About Vance Joy
James Gabriel Keogh , known professionally as Vance Joy, is an Australian singer-songwriter and former Australian rules footballer. He is best known for his 2013 hit song "Riptide".
Joy signed a five-album deal with Atlantic Records in 2013. He released his debut EP God Loves You When You're Dancing in March 2013. His song "Riptide" was voted number 1 on the 2013 Triple J Hottest 100. Joy released his debut studio album Dream Your Life Away on 5 September 2014 in Australia and on 9 September 2014 elsewhere. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2015, he won Best Male Artist. His second studio album, Nation of Two, was released in 2018, and his third studio album, In Our Own Sweet Time, was released in June 2022.
James Gabriel Keogh was born on 1 December 1987. His father worked in the computer trade, while his mother was a high-school English teacher. His paternal grandparents immigrated to Australia from Ireland. He attended St. Patrick's Primary School, Murrumbeena, in Melbourne. He was school captain at and graduated from St Kevin's College, Toorak, in 2005, and later graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws.
Prior to his music career, Joy was a promising Australian rules football player. In 2008 and 2009, he played for the Coburg Football Club as a key defender in the Victorian Football League, winning best first year player award in 2008.
Joy explains his choice for a music career over a football one by saying that he "wasn't ever really in the mix ", being "good enough to go from local footy to the VFL. Out of three seasons, I had a handful of games. You always think you can do better, but I think I reached my potential as a football player." In another interview, he stated "for a period of time I was super focused on footy, I played a step below professional level. I had opportunities to play for a couple of teams but my heart wasn't completely in it. I guess I was just doing something in the meantime before writing my first songs."
On 21 January 2013, Joy released his debut single "From Afar". On 22 March 2013, he released his debut EP God Loves You When You're Dancing. The single "Riptide" became a success on Australian commercial radio, peaking at number 6 on the ARIA Singles Chart and being certified Nine times platinum by the Australian Record Industry Association . The song featured in a GoPro TV advertising campaign in the USA. "Riptide" was a worldwide commercial success, helping to launch Joy's career, and became the longest-charting song in ARIA Charts' history. The song is also certified 5× platinum in the United States.
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