“The band’s signature shimmering synth chords combined with Burns’ mediative vocals manage to capture a sense of nostalgia throughout No Place Like Home‘s 10 earworm tracks, surely certifying Vacations as a playlist staple for fans of dreamy, sun-drenched indie rock.” – UPROXX
“the demand for their music at its highest since forming” – Flood Magazine
“a brisk return that expertly fuses light and shade. Unafraid to be honest, Vacations pepper this with a thirst for melodic that makes their music easy on the ear, and accessible in a warm, humane way.” – Clash
Two-time platinum-selling Newcastle band Vacations have today released their long-awaited new album, No Place Like Home. The record follows an intense period of transformation for the lead singer Campbell Burns, who was diagnosed with Pure OCD (or “Pure O”), a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder marked by intrusive, unwanted, and uncontrollable thoughts. His experiences learning to live with this while touring the world informed the record, which also engages in nuanced discussions around personal growth and sexuality.
The band tapped Georgia Maq, formerly of the band Camp Cope, for their last official music video for the album release single, “Over You.” The band explains, “I thought it would be really fun to lean into this idea of ‘Over You’ as an exploration of self-obsession. The high peaks and low valleys of ego just make for a funnier visual story, I think. We’d saved a silly goofy video until last. I’d originally planned for Campbell to be in the role of protagonist and therapist, but circumstances meant none of us would be in the same city at the same time to work with the director, Jax Anderson, and their wonderful team. To our rescue came Australian darling Georgia Maq, of Camp Cope fame. We were so lucky to have them involved, and their charisma really brought a sensuality and hilarity that was needed.”
Following 2020’s Forever In Bloom LP, No Place Like Home finds the Newcastle DIY outfit comprised of Burns and bandmates Jake Johnson, Nate Delizzotti, and Joseph Van Lier, expanding their trademark melodic indie rock to new sonic horizons. The first Vacations record to be produced by Campbell Burns and an outside producer, John Velasquez (Zella Day, Broods), it comprises 10 shimmering tracks brimming with indie-pop hooks and just a touch of bittersweet sensitivity. “I had this loose concept of No Place Like Home being an Americana-influenced album,” Campbell says of the album’s sonic inspirations. “I wanted to incorporate more pianos, acoustic guitars, Nashville tuning, and country-inspired lap steel, but then also bringing in drum machines and synths and finding a mix between the two.”
The album features singles, “Terms & Conditions,” “Midwest,” “Close Quarters,” and the buzzy radio single, “Next Exit,” which has over 15 million streams, was the #11 most played track by Sirius XMU in 2023, #22 on their 2023 countdown, is in the top 10 on Alt Nation, and debuts this week on the Mediabase Alternative chart at 39.
Vacations have lots to celebrate with the new release. They were picked by Pandora as one of their ten artists to watch for 2024, their single, “Telephones,” was certified platinum in the United States in December, marking their second platinum track stateside (the other is “Young”), and they will make their debut TV performance on CBS Saturday Morning tomorrow, January 13th. To cap it off, they will host a private release party with a performance and Q&A at Brain Dead Studios in Los Angeles on January 16th.
A DIY affair from the get-go, the band Vacations formed in 2016 primarily as a songwriting vehicle for Campbell Burns, Burns later adding band members Jake Johnson, Nate Delizzotti, and Joseph Van Lier. Their song “Young” is certified Gold in Canada, Australia, and Poland, and is certified Platinum in the U.S., and their single “Telephones” is also certified Platinum in the US as of December 2023. The band has racked up over 1.5 billion streams worldwide, an average of 55 million streams/month, including over 675 million streams within the last year and over 2.2m Shazam’s. Not just a streaming band, the group has become known for their raucous live shows, doubling venues from 500 capacity to 2,000+ in under two years. They sold out both of their headline US tours since 2022 and their first ever UK one, mostly sold-out their massive North American fall co-headline tour with Last Dinosaurs that included sold-out dates at Webster Hall and The Novo, and have performed at Austin City Limits, All Things Go Festival, The Great Escape, All Points East, and The Sounds Project in Indonesia. They are confirmed for Laneway Festival in Australia later this month.
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