Luke Steele (singer)
Encyclopedia
Luke James Steele is the vocalist and primary songwriter
of the alternative rock
band The Sleepy Jackson
. Steele is also a member of the pop duo Empire of the Sun
.
The void created by Jesse Steele's departure was filled by Paul Keenan (who later drummed with Eskimo Joe
at their live performances). Along with numerous shows in their hometown of Perth, in late 2000 The Sleepy Jackson toured nationally with Jebediah
. In March 2001, on the eve of the band's signing with EMI
Records, the band toured with Magic Dirt
and Motor Ace
with Ronan Charles on keyboards joining Steele, O'Connor and Keenan. Five weeks into the tour, with the band broke, exhausted, and sleeping in caravan parks rather than enjoying the luxuries their touring partners were enjoying, O'Connor, Keenan and Charles quit, leaving Luke Steele to complete the tour solo.
Upon signing to EMI, pressure was soon placed on Steele to produce a recording. The result was the 2001 EP titled Caffeine in the Morning Sun, which Steele recorded in Sydney
with a collection of session musicians. In addition to playing solo, Steele recruited drummer Malcolm Clark into The Sleepy Jackson fold and, when some serious touring was required in support of the release, the services of Justin Burford (guitar) and Rodney Aravena (bass) were enlisted. In addition to The Sleepy Jackson, Steele's three colleagues were also playing around their hometown with Jonathon Dudman under the name End of Fashion
.
The Sleepy Jackson relocated to Sydney where they recorded another EP, Let Your Love Be Love, in late 2002. Songs from this EP and Caffeine in the Morning Sun were compiled together to form a self-titled mini-album for release in the UK market in February 2003. A period of extensive touring quickly followed, which saw the band playing in Australia, the United States, and Europe. The latter brought the band some very enthusiastic attention from UK music magazine NME
. In between live appearances, The Sleepy Jackson worked on recordings that were to become their debut album Lovers. During a series of UK appearances in 2003, Burford and Aravena left the band. With a support slot for Silverchair
's Diorama
tour looming back in Australia
, replacements were quickly sought. Clarke ironically called upon the only other End of Fashion
member not previously part of The Sleepy Jackson, Jonathon Dudman.
The Sleepy Jackson released their second full-length album Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird
in Australia on 1 July 2006, where it debuted at #10 on the ARIA
Albums Charts the following week. Later that July, the album was nominated for a J Award
by Australian radio station Triple J
. With Personalitys predecessor Lovers also receiving generous support from both critics and radio alike, the band supported the new album's worldwide release with a series of live appearances in select markets. Joining Steele and Clark were Dave Symes and Felix Bloxsom
, who both worked on the album, and Lee Jones who was formerly in the Perth band Spencer Tracy
. Bloxsom has since been replaced by Luke's brother Jake and Luke's wife Jodi, a.k.a. "Snappy Dolphin," which also brought a change from organic percussion instruments to computer samples backing the band.
In 2007, The Sleepy Jackson performed at the 2007 Big Day Out
, the Southbound festival
, the Falls Festival
and the St. Jerome's Laneway festivals in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Also in 2007, Luke provided slide guitar to the song "Waiting All Day" by Silverchair
on their fifth album Young Modern. Luke also appeared on the Pnau
single "With You Forever," leading Nick Littlemore
to state on Pnau's website "...working with Luke Steele... it was amazing, that inspired [me] to work on a separate project with him all together. It's another album we're doing." Steele and Littlemore subsequently formed the electroacoustic
pop outfit Empire of the Sun
in 2008.
The Sleepy Jackson are heading back into the studio to record their 3rd Album, due out in 2012.
met in 2000 after being introduced by Steele's A&R executive, Simon Moor, in a bar in Sydney
. Both were at the time signed to EMI
and had already been working on their own independent projects, however they instantly became friends and almost immediately decided to begin a collaborative music project together. Their first collaboration was "Tell the Girls That I'm Not Hangin' Out", which appeared on The Sleepy Jackson
's 2003 debut album, Lovers. The pair only decided to get serious about making an album in 2004 when Steele went to Littlemore's studio north of Sydney
and began writing material together.
As Steele was living in Perth
at the time and Littlemore was in Sydney
for the next few months the pair independently continued to write songs for the project and organised meetings in Sydney where they decided on the album's musical direction and style. Eventually the pair went into the studio with Peter Mayes to record the final material, all of which was entirely produced by themselves.
After several months of consulting on the material for the album, Littlemore and Steele went into the studio to record their debut album. Titled Walking on a Dream
, the album was released on 4 October 2008. Prior to its release six tracks were put up on the social networking site MySpace
for fans to see.
The album debuted at number eight on the ARIA charts
and eventually peaked at number six.
Their first single titled "Walking on a Dream
" was released digitally on 30 August 2008. The single received airtime from many Australian radio stations and has since reached #10 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
, breaking the record for the longest time taken for a single to reach the top 10. It has also been released as a free single on 21 April 2009. The second single released off the album, entitled "We Are the People
", peaked at number twenty-four on the ARIA Charts. In September 2009 this song was used in an American advertising campaign for Vizio
televisions. The third single, "Standing on the Shore
" was released on iTunes
on 12 June and for general release on 23 June. The video was filmed in Lancelin in April 2009. After an article released lately, it was announced that "Without You
" will be the 4th single for Empire of the Sun. The video was filmed in FOX Studios in Sydney, Australia and has gained positive responses due to its changed tempo and amazing emotion. The single was released in late September.
Critical response to the album has been mixed, generating a score of 60 on the review aggregator Metacritic
. Martin Robinson in his review for NME
described their debut as "silly but their songs demand to be taken seriously, just like Prince
, Ultravox
and Bowie
. And yes, they're like MGMT
– in that they're great." Under the Radar also rated it favourably describing it as "a highly visual experience".
However some critics were less satisfied with the pair's debut. Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian
rated it 3 out of 5 stars, applauding the duo's unpredictability, but wished "they would calm down a bit". Popmatters were also underwhelmed by the album, claiming "Unfortunately, despite the well developed '80s image, the music emulated is not anything worth reviving."
In 2011 Beyonce released her fourth #1 album "4" where Steele contributed as background vocalist.
, is the vocalist of Perth
indie rock
band Little Birdy
and Steele's brother Jake, who joined The Sleepy Jackson in 2008 playing computer samples, and now plays keyboards for another Perth band, Injured Ninja. Steele's other brother Jesse was an original member of The Sleepy Jackson.
In 2006 Steele became engaged to a magazine editor, Jodi (aka "Snappy Dolphin"), who also joined The Sleepy Jackson
for the band's 2008 national tour. In October 2008, the couple had their first child, a daughter named Sunny Tiger.
, Elliott Smith
, Paul McCartney
, Michael Dempsey
, John Lennon
, Robert Smith
, Brian Wilson
, Carole King
, James Taylor
, The Four Freshmen
, Kool And The Gang, Roger O'Donnell
and Cole Porter
.
which he formed with Ohad Rein (Old Man River), Edo Kahn and Dove Kahn (both from Gelbison
) during a Gelbison/Sleepy Jackson tour in 2003. They released an album, Holes in the Valley, on 7 June 2004 on EMI.
While in New York
in 2006, Steele contributed a track, "I'm Moving On," to Yoko Ono
's 2007 remix album, Yes, I'm a Witch
.
Pnau
feature Steele in their track "With You Forever", from their third album 'PNAU' released in October 2007.
Steele's father, Rick, is also a musician and father and son collaborated on an album released in February 2008, titled Through My Eyes.
In 2008, Steele and Pnau
's Nick Littlemore
collaborated on a side project, Empire of the Sun
, releasing the collobration's first single, "Walking on a Dream
" digitally on 30 August 2008. The album, Walking on a Dream
was released on 4 October 2008. Two further singles, "We are the People
" and "Standing on the Shore
" were released in September 2008 and June 2009. The B-side of the later, "The Art of Driving" features Steele's wife Jodi on vocals.
Steele also spent time in 2008 recording with Daniel Johns
of Silverchair
at Johns' home studio in Newcastle
. Although no plans have been made to release the recordings as yet, it has been revealed that the collaboration has been named 'Hathaway/Palmer'.
In August 2008, Steele embarked on his first national solo tour, performing (in an intimate acoustic guitar mode) songs from both The Sleepy Jackson albums Lovers and Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird
, as well as a selection of new songs from his current projects.
Steele is featured on the first track, "What We Talkin' About", of Jay-Z
's most recent album The Blueprint 3 released 8 September 2009.
In an interview with Sunday Times
Steele describes his plans for the future.
Steele co-wrote and co-produced the track "Rather Die Young" on American R&B
singer Beyoncé Knowles
' 2011 album 4
.
nominations were announced on 8 October 2009. Empire of the Sun received the most nominations of any artist, with a total of eleven. The winners were announced on 26 November 2009.
|-
| rowspan="11" | 2009 || rowspan="2" | Walking on a Dream || Album of the Year ||
|-
| Highest Selling Album ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | "Walking on a Dream" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Highest Selling Single ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Video (directed by Josh Logue) ||
|-
| "We Are the People" ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | Empire of the Sun || Best Group ||
|-
| Best Pop Release ||
|-
| Empire of the Sun and Donnie Sloan with Peter Mayes || Producer of the Year ||
|-
| Aaron Hayward & David Homer from Debaser || Best Cover Art ||
|-
| Peter Mayes || Engineer of the Year ||
ARIA AWARDS 2010
The Aria Awards 2010 nominations were announced on 28 September 2010. The winners are announced on November Sunday 7 November 2010.
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2010 || rowspan="1" | Half Mast || Best Pop Release ||
|-
| rowspan="1" | "Walking on a Dream" || Most Popular Australian Album (Fan Voted) ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | Accidents Happen Soundtrack - Luke Steele, Empire of the Sun and The Middle East || Best Original Soundtrack/cast/show album (Fine Arts Award) ||
are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association
(APRA).
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2010
|| "We Are the People" || Song of the Year ||
|-
| Luke Steele, Jonathon Sloan, Nick Littlemore – Empire of the Sun || Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year ||
|-
| "Walking on a Dream" || Dance Work of the Year ||
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
of the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele...
. Steele is also a member of the pop duo Empire of the Sun
Empire of the Sun (band)
Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic music duo that formed in 2008. The duo is composed of Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson and Nick Littlemore of Pnau. The two met in 2000 after both being signed to the same record label. Luke and Nick knew that they instantly had a chemistry like no other...
.
The Sleepy Jackson (1998 - Present)
The Sleepy Jackson formed in 1998 with the original lineup featuring Luke Steele (vocals and guitars), Jesse Steele (drums), and Matthew O'Connor (bass). This lineup recorded a self-titled debut EP and a subsequent single titled "Miniskirt." Both recordings were independently released. In 2000, as a result of non-musical commitments, Luke suggested that his brother should redirect his attentions and concentrate on other happenings in his life which ultimately resulted in Jesse following his advice and departing the band.The void created by Jesse Steele's departure was filled by Paul Keenan (who later drummed with Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band formed by Stuart MacLeod on guitars, Joel Quartermain on drums and guitar and Kavyen Temperley on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997....
at their live performances). Along with numerous shows in their hometown of Perth, in late 2000 The Sleepy Jackson toured nationally with Jebediah
Jebediah
Jebediah is an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Perth, Western Australia. The group consists of vocalist and guitarist Kevin Mitchell, guitarist Chris Daymond, bassist Vanessa Thornton, and Kevin's brother Brett Mitchell on drums...
. In March 2001, on the eve of the band's signing with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Records, the band toured with Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially known as Deer Bubbles and then The Jim Jims, they were renamed as Magic Dirt in...
and Motor Ace
Motor Ace
Motor Ace were an Australian alternative rock band. Formed in Melbourne around 1998 out of the remains of another band named Snowblind, their members were Patrick Robertson , Damian Birchall Costin , Matt Balfe , and Dave Ong .- Early history :Motor Ace's swaggering rock anthems have seen many...
with Ronan Charles on keyboards joining Steele, O'Connor and Keenan. Five weeks into the tour, with the band broke, exhausted, and sleeping in caravan parks rather than enjoying the luxuries their touring partners were enjoying, O'Connor, Keenan and Charles quit, leaving Luke Steele to complete the tour solo.
Upon signing to EMI, pressure was soon placed on Steele to produce a recording. The result was the 2001 EP titled Caffeine in the Morning Sun, which Steele recorded in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
with a collection of session musicians. In addition to playing solo, Steele recruited drummer Malcolm Clark into The Sleepy Jackson fold and, when some serious touring was required in support of the release, the services of Justin Burford (guitar) and Rodney Aravena (bass) were enlisted. In addition to The Sleepy Jackson, Steele's three colleagues were also playing around their hometown with Jonathon Dudman under the name End of Fashion
End of Fashion
End of Fashion are an Australian power pop band from Perth, Western Australia. The band consists of singer and guitarist Justin Burford, guitarist Rodney Aravena, bassist Simon Fasolo, and drummer Mike Hobbs. The group gained mainstream attention with their 2005 single "O Yeah", which reached...
.
The Sleepy Jackson relocated to Sydney where they recorded another EP, Let Your Love Be Love, in late 2002. Songs from this EP and Caffeine in the Morning Sun were compiled together to form a self-titled mini-album for release in the UK market in February 2003. A period of extensive touring quickly followed, which saw the band playing in Australia, the United States, and Europe. The latter brought the band some very enthusiastic attention from UK music magazine NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. In between live appearances, The Sleepy Jackson worked on recordings that were to become their debut album Lovers. During a series of UK appearances in 2003, Burford and Aravena left the band. With a support slot for Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
's Diorama
Diorama (album)
Diorama is the fourth studio album by Australian alternative rock band Silverchair. Released on 31 March 2002 by record label Eleven, the album was co-produced by Daniel Johns and David Bottrill...
tour looming back in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, replacements were quickly sought. Clarke ironically called upon the only other End of Fashion
End of Fashion
End of Fashion are an Australian power pop band from Perth, Western Australia. The band consists of singer and guitarist Justin Burford, guitarist Rodney Aravena, bassist Simon Fasolo, and drummer Mike Hobbs. The group gained mainstream attention with their 2005 single "O Yeah", which reached...
member not previously part of The Sleepy Jackson, Jonathon Dudman.
The Sleepy Jackson released their second full-length album Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird
Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird
Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird is the second album by Australian band The Sleepy Jackson, released in July 2006. The album was recorded at Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney, and was produced by Scott Horscroft and Luke Steele...
in Australia on 1 July 2006, where it debuted at #10 on the ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
Albums Charts the following week. Later that July, the album was nominated for a J Award
J Award
The J Award is an award given by influential Australian youth radio station Triple J to Australian Album of the Year. It is judged by a panel of members of the music industry, led by Richard Kingsmill...
by Australian radio station Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
. With Personalitys predecessor Lovers also receiving generous support from both critics and radio alike, the band supported the new album's worldwide release with a series of live appearances in select markets. Joining Steele and Clark were Dave Symes and Felix Bloxsom
Felix Bloxsom
Felix Bloxsom, was born in Sydney, Australia. He is a professional musician, best known for his drumming and percussion playing.Since completing Jazz studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2000, Felix has worked with a diverse group of artists across many styles and genres...
, who both worked on the album, and Lee Jones who was formerly in the Perth band Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy (band)
Spencer Tracy was an Australian rock band, whose founding members Lee Jones, brother Kim and Shaun Sibbes came from Collie, Western Australia.-History:...
. Bloxsom has since been replaced by Luke's brother Jake and Luke's wife Jodi, a.k.a. "Snappy Dolphin," which also brought a change from organic percussion instruments to computer samples backing the band.
In 2007, The Sleepy Jackson performed at the 2007 Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
, the Southbound festival
Southbound (festival)
Southbound is an arts, camping and music festival. A variety of Australian and international artists perform at this event. The festival occurs annually, early January, at the Sir Stewart Bovell Park in Busselton, Western Australia.-History:...
, the Falls Festival
Falls Festival
The Falls Festival is a New Year's Eve music festival, held annually in Lorne, Victoria and Marion Bay, Tasmania Australia since 1993.It lasts four days, from 29 December to 1 January each year. The headline acts play mostly over two evenings, 30 December and 31 December...
and the St. Jerome's Laneway festivals in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Also in 2007, Luke provided slide guitar to the song "Waiting All Day" by Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
on their fifth album Young Modern. Luke also appeared on the Pnau
Pnau
Pnau is an Australian dance music duo originating from Sydney, Australia. The duo consists of musicians Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes...
single "With You Forever," leading Nick Littlemore
Nick Littlemore
Nick Littlemore is an Australian musician and producer, known as frontman of electronic act Pnau and one part of electro pop-duo Empire of the Sun . He is also member of art-rock band Teenager Nick Littlemore is an Australian musician and producer, known as frontman of electronic act Pnau (with...
to state on Pnau's website "...working with Luke Steele... it was amazing, that inspired [me] to work on a separate project with him all together. It's another album we're doing." Steele and Littlemore subsequently formed the electroacoustic
Electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music originated in Western art music during its modern era following the incorporation of electric sound production into compositional practice. The initial developments in electroacoustic music composition during the mid-20th century are associated with the activities of composers...
pop outfit Empire of the Sun
Empire of the Sun (band)
Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic music duo that formed in 2008. The duo is composed of Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson and Nick Littlemore of Pnau. The two met in 2000 after both being signed to the same record label. Luke and Nick knew that they instantly had a chemistry like no other...
in 2008.
The Sleepy Jackson are heading back into the studio to record their 3rd Album, due out in 2012.
Empire of the Sun formation (2007 - present)
Luke Steele and Nick LittlemoreNick Littlemore
Nick Littlemore is an Australian musician and producer, known as frontman of electronic act Pnau and one part of electro pop-duo Empire of the Sun . He is also member of art-rock band Teenager Nick Littlemore is an Australian musician and producer, known as frontman of electronic act Pnau (with...
met in 2000 after being introduced by Steele's A&R executive, Simon Moor, in a bar in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Both were at the time signed to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and had already been working on their own independent projects, however they instantly became friends and almost immediately decided to begin a collaborative music project together. Their first collaboration was "Tell the Girls That I'm Not Hangin' Out", which appeared on The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele...
's 2003 debut album, Lovers. The pair only decided to get serious about making an album in 2004 when Steele went to Littlemore's studio north of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and began writing material together.
As Steele was living in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
at the time and Littlemore was in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
for the next few months the pair independently continued to write songs for the project and organised meetings in Sydney where they decided on the album's musical direction and style. Eventually the pair went into the studio with Peter Mayes to record the final material, all of which was entirely produced by themselves.
After several months of consulting on the material for the album, Littlemore and Steele went into the studio to record their debut album. Titled Walking on a Dream
Walking on a Dream
Walking on a Dream is the debut album by Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released in Australia on 4 October 2008 by EMI. The album was produced by band members Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore along with Peter Mayes....
, the album was released on 4 October 2008. Prior to its release six tracks were put up on the social networking site MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
for fans to see.
The album debuted at number eight on the ARIA charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
and eventually peaked at number six.
Their first single titled "Walking on a Dream
Walking on a Dream (song)
"Walking on a Dream" is a song by the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released as the lead single from their debut album, Walking on a Dream. The full Sam La More remix was made available as a free download on the band's official website. The single was successful on the Australian...
" was released digitally on 30 August 2008. The single received airtime from many Australian radio stations and has since reached #10 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, breaking the record for the longest time taken for a single to reach the top 10. It has also been released as a free single on 21 April 2009. The second single released off the album, entitled "We Are the People
We Are the People (Empire of the Sun song)
"We Are the People" is a song by the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released as the second single from their debut album, Walking on a Dream. It was released in Australia on 20 September 2008 and debuted at number eighty-five on the ARIA Singles Chart before peaking at number...
", peaked at number twenty-four on the ARIA Charts. In September 2009 this song was used in an American advertising campaign for Vizio
Vizio
Vizio is a privately held producer of consumer electronics, based in Irvine, California, USA. It was founded in October 2002 as V Inc. Vizio's major partner in the consumer electronics arena is AmTran Technology, a Taiwan-based OEM/ODM that manufactures more than half of the televisions sold...
televisions. The third single, "Standing on the Shore
Standing on the Shore
"Standing on the Shore" is an alternative electroacoustic song performed by the Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun and will be the third single from their debut album Walking on a Dream. The single was released in June 2009, along with a cover of the Black Box Recorder song "The Art...
" was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on 12 June and for general release on 23 June. The video was filmed in Lancelin in April 2009. After an article released lately, it was announced that "Without You
Without You (Empire of the Sun song)
"Without You" is the fourth single released by Australian electropop duo Empire of the Sun from their debut album Walking on a Dream. The single was digitally released on the Australian iTunes Store on 25 September 2009. The CD single was released in late September...
" will be the 4th single for Empire of the Sun. The video was filmed in FOX Studios in Sydney, Australia and has gained positive responses due to its changed tempo and amazing emotion. The single was released in late September.
Critical response to the album has been mixed, generating a score of 60 on the review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Martin Robinson in his review for NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
described their debut as "silly but their songs demand to be taken seriously, just like Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
and Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. And yes, they're like MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
– in that they're great." Under the Radar also rated it favourably describing it as "a highly visual experience".
However some critics were less satisfied with the pair's debut. Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
rated it 3 out of 5 stars, applauding the duo's unpredictability, but wished "they would calm down a bit". Popmatters were also underwhelmed by the album, claiming "Unfortunately, despite the well developed '80s image, the music emulated is not anything worth reviving."
In 2011 Beyonce released her fourth #1 album "4" where Steele contributed as background vocalist.
Family
Steele is a member of a musical family. Steele's father, Rick, is a blues guitarist and harmonica player, Steele's sister, KatyKaty Steele
Katy Steele is the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of four piece rock band Little Birdy.-Biography:Katy Steele was born Kate Elizabeth Steele in Perth, Western Australia on 9 September 1983, and has a fraternal twin brother, Jake. She and her brother are the youngest in the family...
, is the vocalist of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Little Birdy
Little Birdy
Little Birdy are an Australian indie rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue...
and Steele's brother Jake, who joined The Sleepy Jackson in 2008 playing computer samples, and now plays keyboards for another Perth band, Injured Ninja. Steele's other brother Jesse was an original member of The Sleepy Jackson.
In 2006 Steele became engaged to a magazine editor, Jodi (aka "Snappy Dolphin"), who also joined The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele...
for the band's 2008 national tour. In October 2008, the couple had their first child, a daughter named Sunny Tiger.
Influences
Steele cites his musical influences as including The CureThe Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Michael Dempsey
Michael Dempsey
Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and New Wave bands including The Cure and Associates.-Early years:...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
, Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, The Four Freshmen
The Four Freshmen
The Four Freshmen is a multiple Grammy-nominated American male vocal band quartet that blends open-harmony jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires , The Pied Pipers , and The Mel-Tones , founded in the barbershop tradition...
, Kool And The Gang, Roger O'Donnell
Roger O'Donnell
Roger O'Donnell is an English keyboardist best known for his work with The Cure. O'Donnell has also performed in the Psychedelic Furs, the Thompson Twins and Berlin, as well as having an active solo career.- Background :...
and Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
.
Collaborations
Luke has collaborated in a number of projects and with other bands. The first notable collaboration was the band Nations by the RiverNations by the River
Nations by the River was a side project by Luke Steele Ohad Rein and the Kahn Brothers that occurred in 2003 to 2004...
which he formed with Ohad Rein (Old Man River), Edo Kahn and Dove Kahn (both from Gelbison
Gelbison
Gelbison is an Australian pop rock band based in Sydney, and featuring the Kahn brothers Edo and Nadav - who also perform in Nations by the river.-History:The band's first album, 1704, was produced By Ian Ball of the British band Gomez....
) during a Gelbison/Sleepy Jackson tour in 2003. They released an album, Holes in the Valley, on 7 June 2004 on EMI.
While in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 2006, Steele contributed a track, "I'm Moving On," to Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
's 2007 remix album, Yes, I'm a Witch
Yes, I'm a Witch
-Track listing:All songs were written by Yoko Ono.#Hank Shocklee – "Witch Shocktronica Intro"#Peaches – "Kiss Kiss Kiss"#Shitake Monkey – "O'Oh"#Blow Up – "Everyman Everywoman"#Le Tigre – "Sisters O Sisters"#Porcupine Tree – "Death of Samantha"...
.
Pnau
Pnau
Pnau is an Australian dance music duo originating from Sydney, Australia. The duo consists of musicians Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes...
feature Steele in their track "With You Forever", from their third album 'PNAU' released in October 2007.
Steele's father, Rick, is also a musician and father and son collaborated on an album released in February 2008, titled Through My Eyes.
In 2008, Steele and Pnau
Pnau
Pnau is an Australian dance music duo originating from Sydney, Australia. The duo consists of musicians Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes...
's Nick Littlemore
Nick Littlemore
Nick Littlemore is an Australian musician and producer, known as frontman of electronic act Pnau and one part of electro pop-duo Empire of the Sun . He is also member of art-rock band Teenager Nick Littlemore is an Australian musician and producer, known as frontman of electronic act Pnau (with...
collaborated on a side project, Empire of the Sun
Empire of the Sun (band)
Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic music duo that formed in 2008. The duo is composed of Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson and Nick Littlemore of Pnau. The two met in 2000 after both being signed to the same record label. Luke and Nick knew that they instantly had a chemistry like no other...
, releasing the collobration's first single, "Walking on a Dream
Walking on a Dream (song)
"Walking on a Dream" is a song by the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released as the lead single from their debut album, Walking on a Dream. The full Sam La More remix was made available as a free download on the band's official website. The single was successful on the Australian...
" digitally on 30 August 2008. The album, Walking on a Dream
Walking on a Dream
Walking on a Dream is the debut album by Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released in Australia on 4 October 2008 by EMI. The album was produced by band members Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore along with Peter Mayes....
was released on 4 October 2008. Two further singles, "We are the People
We Are the People (Empire of the Sun song)
"We Are the People" is a song by the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released as the second single from their debut album, Walking on a Dream. It was released in Australia on 20 September 2008 and debuted at number eighty-five on the ARIA Singles Chart before peaking at number...
" and "Standing on the Shore
Standing on the Shore
"Standing on the Shore" is an alternative electroacoustic song performed by the Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun and will be the third single from their debut album Walking on a Dream. The single was released in June 2009, along with a cover of the Black Box Recorder song "The Art...
" were released in September 2008 and June 2009. The B-side of the later, "The Art of Driving" features Steele's wife Jodi on vocals.
Steele also spent time in 2008 recording with Daniel Johns
Daniel Johns
Daniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, vocalist, composer, guitarist, and pianist, best known as the frontman of the rock band Silverchair. He is also part of The Dissociatives...
of Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
at Johns' home studio in Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
. Although no plans have been made to release the recordings as yet, it has been revealed that the collaboration has been named 'Hathaway/Palmer'.
In August 2008, Steele embarked on his first national solo tour, performing (in an intimate acoustic guitar mode) songs from both The Sleepy Jackson albums Lovers and Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird
Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird
Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird is the second album by Australian band The Sleepy Jackson, released in July 2006. The album was recorded at Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney, and was produced by Scott Horscroft and Luke Steele...
, as well as a selection of new songs from his current projects.
Steele is featured on the first track, "What We Talkin' About", of Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's most recent album The Blueprint 3 released 8 September 2009.
In an interview with Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (Western Australia)
The Sunday Times, owned by News Limited, is a tabloid Sunday newspaper printed in Perth and distributed throughout Western Australia.-History:...
Steele describes his plans for the future.
Steele co-wrote and co-produced the track "Rather Die Young" on American R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
' 2011 album 4
4 (Beyoncé Knowles album)
4 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released through Columbia Records on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked in full. The twelve-song set marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager,...
.
Albums
- Lovers - 30 June 2003 - #21 Australia, #69 UK, #117 France
- Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a BirdPersonality - One Was A Spider, One Was A BirdPersonality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird is the second album by Australian band The Sleepy Jackson, released in July 2006. The album was recorded at Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney, and was produced by Scott Horscroft and Luke Steele...
- 1 July 2006 - #10 Australia, #42 Sweden
Singles
- From Lovers:
- "Vampire RacecourseVampire Racecourse"Vampire Racecourse" is a song by The Sleepy Jackson released as the first single from their debut album Lovers. The song peaked at #71 in Australia and #50 in the UK.-Australian CD:# "Vampire Racecourse"# "Hell Is Here"# "Revolution"# "Holly"...
" (7 July 2003) - #71 Australia, #50 UK - "Good Dancers" (13 October 2003 - UK; 24 November 2003 - Australia) - #71 UK
- "Come to This" (23 February 2004)
- "This Day"/"Come to This" (22 March 2004 - Australia)
- "Vampire Racecourse
- From Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird:
- "God Lead Your SoulGod Lead Your Soul"God Lead Your Soul" was the first single from The Sleepy Jackson's second album Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird. It was released in Australia on 29 May 2006, and was the highest-ranked new entry on the ARIA singles chart at number 25...
" (29 May 2006 - Australia; 17 July 2006 - UK) - #25 Australia, #69 UK - "Devil Was in My YardDevil Was in My Yard"Devil Was in My Yard" was the second and final single to be released from The Sleepy Jackson's second album Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird. The single was released on 25 September 2006 in Australia only...
" (25 September 2006 - Australia) - "I Understand What You Want but I Just Don't Agree" (16 October 2006 - UK)
- "God Lead Your Soul
EPs
- The Sleepy Jackson EP (a.k.a. Glasshouses) (PMR 206C) (2000)
- Miniskirt (2000)
- Caffeine in the Morning Sun (12 November 2001)
- Let Your Love Be Love (4 November 2002)
- The Sleepy Jackson (self-titled EP; also released on double 10" vinyl as "Heart") (24 February 2003)
Singles
- Walking on a DreamWalking on a Dream (song)"Walking on a Dream" is a song by the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released as the lead single from their debut album, Walking on a Dream. The full Sam La More remix was made available as a free download on the band's official website. The single was successful on the Australian...
(2008) #10 Australia, #64 UK - We Are the PeopleWe Are the People (Empire of the Sun song)"We Are the People" is a song by the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released as the second single from their debut album, Walking on a Dream. It was released in Australia on 20 September 2008 and debuted at number eighty-five on the ARIA Singles Chart before peaking at number...
(2008) #14 UK, #1 GER - Standing on the ShoreStanding on the Shore"Standing on the Shore" is an alternative electroacoustic song performed by the Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun and will be the third single from their debut album Walking on a Dream. The single was released in June 2009, along with a cover of the Black Box Recorder song "The Art...
(2009) - Without YouWithout You (Empire of the Sun song)"Without You" is the fourth single released by Australian electropop duo Empire of the Sun from their debut album Walking on a Dream. The single was digitally released on the Australian iTunes Store on 25 September 2009. The CD single was released in late September...
(2009) - Half Mast (Slight Return)Half Mast (Slight Return)"Half Mast " is a 2010 single release by Australian electro-pop/electronica band Empire of the Sun, released as a digital download available through the iTunes Store in Australia only. The song was taken as the fifth single from their debut album Walking on a Dream...
(2010)
Empire of the Sun
The ARIA Music Awards of 2009ARIA Music Awards of 2009
The 23rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards took place on 26 November 2009 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. The ceremony was telecast on the Nine Network at 8:30pm that night...
nominations were announced on 8 October 2009. Empire of the Sun received the most nominations of any artist, with a total of eleven. The winners were announced on 26 November 2009.
|-
| rowspan="11" | 2009 || rowspan="2" | Walking on a Dream || Album of the Year ||
|-
| Highest Selling Album ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | "Walking on a Dream" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Highest Selling Single ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Video (directed by Josh Logue) ||
|-
| "We Are the People" ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | Empire of the Sun || Best Group ||
|-
| Best Pop Release ||
|-
| Empire of the Sun and Donnie Sloan with Peter Mayes || Producer of the Year ||
|-
| Aaron Hayward & David Homer from Debaser || Best Cover Art ||
|-
| Peter Mayes || Engineer of the Year ||
ARIA AWARDS 2010
The Aria Awards 2010 nominations were announced on 28 September 2010. The winners are announced on November Sunday 7 November 2010.
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2010 || rowspan="1" | Half Mast || Best Pop Release ||
|-
| rowspan="1" | "Walking on a Dream" || Most Popular Australian Album (Fan Voted) ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | Accidents Happen Soundtrack - Luke Steele, Empire of the Sun and The Middle East || Best Original Soundtrack/cast/show album (Fine Arts Award) ||
APRA Awards
The APRA AwardsAPRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA).
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2010
APRA Awards of 2010
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2010 are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards...
|| "We Are the People" || Song of the Year ||
|-
| Luke Steele, Jonathon Sloan, Nick Littlemore – Empire of the Sun || Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year ||
|-
| "Walking on a Dream" || Dance Work of the Year ||
The Sleepy Jackson
- 2003 ARIA Awards Album of the Year – Lovers
- 2003 ARIA Awards Best New Artist - single - "Vampire Racecourse"
- 2003 ARIA Awards Best New Artist - album - Lovers
- 2003 ARIA Awards Best Rock Album - Lovers
- 2003 WAMIWest Australian Music Industry AwardsThe Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc...
Awards - Most Popular Local Original Single or EP - Let Your Love Be Love - 2003 ARIA Awards Producer of the Year - Jonathan Burnside for Lovers
- 2006 ARIA Awards Album of the Year - Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a BirdPersonality - One Was A Spider, One Was A BirdPersonality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird is the second album by Australian band The Sleepy Jackson, released in July 2006. The album was recorded at Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney, and was produced by Scott Horscroft and Luke Steele...
- 2006 ARIA Awards Best Cover Art - Luke Steele and James Bellesini at "Love Police" for Personality
- 2006 J AwardJ AwardThe J Award is an award given by influential Australian youth radio station Triple J to Australian Album of the Year. It is judged by a panel of members of the music industry, led by Richard Kingsmill...
- Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird