Empire of the Sun (band)

Empire of the Sun
Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun performing at the Vivid Festival at Sydney Opera House in May 2013
Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun performing at the Vivid Festival at Sydney Opera House in May 2013
Background information
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Years active2007–present
Labels
Spinoff ofThe Sleepy Jackson, PNAU
Members
Websiteempireofthesun.co

Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic music duo formed in 2007.[6] The duo is a collaboration between Luke Steele, formerly of alternative rock band The Sleepy Jackson, and Nick Littlemore, of electronic dance band PNAU.[7][8]

Empire of the Sun's 2008 debut album, Walking on a Dream, brought the duo international success and has been certified double platinum in Australia and gold in the United Kingdom.[9][10] The album provided a number of internationally charting singles including the title track, which peaked at number ten on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and "We Are the People", which peaked at number fourteen on the UK Singles Chart.[11] The band's second album, Ice on the Dune, was released in June 2013,[12] while their third album Two Vines was released in October 2016.[13] A fourth album, Ask That God, was released in July 2024.[14]

The duo have won a number of Australian music awards, with Walking on a Dream receiving 11 nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009 and winning seven – including Album of the Year.[15][16] As a live band, they have performed internationally and are known for their flamboyant costumes and elaborate stage sets.[17][18]

  1. ^ Reed, Ryan (24 August 2016). "Hear Empire of the Sun's Exuberant Song 'High and Low'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  2. ^ Calligeros, Melissa (28 February 2010). "Between the raindrops, the festival raged on". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  3. ^ Wete, Brad; Ramirez, Erika; Lipshutz, Jason; Hampp, Andrew (1 September 2013). "Beyonce, Phoenix, 2 Chainz and More Kick Off Made In America Festival 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  4. ^ Babayan, Siran (13 August 2010). "Live Review: Empire of the Sun at the Music Box". LA Weekly. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  5. ^ Kaufman, Gil (19 August 2009). "Jay-Z Unveils Blueprint 3 Track Listing". MTV News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  6. ^ Burr, Mike (8 April 2009). "Empire of the Sun: Interview". Prefix Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
  7. ^ Nelson, Jenny (18 February 2009). "Empire of the Sun Interview". Clash.
  8. ^ "The Sleepy Jackson's Luke Steele Returns With New Band". NME. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  9. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  10. ^ "British certifications – Empire of the Sun". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 August 2024. Type Empire of the Sun in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference uk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Ice on the Dune - Empire of the Sun review". allmusic.com. All Media Network, llc. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Two Vines Pitchfork was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ask That God album release announcement was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference ARIA2013Noms was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference APRAMusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Digital Spy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference LATimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).