Basslines And Bottle Refunds: Spacey Jane’s Peppa Talks Crafting Albums And Climate Action

Best known as the charming bassist and keeper of the rhythm and harmonies at the heart of Aussie icons Spacey Jane’s melodies, Peppa Lane’s also steadily building a following as a fierce advocate for sustainability. Her TikTok, Pep4Planet, is a treasure trove of facts and tips as lo-fi and genuine as she is, encouraging followers to avoid consumerism, purchase pre-loved, reuse and repair, combat food waste, and attend a protest or two while they’re at it. And she still finds time to make great music! Spacey Jane’s third album, If That Makes Sense, drops on 9 May, offering a strong, cohesive flow and emotional journey showcasing a band coming into their own. They’ve described it as “an album that parses the big stuff: heartbreak and longing, how the past can prefigure the future, the gulf between what’s been said and what’s been done, rewriting the script.” While frontman Caleb Harper tapped into the deeply personal well of his childhood and formative relationships to craft the lyrics, it could fairly be said that the ‘big stuff’ could also apply to our relationship with the earth. Our Deputy Editor Donnay Torr sat down with Peppa to chat about her advocacy, conjuring a new album, and finding hope in connection. (And, of course, her tips on how NOT to kill houseplants!)

IMAGES: COLE BARASH. OTHER IMAGES COURTESY OF PEPPA.

Hi Peppa! You left social media a while ago, but then decided to get back on TikTok to start a conversation about sustainability. What made you decide to raise your voice in the first place?

I’ve definitely been very passionate about it my whole life, but a time came when I was thinking about the music industry and my impact on the planet, and realising that my career doesn’t feel very sustainable (in terms of the planet!). I was tossing up different ways of changing and making more of the positives than the negatives, and getting on TikTok was one of the solutions I came up with to start doing more and kind of ‘offset’ my impact.

Is this something the band’s on board with?

Slowly but surely, yeah! For our next few tours we’re doing the ‘Plus One’ concept on our ticket sales – a dollar for every ticket gets donated to a sustainable cause, and we’ve chosen to donate our dollar for every ticket to an Indigenous-lead sustainability project. We’re also leaning towards more sustainable merch, choosing options like organic cotton, for example, which also feels much nicer. It’s a great start and I’m proud that we’re doing those things.

You were at the Rising Tide protests in Newcastle, interviewing people on the ground – is connecting with likeminded people important to you? 

That event was so inspiring! And it’s been such a nice talking point and conversation starter when people see that I went there. It’s amazing to experience the number of people who’ll engage with you when you start speaking about sustainability and climate action. I guess you realise that most people are thinking about it and feel similar things to you. And yes, I think connecting with other musicians who’re doing similar things is important, it makes you feel less alone in fighting the good fight. Feeling connected to likeminded people can be a powerful thing to combat overwhelm, whether that’s reaching out to someone you know, getting involved with an organisation, or even just listening to a podcast.

Talking about the climate crisis can bring the trolls out of the woodwork – ‘oh, you guys are protesting climate change but wearing plastic vests’ kind of comment… How do you deal with that?

Yeah. I think there’s this pressure to be absolutely perfect if you’re going to say anything about the systems we’re living in – but obviously no-one can BE perfect, because we do live within these flawed systems, and we can’t avoid it! I think doing something – even if it’s just a small thing –  is always better than nothing. And you can do it in a way that feels quite rewarding: I know of people saving on power in their home, and then they use the money saved to do something really fun. That’s a good way to feel ‘wow, this was really great and I want to try doing something else as well, and just build on my repertoire of things I can do’.

I think doing something – even if it’s just a small thing –  is always better than nothing.

What has being part of Spacey Jane meant to you, both creatively and in your ability to reach others?

That’s a great question. It’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I think I’m very fortunate to have a platform, and if I can use that to make some kind of difference I think that I really want to and almost, like, should? I’ve spoken to musicians who say that they use their music as a big way of creating change and music has always been a way to change things, but I think even if you’re just making it clear to the industry and to people who look up to you that sustainability is something that you’re passionate about, it still has an impact. 

Creatively, it’s awesome! I’m very lucky that within the band we are given full creative freedom over our parts that we write: it’s still a collaboration, but feels very much like we’re able to express ourselves creatively in the music itself, and also on stage and in the visuals we project. I also have another project [Lipstick Palms] with my partner [Tom Mahler, frontman of The Moving Stills], so that’s another creative outlet. I feel very creatively fulfilled by both projects.

Can you tell us a bit more about the making of  ‘If That Makes Sense’? How have you grown, musically?

I think I’ve come into my playing a little bit more. I always do feel nervous pre-recording, because I want to do justice to the songs, but I felt more confident in my skills this time. I think everyone felt that way, which was really nice. Having a longer period of time to create meant we could go back to parts and tweak and refine, and you can hear that in the songs. We also came together more as a band, if that’s even possible – we basically live in each other’s pockets! But we went to the US to record this album, and it was sort of just the four of us in LA, a little bit isolated in a whole new space, so it felt like we were relying on each other more for all the social needs required. I think you can hear that in the music, too. The collaborative process was really essential to all our lives during that time.

Do you have a favourite song from the album?

My favourite song at the moment is called ‘August’, it’s the last song on the album. I got the honour of singing some of Caleb’s lyrics, they are very beautiful and emotional. I’ll leave a little teaser: the last line of the whole album is a special one!

In your sustainability journey so far, is there a moment that made you really proud of yourself?

Doing those interviews at Rising Tide was very rewarding actually, it meant that I had an excuse to talk to all these different people, and yeah I just got some great perspective on things! But one other thing I’m quite proud of… I’m passionate about offsetting flights, because I do a lot of flying, and I was trying to get creative with it. So I decided I’m going to try and save up for a flight by collecting plastic bottles that had been thrown on the side of the road, and getting ten cent refunds on them. For a few weeks I was just collecting hundreds and hundreds of these bottles, and I think I got to, like, $300 – which wasn’t enough for my flight, but it was still pretty good!

Good one! Do you have any go-to tips that have helped you live more sustainably?

Eating less meat is one that I’ve found fairly easy to be honest. I think even if you just try to go off – or eat less – meat for a month or a week or a day and regularly repeat that, it’s still better than eating it all the time. I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve recently been surrounded by a lot of passionate vegans who are really good cooks, so that’s shown me the entire realm of possibilities out there for vegan food. And even ordering the vegan option at a cafe or restaurant might really surprise you with how good it is. It’s inspired me to cook more like this at home.

What gives you hope for the future?

Just slowly seeing more diversity in all areas and industries, particularly in music – having more perspectives and voices lifted up on everything, particularly Indigenous perspectives, is just really important and exciting. When I see amazing Indigenous artists or women or people of colour in any industry it just gives me so much hope – it’s the stuff that I personally really want to get engaged with, and get excited about engaging with.

 And finally: in the spirit of the single ‘How To Kill Houseplants’ – can you tell us how NOT to kill them?

Hahaha! I like the positive spin on that question! You keep them alive by spending time with them, loving them, and being sensitive to their needs – whether that’s more water or sunlight, or less water and sunlight. Yeah!