Tate McRae, sombr, Turnstile, Empire of the Sun, Mt. Joy, Malcolm Todd, Franz Ferdinand, Kettama, Little Simz, Viagra Boys, Odd Mob, IT'S MURPH, Finn Wolfhard, Wolf Parade, ZULAN, bar italia, AJ Tracey, Partyof2, Kingfishr, Villagerrr, Stella Lefty, Ecca Vandal, Baby Nova, und Airrica

The dynamic duo of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore met in the year 2000 having both been signed to EMI and being introduced by A&R representative Simon Moor. The pair collaborated on their solo projects with Littlemore providing songwriting assistance on Steele’s band The Sleepy Jackson’s debut album, and Steele assisted on Littlemore’s art-rock project Teenager.

Littlemore is also of the electronic dance outfit Pnau alongside guitarist and producer Peter Mayes. Pnau’s self-titled album reunited Steele and Littlemore and the three crafted a luscious vocal-centred album, which led to the creation of Empire of the Sun.

The band’s name which has long been attributed to the J.G. Ballard novel “Empire of the Sun” or the Spielberg film of the same name, actually refers to empires of civilisations where the sun is the theme of worship, that the band feels connected to.

Despite living in different parts of Australia the two entered the recording studio with Peter Mayes and produced their debut album “Walking on a Dream” in October 2008. The album debuted at No. 8 and peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart, led by the singles “Walking on a Dream” and “We Are the People”. Empire of the Sun earned mainly positive reviews for the album, drawing comparisons with MGMT.

The band’s follow-up, 2013’s “Ice on the Dune” was led by the single “Alive”, which featured a music video produced by Kelvin Optical, Inc., of Bad Robot. The album received slightly poorer reviews than its predecessor however along with the release the band announced they would be scoring the soundtrack for the Jim Carey sequel “Dumb and Dumber To”.

Prior to forming Franz Ferdinand singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos played in the groups The Kareila and Yummy Fur, the latter alongside friend and percussionist Paul Thompson. Kapranos later taught his friend Bob Hardy how to play bass, and met co-guitarist Nick McCarthy soon afterwards, completing the band's lineup. Having initially practiced in McCarthy’s house, Franz Ferdinand soon found an abandoned warehouse, affectionately named the Chateau, where they could hone their skills. In early 2002 the band recorded a host of material that generated a significant amount of buzz, ultimately resulting in Franz Ferdinand signing with Domino Records in 2003.

The band’s debut label release “Darts of the Pleasure EP” was released in 2003, followed in early 2004 by the hit single “Take Me Out”. The single reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100, introducing the band to an international audience. Franz Ferdinand’s self-titled debut album was released in February 2004 to critical acclaim and comparisons to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, and Blur. The album subsequently won the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, an Ivor Novello Award, and two BRIT Awards in 2005.

Franz Ferdinand’s sophomore album “You Could Have It So Much Better” was issued in October 2005 once again on Domino Records. The record proved popular again among critics and fans, with the album topping the UK Albums Chart, aided by the singles “Do You Want To”, “Walk Away”, “The Fallen / L.Wells”, and “Eleanor Put Your Boots On”. Choosing to team up with pop producer Dan Carey, Franz Ferdinand’s third album took the group in a more dance/pop direction. Released in early 2009, “Tonight” was led by the single “Ulysees”, and subsequently “No You Girls” and “Can’t Stop Feeling”. Following appearances at Glastonbury Festival, Coachella Festival and on Green Day’s 2009 tour, the band released the dub compilation album “Blood” in June 2009.

“Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action” appeared in 2013, charting at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 24 on the Billboard 200. Recorded in Black Pudding Studio in Glasgow, Scotland, the album features producers Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, and Todd Terje. The album, like its predecessors found favour among critics and spawned the singles “Right Action”, “Love Illumination”, and “Evil Eye”.