Vance Joy’s New Single has Been the ‘Missing Piece’ to Our Year

Emerging from a three-year break, Vance Joy releases new single, ‘Missing Piece’, which pulls on heartstrings and leaves us excited for more new music.

So far this year we’ve seen Vance Joy reach Billboard’s top 20 “Alternative Airplay” and “Rock Airplay” charts with the release of ‘You’ in collaboration with Benny Blanco and Marshmello.

Following ‘You' success, Joy’s new single ‘Missing Piece’, written during the COVID-19 lockdown, sums up the difficulty millions have faced globally with the separation from their loved ones and is sure to be a gentle reminder of the pandemic for years to come.

Whilst Vance Joy surfaces back into the music scene, we caught up with Joy about ‘Missing Piece’, the songs feature on Grey’s Anatomy and an insight into new projects.

Firstly, as you've had a three-year break from releasing music, what made this year the right time for you to release new music?

I felt like it was about time to put something out. 'Missing Piece' felt relevant to the moment, and that’s what gave me the extra oomph to get the wheels back in motion to finish writing it and producing it with Joel Little and my drummer Edwin White who also produced the song.

What was the writing process behind ‘Missing Piece’?

I wrote this song with Joel Little over a zoom call last year. It was one of my first zoom songwriting sessions. Joel had a great riff that started us off. It all fell pretty easily into place. I had some notes on my phone, which came in handy for lyrics.

What was it like creating the music video for ‘Missing Piece’ with director Annelise Hickey?

I loved this experience. Annelise is so good at what she does. She assembled a fantastic team, so it was a fun three days. I love the little universe that was created. She gives great suggestions and leads beautifully.

You’ve said before that ‘Missing Piece’ and ‘You’ were inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic - can we expect more pandemic-inspired music from you?

I guess a lot of the music I’m making at the moment in one way or another is inspired and influenced by what’s going on these days. The writing and production process has changed a bit because of travel limitations. we’re doing a lot of writing and recording remotely.

Many Grey’s Anatomy fans expressed their excitement at hearing ‘Missing Piece’ in Jackson's send-off episode - how did you feel when you heard that the song was going to be featured in the series?

I felt like it was a real gift, and I was very grateful to the team of people who made it happen. Greys has a great legacy of featuring music in big moments so the significance of having my song playing wasn’t lost on me.

Your collaboration with Benny Blanco and Marshmello earlier this year is something different than what we’ve heard from you before, what was it like featuring on ‘You’?

I loved the experience. It was exciting to work with such talented artists. I’ve known Benny for a while, and he is a gem and a good friend. Featuring is fun because you share the load. I like the team feeling.

Can we expect any more collaborations from you soon?

I hope so - but there aren’t any currently on the horizon.

With new music out, are you working on anything else at the moment?

Yeah, I’m always chipping away on songs. I love the feeling of writing a good one. It’s a pretty absorbing pursuit.

Finally, as we see hope in live music, can we expect a tour from you soon?

Yes absolutely. I will be dusting off the cobwebs and getting back on tour soon.