Sat. July 18 – Sydney, AUS @ Metro Theatre
Sun. July 19 – Newcastle, AUS @ The Act at Earp Distillery
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