Vance Joy is stepping back into the spotlight with “Divine Feelings”, the opening half of a double A-side Divine Feelings/Fascination in the Dark, dropping this October.
It marks his first new solo release since 2022’s In Our Own Sweet Time, and recent collaborative singles “Everybody Needs Somebody” with Noah Cyrus (2023) and “Wherever You Are” with Shouse (2025).
The track is about first crossing paths with someone truly monumental, an ode to the head rush of a profound connection. It’s a theme that carries particular weight for the Melbourne-born songwriter, who in 2019 met his now-wife while wandering Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter.
To bring the track to life, Joy retreated to Barcelona with longtime collaborator Dave Bassett, devoting themselves to capturing that special feeling in song. Together, they crafted something that felt euphoric, epic, and emotional.
An homage to a modern-day, Aussie Bonnie and Clyde, the song’s accompanying music video, directed by Bill ‘W.A.M’ Bleakley, follows actors Erana James and Tom Wilson through outback Australia. As they outrun and outsmart police, the couple’s chemistry is screen-streaming.
“We shot the videos in Mount Isa and Cloncurry in Western Queensland – not only do they have a desert/ Americana vibe they also offered us consistent weather that had a summer feel to it,” Bleakley said.
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“Generally, not much filming happens in either of these towns, so we were a bit of a novelty and locals really embraced us. Everything we asked for (locations, vehicles etc) we got a “yes” – whereas in the city you often get a lot of “no’s,” he continued. “Working with A grade actors like Erana James and Tom Wilson made our job easy. They nailed the performances and were happy to improvise where the story needed ironing out.”
With “Fascination in the Dark” due for release in October alongside the double A-side, the two singles mark an anticipated release from one of Australia’s most beloved songwriters. His 2022 album In Our Own Sweet Time landed at No. 96 on Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s 100 Best Australian Albums of the 2020s So Far,
Joy is currently on his North American tour, which will continue through to the end of September, before he comes home to play Adelaide’s Harvest Rock festival on October 25th.
