The name Wally De Backer is being heard around the world after many years of creating critically praised yet relatively obscure music to most people outside of the Australian indie-pop music scene. To the surprise and delight of many, the world has taken sudden interest in the Belgian born and Aussie raised singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, known professionally as, Gotye.

This attention is following the amazing response to Gotye’s first single, Somebody That I Used To Know (featuring Kimbra) off of his latest album, Making Mirrors, which has literally taken the world by storm. Released in July, It has become the longest running number one single on the Australian music charts in 14 years, and been nominated for a whopping seven ARIA awards.

Somebody That I Used To Know has already won three awards in the Artisan category, including best video, best engineer and best producer. 

The music video for the hit song has had an unbelievable 12 million views, prompting interest from record labels and listeners internationally, including celebrities such as Katy Perry, Nick Jonas, and Ashton Kutcher. This has sent Gotye out of his experimental-indie-pop comfort zone, and rocketed him into pop star territory.

 

 

Somebody That I Used To Know (featuring Kimbra)

 

Wally De Backer released his latest Gotye album, Making Mirrors in August through the small but hugely successful record label,Eleven: A Music Company. John Watson and his staff at Eleven must either have an extremely good ear for popular music, or have been unusually lucky at spotting international break-out musicians, such as, Missy Higgins. Like Gotye, she has made a name for herself in the United States.

Eleven seems to have hit a home-run again. Not only by signing Gotye just in time for his recent success but also considering their most successful band, Silverchair, have announced they are in “indefinite hibernation.” Incidentally, it is Gotye who has become the first Australian act to simultaneously hold both the number one single and album since Silverchair, who achieved the same feat in 2007.

Making Mirrors has only been officially released in the U.S. on iTunes. The album is expected to have an official release this winter and be followed by a tour of the states. 

Eyes Wide Open Trailer

Gotye recently played his very first show in the United States at The Satellite in California, followed by shows in New York and Canada, leaving audiences singing not only his songs but also his praises for being a great live act.

Expect to hear increasingly more from Gotye as he continues to promote his album on tour, and with the recently released second single Easy Way Out from Making Mirrors. 

 

Easy Way Out

 

Here are some additional facts about Making Mirrors:

• Received great reviews, including 4 stars from Rolling Stone
• Has been listed for 38 weeks in 5 different charts, which includes the number one position for the Australia Albums Top 50 and the World Albums Top 40
•  Platinum-selling album Making Mirrors isn’t eligible for this year’s ARIA Awards as it was released after voting closed.

The Making Of Making Mirrors

I will again share the Q&A with Wally De Backer that I conducted via email which I previously posted in my first Gotye blog. Make sure to visit Gotye.com, check out his YouTube channel, follow @gotye on Twitter, and subscribe to his Facebook page for the latest news.

Gotye Q&A

• How long have you been a musician?

It’s about 13 years since I started learning the drums and messing about
with writing songs

• Did you go to school for music, or teach yourself or both?

Drums and a certain amount of music theory I learned in high school, but
songwriting and production was just something I’ve played with in my own
time.

• Who were your favorite bands/musicians growing up?

I got hooked on The KLF at a young age. And was a Depeche Mode tragic for
many years

• Who are they now?

Hmmmmm….too many to mention. The Chap is a new favourite. They’re from
London and they’re fantastically silly

• Did anyone in particular influence you?

Everything I listened to (not just music…pedestrian crossing beeps on
street corners)

• When song writing, are you inspired first by a sound or a groove you want to sample, and build the song from there, or do you usually have the idea in place and then search for sounds to realize it?

The former- that’s pretty much the way that Gotye songs begin. However I
have written a few from the piano where the lyrics and melody comes before
the production ideas

• Music or lyrics first?

See above. It depends

• Which of your Gotye albums was your favorite to record?

Because I work track-by-track and over extended periods of time it all
washes together. I just like making music, little by little, whenever I
can

• What are your favorite songs to perform?

The Only Thing I Know is a good one to practice my ’80s drums licks on

• What was the inspiration for Mixed Blood?

Other musicians whose work I admired, and who expressed interested to
revamp my songs

• What is/are your favorite song(s) to cover? (By the way, I really loved your version of Always–wasn’t it Always?–by Bon Jovi, in The Basics tour videos!)

Heh heh…yep, that’s the best one. An Aussie bar in Shinjuku, Japan.
Mobile phone microphone. Somewhere I can catch butterflies and let rip

• Who would you love to collaborate with?

My computer. It’s Brian Eno’s dream but I’m borrowing it

• Just how many languages can you speak? (I’m curious!)

Some folks suggest I have my own language – an often unintelligible
collection of mumbles and awkward looks. Otherwise it’s just English and
Flemish. A basic amount of Japanese. Um…and Esperanto

• What is/are the best concert(s) you’ve been to?

Maybe it was The Quarrelmen, a Beatles tribute band, covering the Abbey
Road album in its entirety

• If you could attend any concert in the history of music, who would it be?

It would probably be one of The Beatles stadium shows. I can’t quite
fathom a stadium full of people screaming incessantly throughout the
entirety of a concert. The aura around the band was so electric it would
be an unforgettable experience

• Favorite or memorable tour experience?

Eating hommus smeared on bread with an old banana in the tour bus after a
show in Manchester

• Favorite website?

www.iamfauxpas.com/blog

• Favorite film(s)?

Edward Scisscorhands is one

• Any strange fan experiences?

A young lady in the US got a massive tattoo of a character from one of my
film clips on her forearm. Really massive. Freaky!

• Thoughts on winning an ARIA?

We all had  a good laugh and then it got silly

• Any hobbies other than music?

I like riding bikes, swimming in the sea and eating chocolate. That is all

• Any ambitions outside of music?

See above. And world peace

• Were you a stand out student in school? (ex: grades, music, athletics, popularity)

I was a nerdy-two-shoes, yes. But didn’t get beaten up. That was nice,
thank you

• Is there a particular cause you feel strongly about/support? (ex: animal rights)

Not in particular. Although sustainable energy is something I would like
to be more involved in supporting/implementing in my own life. Solar
power, anti-nuclear

• Can you update me on what you’re doing currently or in the near future? (ex: touring, recording, relaxing, etc)

Trying to write new music. This involves getting excited about tweaking
virtual synths, recording drums in a big barn and…swimming in the sea.
And also preparing for the release of new music by my band The Basics
(http://www.thebasics.com.au) as well as producing songs by my girlfriend
Tash Parker