Gotye

Gotye

Background information
Birth name Wouter Andre De Backer [1]
Born (1980-05-21) 21 May 1980
Bruges, Belgium
Origin Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres Indie rock, alternative rock, indie pop, trip hop[2]
Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, keyboards, synthesizer
Years active 2001–present
Labels Fairfax, Universal Republic, Independent, Samples 'n' Seconds, Inertia, Lucky Number, Eleven, Creative Vibes
Associated acts The Basics, Kimbra, Spender
Website gotye.com

Wouter Andre "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known as Gotye (pronounced /ˈɡoʊti.eɪ/ GO-tee-ay), is a Belgian-Australian[3] multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognate of Gotye's given Dutch name "Wouter" (English "Walter", hence the nickname "Wally").

Gotye has released three studio albums independently and one album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums. He is a founding member of the Melbourne indie-pop trio The Basics, who have independently released four studio albums and numerous other titles since 2002. His voice has been compared to those of Peter Gabriel and Sting.[4][5][6] Gotye's 2011 single "Somebody That I Used to Know" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the fifth Australian-based artist to do so and the second Belgian (after The Singing Nun in 1963).[7] He has won five ARIA Awards and received a nomination for an MTV EMA for Best Asia and Pacific Act. On 10 February 2013, he won three Grammy Awards at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards Show: Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Somebody That I Used to Know" and Best Alternative Music Album for Making Mirrors. Gotye has said he sometimes feels "less of a musician, more of a tinkerer."[8]

Early life

Born in Bruges, Belgium, in 1980, two years later De Backer emigrated to Australia with his family.[9] They first resided in Sydney before settling in Montmorency, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.[10] His parents chose to use the English equivalent of his name, Walter, when enrolling him in school.

As a youth, De Backer displayed a passion for music, learning various instruments, most notably piano and drums. In his teens, De Backer formed the band Downstares[11] with three of his high school friends, including Lucas Taranto (who still plays in his Gotye live shows).[12] After high school, the members of Downstares went their separate ways, leaving De Backer with no musical outlet.

In 2001, his parents moved into a new home, leaving their old family house in Montmorency,[13] so he could continue his studies at the University of Melbourne where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.[14] Two friends moved in with him and the house became affectionately known as The Frat House,[15] where friends would regularly drop by and hang out. The first seeds of Gotye were planted when De Backer was given a large collection of old records. An elderly neighbour, having heard Downstares rehearsing over the years, gave his then-recently deceased wife's LP record collection to De Backer.[16]

Career

2001–2004: Boardface

In 2001, De Backer recorded his first tracks primarily using samples. He put together a four-track CD which included the song "Out Here in the Cold".[17] He made approximately 50 copies of this first collection, handwriting the track list and colouring in the cover sleeve in pencil. He drew on his cultural history for inspiration when naming his new project; Wouter translates into French as Gaultier (or Gautier or Gauthier), a pet name used by his mother (who gave French classes) when he was a child. He chose his own spelling of this variation and named the project Gotye. He sent the CDs out to every radio station and recording industry contact he could find in the phonebook, then followed each up with phone calls to ensure they were delivered. Feedback on the first release was mainly positive with Melbourne street press and Australian alternative, youth orientated radio station Triple J taking notice,[18] giving him confidence to continue with further sample-based recordings.

Around this time, Gotye met fellow singer-songwriter Kris Schroeder at a party in Mt Eliza, and the two began performing together under the name The Basics. They formed an enduring songwriting and performing partnership and became regulars on the live music scene, giving De Backer an outlet for his passion for live performance. The Basics have continued to tour and record alongside Gotye, releasing four albums between 2004 and 2010.

De Backer went on to produce two more four-track Gotye collections which were met with positive reviews, with several tracks getting onto the rotation at youth radio station Triple J. The CDs were made in the same style as the first, with De Backer hand crafting each one and tenaciously chasing up every opportunity to get an audience for his work. Interest in the Gotye project was growing, and De Backer was eventually offered a distribution deal by the label company Creative Vibes for an album, which would essentially be a collection of the tracks from his three earlier releases. The album art is a painting of De Backer's father that was salvaged from his home garden where it was discarded. His album was released as Boardface in late 2003.

2006–2009: Like Drawing Blood

In 2004, De Backer's parents opted to sell The Frat House and De Backer moved into a shared house in the South East of Melbourne. He took up work at a local library, while continuing to perform with The Basics and record his own Gotye tracks. Over the next few years, De Backer moved several times, each time shifting his home recording studio to a new location with new acoustic qualities. The culmination of this was the second Gotye album, Like Drawing Blood—named in reference to the difficulties De Backer experienced in recording his music in ever-changing environments.[19] The album marked the beginning of his working relationship with long term manager Danny Rogers – manager of Australian indie band The Temper Trap – whom he had first approached via email.[20]

Like Drawing Blood was featured by Triple J in May 2006[21] and was voted No. 1 in the listener poll of the Best Album of 2006.[22] The album was also nominated for a J Award that year.[23] Two tracks from that album, "Learnalilgivinanlovin" and "Hearts a Mess", were ranked No. 94 and No. 8 respectively in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006.[24] Like Drawing Blood has been certified Platinum in Australia for sales of over 70,000 copies. His first single, "Learnalilgivinanlovin", was released in August 2006.

In September 2006, Gotye was nominated for an ARIA Award for best independent release for the album Like Drawing Blood.[25] Also in 2006 Gotye won 'Most Outstanding New Independent Artist' at the inaugural Australian Independent Record (AIR) Chart Awards[26] and Like Drawing Blood was amongst nine shortlisted finalists in the 2006 Australian Music Prize.[27]

In 2007, De Backer won the ARIA for best male artist. As a result of the publicity of the nomination, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA albums chart at No. 36, surpassing the previous peak of No. 39. Also, Mixed Blood debuted on the ARIA albums chart at No. 44. Both of these entries came the first week after the ARIA Awards. In 2008, Like Drawing Blood won iTunes album of the year in the UK.[28]

In 2009, "Hearts a Mess" came in at No. 77 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time, voted by the Australian public.[29] Gotye's first European success came in 2008, when "Learnalilgivinanlovin" and "Hearts a Mess" charted in Belgium, followed in 2009 by the single "Coming back".[30] "Learnalilgivinanlovin" also received air play on Dutch radio stations. In 2011, Like Drawing Blood came in at No. 11 in Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time.[31] Amidst the lead-up to Gotye's third album, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA charts in mid-2011, peaking at its highest ever position of 13.

Like Drawing Blood was officially released in the U.S. in 2012.

2010–present: Making Mirrors and international success

After the success of Like Drawing Blood, De Backer was able to establish a permanent home, still in Melbourne's south east. In 2010, he set up a recording studio in a barn at his parents' farm and set about recording tracks for his third album. He released a new single, "Eyes Wide Open", online and on 10" vinyl in mid-October 2010. The "Eyes Wide Open" single received generally positive reviews and reached Number 25 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010.[32] "Eyes Wide Open" was also shortlisted for the 2011 APRA Music Awards in the Song of the Year category.[33]

In late March 2011, De Backer revealed the next album's title to be Making Mirrors. The title was inspired by an artwork his father painted in the 1980s, discovered by De Backer among old bills and newspapers in his parents' barn; it was later edited in Photoshop to become the album artwork. "The mirror reflects on artwork and it is all very related to self-reflection and introspection on the album."[34] De Backer also revealed that the album would see a release in June or July 2011, with a single to precede the release.[34] De Backer also stated that the album would be similar to its predecessor in terms of diversity.[34]

On 19 May 2011, it was announced that the album would be released on 19 August, with its launch the following day at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival which would feature animators and a 10-piece orchestra as part of Gotye's performance.[35] De Backer also released a follow-up single to "Eyes Wide Open" titled "Somebody That I Used to Know" featuring New Zealand musician Kimbra, which was released on 6 July 2011[35] and debuted at Number 27 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart.[36] The single quickly moved up the ARIA singles chart despite a lack of airplay on commercial radio stations. The song was further boosted by endorsements from Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen via Twitter,[37] exposing Gotye's music to their millions of followers.[38][39] The single has gone on to reach 11× Platinum status (700,000 units sold) in Australia and 8× Platinum status (8,000,000 units sold) in the US. It has peaked at Number 1 in 18 countries including the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, the Belgian Singles Chart, the Dutch Megacharts, the German Media Control Chart, the Official UK Top 40 and the US Billboard Hot 100. "Somebody That I Used To Know" has been the Number 1 single on iTunes in 46 countries.

Gotye in Montreal on 30 March 2012

On 5 July 2011, Gotye released a film clip for the song "Somebody That I Used to Know" on YouTube and Vimeo. Directed by Natasha Pincus, the video has now been viewed over 675 million times (as of September 2015). On 6 October 2011 the video was awarded the Melbourne Design Award. The video is the Number 15 most viewed video of all-time on YouTube and the Number 4 most liked video of all-time.

On 15 July 2011, it was announced that "Somebody That I Used to Know" had come in third in the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition.[40] On 8 August 2011, Gotye released a film clip for the song "Bronte" on YouTube and Vimeo. The visuals were animated and directed by Ari Gibson at Mechanical Apple. Also on this date, Gotye released a video title "Making Making Mirrors", which is a short documentary about the recording process of "Making Mirrors". The video was directed by James Bryans and Wally De Backer. On 13 August 2011, Gotye released a film clip for the song "State of the Art" on YouTube and Vimeo. The visuals were animated and directed by Greg Sharp & Ivan Dixon at Rubber House.

In its first week of release, Making Mirrors was already at Number 1 on the Australian ARIA albums chart, making Gotye the first Australian act to simultaneously hold both the Number 1 single and album since Silverchair in 2007. The album became an international success, charting in the Top 10 in 17 countries and reaching Number 1 in six. It charted on the U.S. Billboard 200 (Number 7) and in Canada. The album is 3x Platinum status in Australia, Platinum in France, Poland and Belgium, and Gold in the US, New Zealand, Germany, UK, Ireland, Canada and Netherlands.

On 11 October 2011, it was announced that Gotye had been nominated for seven ARIA Awards.[41] Due to the release date restrictions of the eligibility period, Making Mirrors could not be nominated, and the seven nominations all related to "Somebody That I Used to Know". Gotye was nominated for Highest Selling Single, Single of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Male Artist and three awards in the ARIA Artisan category: Best Video (Natasha Pincus), Engineer of the Year (Francois Tetaz) and Producer of the Year (Wouter De Backer). On the same day the nominations were revealed, the winners of the Artisan categories were announced, with Gotye and the album personnel winning all three. On 27 November 2011, Gotye won three ARIA Awards: Best Male Artist, Best Pop Release and Single of the Year for "Somebody That I Used to Know". Kimbra, who collaborated with Gotye on the song, also won the ARIA award for Best Female Artist.[42]

On 18 October 2011, Gotye released a film clip for the song "Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You" on YouTube and Vimeo. The visuals were animated and directed by Benjamin Drake and Eddie White. On 20 November 2011, Gotye released a film clip for the song "Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You" on YouTube and Vimeo. The visuals were animated and directed by Greg Sharp and Ivan Dixon at Rubber House.

Gotye in front of Fractured Heart 2013

On 1 February 2012, Gotye made his American television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, performing "Eyes Wide Open", "Somebody That I Used to Know" with Kimbra and "State of The Art".[43][44] On 12 February 2012, "Somebody That I Used to Know" reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart. The next week it fell from the top spot but on 26 February it reached the top spot for a second time, where it remained for a total of five weeks.[45] On 24 February 2012, Gotye released a film clip for the song "Easy Way Out" on YouTube and Vimeo.[46] The visuals were animated and directed by Darcy Prendergast and Oh Yeah Wow.

Gotye performed "Somebody That I Used to Know" on Saturday Night Live on 14 April 2012 along with "Eyes Wide Open". These collective performances helped the single to reach Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending 28 April 2012, giving Gotye his first U.S. Number 1 single; the first Australian artist to reach Number 1 in the U.S. since Savage Garden in 2000.[47] In April 2012, "Somebody That I Used to Know" broke a 47-year-old record in the Netherlands by becoming the most successful song in the history of the Dutch charts.[48] Gotye was interviewed on 7 April 2012 broadcast of National Public Radio's All Things Considered.[49]

The magazine American Songwriter named Gotye their Writer of The Week for the week of 6 February 2012.[50] On 31 May 2012, Gotye announced that he would release a digital compilation of the 10 official remixes of "Somebody That I Used To Know" on 8 June.[51]

Gotye announced a world tour in May 2012 where he'll take in many new parts of the world. The tour begins August 2012 in Korea before winding through Japan, North America, Europe, the Middle East and finishing in Australia in December 2012.

On 15 February 2013, Fractured Heart, an interactive sound and light sculpture designed and built by illuminart[52] in collaboration with Gotye, was launched at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) headquarters in Canberra, Australia.[53] Gotye also curated and presented a special screening of works by some of his favourite animators, including those who have worked with him on the music videos for "Hearts a Mess", "Easy Way Out" and "State of the Art".

Influence

The Australian newspaper identified Gotye in its "top 50 most influential Australians in the arts" list; the selection was largely based upon the success of the "Somebody That I Used to Know" song[54] and the publication described the composition as "one of the most successful songs in Australian music history".[55]

Discography

Main article: Gotye discography

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Nominated work Category Result
2006 ARIA Music Awards[56] Like Drawing Blood Best Independent Release Nominated
2007 ARIA Music Awards[56] Mixed Blood Album of the Year Nominated
Best Male Artist Won
Best Dance Release Nominated
Best Independent Release Nominated
Best Cover Art Nominated
"Heart's a Mess" Best Video Nominated
2011 ARIA Music Awards[57] "Somebody That I Used to Know" Single of the Year Won
Highest Selling Single Nominated
Best Pop Release Won
Best Video (Natasha Pincus) Won
Engineer of the Year (François Tétaz) Won
Producer of the Year (Himself) Won
Himself Best Male Artist Won
MTV Europe Music Awards Himself Best Asia and Pacific Act Nominated
2012 Los Premios 40 Principales "Somebody That I Used to Know" Mejor Canción Internacional en Lengua No Española Nominated
Himself Mejor Artista Revelación 2012 Nominated
APRA Music Awards "Somebody That I Used to Know" Song of the Year Won
Most-played Australian work Won
Himself Songwriter of the Year Won
Teen Choice Awards Himself Choice Breakout Artist Nominated
"Somebody That I Used to Know" Choice Rock Song Nominated
Choice Break-Up Song Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Himself Best Australia & New Zealand Act Won
Best Asia and Pacific Act Nominated
Best Push Act Nominated
"Somebody That I Used to Know" Best Song Nominated
American Music Awards Himself Favorite Alternative Rock Artist Nominated
Best New Artist of the Year Nominated
ARIA Music Awards[58] Making Mirrors Album of the Year Won
Best Pop Release Won
Best Cover Artist (Frank de Backer, Himself) Won
Engineer of the Year (François Tétaz) Won
Best Male Artist (Himself) Won
Himself Best Australian Live Act Won
2013 APRA Music Awards "Somebody That I Used to Know" Most Played Australian Work Overseas[59] Won
People's Choice Awards Himself Favorite Breakout Artist Nominated
Grammy Awards "Somebody That I Used to Know" (feat. Kimbra)[60] Record of the Year Won
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Won
Making Mirrors Best Alternative Music Album Won

References

  1. ↑ http://www.metrolyrics.com/smoke-and-mirrors-lyrics-gotye.html
  2. ↑ Ankeny, Jason (1980-05-21). "Gotye - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  3. ↑ Presenter: Siska Schoeters (21 October 2011). "Goed nieuws van Gotye". Zet 'm op Siska. Studio Brussel. Ik stel ik, ja, een Belg-Australiër (I am, yes, a Belgian-Australian).
  4. ↑ Pareles, Jon (22 October 2011). "Gotye Fans Turn Out to Sing Along". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Fuentes, Catherine (30 January 2012). "Song Premiere: Gotye's Eighties-Inspired 'Somebody That I Used To Know'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  6. ↑ Thompson, Stephen (22 January 2012). "First Listen: Gotye, 'Making Mirrors'". NPR. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Hot 100 Songs & New Music: 1 – 10 Songs | Billboard Music Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Gotye: 'Less Of A Musician, More Of A Tinkerer'". Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  9. ↑ Mathieson, Craig (30 September 2011). "Man in the mirror". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  10. ↑ Dye, David (18 April 2012). Gotye Interview. Conversations from the World Cafe. (Interview) (WXPN-FM / The Trustees of The University of Pennsylvania).
  11. ↑ "Biography – Gotye". iTunes. Apple Pty Ltd. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  12. ↑ "Interview". Beat. January 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "Interview". 60Sox. August 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  14. ↑ University of Melbourne Alumni enews
  15. ↑ "Early Gotye bio listed on ManiaC music blog". Blogger. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  16. ↑ Geoghegan, Kev (19 August 2008). "Interview". BBC One News Beat (bbc.co.uk). Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  17. ↑ "'Out Here in the Cold' film clip". YouTube.com. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  18. ↑ "Triple J's 'Home and Hosed' – playlist, 1/3/2004". ABC Online. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  19. ↑ "Amazon listing for 'Like Drawing Blood'". Amazon.com. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  20. ↑ "Interview With Danny Rogers". HitQuarters. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  21. ↑ "Triple J Feature Album – 'Like Drawing Blood'". Abc.net.au. 19 May 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  22. ↑ "Triple J 2006 Best Album audience poll". ABC.net.au. Archived from the original on 4 March 2007.
  23. ↑ "J Award Nomination". ABC.net.au. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  24. ↑ "Triple J Hottest 100 – 2006". Triplej.abc.net.au. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  25. ↑ Soap. "2006 Aria Nominees". Ariaawards.com.au. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  26. ↑ "2006 AIR Chart Awards". Air.org.au. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  27. ↑ "AMP 2006 Nominees". Australianmusicprize.com.au. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  28. ↑ "Lucky Number Music". Lucky Number Music. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  29. ↑ "Hottest 100 of All Time 71–80". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  30. ↑ "Discography Gotye". ultratop.be/nl/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  31. ↑ "Triple J Hottest 100 Albums of All Time". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  32. ↑ "Gotye's Mirrored Vision". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  33. ↑ "APRA reveals song of the year contenders, award details". The Music Network. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  34. 1 2 3 "Gotye's Mirrored Vision". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  35. 1 2 Gotye Debuts New Album at the Opera House, undercover.fm
  36. ↑ themusicnetwork.com
  37. ↑ "Twitter / MrsLRCooper : Love this video...". Twitter. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  38. ↑ Jolly, Nathan (21 July 2011). "Ashton Kutcher gets behind Gotye". The Music Network. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  39. ↑ Jolly, Nathan (25 July 2011). "Lily Allen joins Gotye praise chorus". The Music Network. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  40. ↑ "2011 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition – Winners Announcement". APRA-AMCOS. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  41. ↑ "Announcement of 2011 ARIA Awards nominees". ariaawards.com.au. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  42. ↑ "Aria Awards / 2011 Album of the Year". 27 November 2011.
  43. ↑ Bonney, Mary (3 February 2012). "Show Review: Gotye @ Jimmy Kimmel Live!". LA Music Blog. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  44. ↑ Vitcavage, Adam (2 February 2012). "Watch Gotye Make His U.S. Television Debut". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  45. ↑ "Gotye Returns to Top of UK Charts", Yahoo! News (Australia)
  46. ↑ "Watch: Gotye's new video 'Easy Way Out' | music news | triple j". Abc.net.au. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  47. ↑ Trust, Gary (18 April 2012). "Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know' Roars to No. 1 on Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  48. ↑ "Gotye grootste hit aller tijden". Telegraaf.nl. Retrieved April 2012.
  49. ↑ "Gotye Less of a Musician, More of a Tinkerer". Npr.org. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  50. ↑ "Gotye". Gotye. American Songwriter. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  51. ↑ "Gotye to release an entire album of 'Somebody That I Used To Know' remixes". NME (IPC Media). 31 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  52. ↑ illuminart
  53. ↑ Gotye at Fractured Heart on "www.bmamag.com"
  54. ↑ "The audience holds the power". The Australian. 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  55. ↑ "Gotye". The Australian. 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  56. 1 2 "ARIA Awards History - Gotye". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  57. ↑ "2012 ARIA Awards Winners By Year – 2011". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  58. ↑ "2012 ARIA Awards Winners By Year". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  59. ↑ "Most Played Australian Work Overseas". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  60. ↑ "Gotye and Kimbra nominated for Grammy". 3 News NZ. 10 December 2012.

External links

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