Vance Joy Announces Debut Album Details

It's arguably one of the most eagerly awaited announcements of the year, but Melburnian world-beater Vance Joy has announced at last that his debut album will drop this September, and backed it up with a fresh new cut for the faithful to devour.

Recorded in the US with veteran desk-man Ryan Hadlock (Foo Fighters, Gossip, The Lumineers), Joy's 13-track Dream Your Life Away will hit stores on September 5 via Liberation. In case you were worried, yes, you'll still find Riptide among the song list, as well as the similarly beloved oldie From Afar.

However, the record is all about moving forward, and, to that end, lead single Mess Is Mine does a great job of bringing Joy out of the shadow of his chart-smashing, feel-good ukulele hit and other songs found on breakthrough EP God Loves You When You're Dancing.

The track is less explicitly ebullient than Riptide, but tangibly more considered, giving listeners a revealing glimpse beyond the penchant for sugary hooks and into Joy's burgeoning skills of evocation.

The single's just-released clip, written and directed by Luci Schroder, is a joy to watch, featuring an adorable anthropomorphic polar bear that finds its way to land, tries to steal a car, and generally has one big four-minute adventure while Joy croons along in the background. It's actually really great.

With the quadruple-Platinum (in Australia) Riptide just starting to make its mark in the United States, having entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #92 last week, Joy stands poised at the cusp of yet another boost to his profile. He recently completed a stint at the renowned Glastonbury festival, at which he was singled out as an act to watch by Brit paper The Independent, and presently faces sold-out shows in Britain and mainland Europe to keep him busy before he makes a return trip home to light up the stages of Splendour In The Grass.

Dream Your Life Away will be available for pre-order from tomorrow, July 11, via iTunes and physical retailers.