Gotye is the stage name of Wouter “Wally” De Backer, an Australian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Victoria. Born in 1980 in Brugge, Australia, he moves to Melbourne with his family as a child and later begins recording as Gotye in 2001, after the break-up of his earlier band Downstares.

Career

Alongside his solo work, De Backer is a member of The Basics from 2002. He releases music through Spirit Level and Samples ’n’ Seconds Records, and his work sits across alternative pop, art pop, chamber pop, downtempo, electronic and indie pop.

Albums and singles

Gotye’s second album, Like Drawing Blood, receives recognition from Triple J in 2006, tops the station’s listeners’ poll for Best Album of 2006, and is later certified platinum. It is nominated for a J Award the same year. Tracks from the album, including “Learnalilgivinanlovin” and “Heart’s A Mess”, place in Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2006, at numbers 94 and 8 respectively. “Heart’s A Mess” also appears in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009 at number 77.

In 2006, Gotye is nominated for an ARIA award for best independent release for Like Drawing Blood and wins Most Outstanding New Independent Artist at the first AIR Chart Awards. The following year he wins ARIA Best Male Artist. The album later re-enters the ARIA chart and is named iTunes UK Album of the Year in 2008.

Making Mirrors and “Somebody That I Used to Know”

Gotye records material for his third album, Making Mirrors, in a barn studio at his parents’ farm. The title comes from a painting by his father made in the 1980s, which he finds among old papers and adapts for the cover artwork. The album is launched with a performance at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival.

He releases “Eyes Wide Open” in 2010, and the song reaches number 25 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 for that year and is shortlisted for Song of the Year at the 2011 APRA Music Awards. “Somebody That I Used to Know”, released in 2011, becomes a major international hit, reaching number one in Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Germany. It also reaches number one on alternative radio airplay charts in the United States and Canada, and becomes a top-five pop hit in the US and a top-20 pop hit in Canada.

Making Mirrors enters the ARIA Australian album chart at number one, making Gotye the first Australian act since Silverchair to hold the number one single and album at the same time. The album is also supported by a live launch featuring animators and a 10-piece orchestra.

Awards and chart success

“Somebody That I Used to Know” comes third in the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, which earns Gotye a performance slot at Song Summit 2012. The song receives seven ARIA nominations, including Highest Selling Single, Single of the Year, Best Pop Release and Best Male Artist, with its video, engineering and production also recognised. Gotye and the album personnel win the three Artisan awards, and he later takes home Single of the Year, Best Male Artist and Best Pop Release at the main ARIA ceremony. The single is certified 6× platinum.