The Cat Empire are an Australian jazz/funk band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1999. For most of the band's duration, the core members were Felix Riebl, Harry James Angus, Will Hull-Brown (drums), Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala, Ollie McGill and Ryan Monro. Monro retired from the band in March 2021, while Angus, Hull-Brown and Khadiwhala all left in April 2022. They are often supplemented by The Empire Horns, a brass duo composed of Ross Irwin (trumpet) and Kieran Conrau (trombone), among others. Their sound is a fusion of jazz, funk, ska, and rock with heavy Latin influences.
PNAU is an Australian dance music trio originating from Sydney. The trio, a duo before 2016, consists of the musicians Nick Littlemore, Peter Mayes and Sam Littlemore (production), with the latter joining in 2016. PNAU first gained recognition through their 1999 debut album Sambanova, which later won an ARIA Music Awards for Best Dance Release. Their third album, PNAU (2007), brought them further critical acclaim and success. PNAU is also recognised for a heavily publicised apprenticeship under the musician Elton John, who signed the duo after listening to the PNAU album. Several of PNAU's later projects have had John's involvement, such as the album Soft Universe and an album of PNAU recreations of Elton John's hits called Good Morning to the Night.
Nicholas George Littlemore is an Australian musician, record producer, singer, songwriter and tour manager. As a musician, he is the frontman of the electronic project Pnau, an ex-member of the art-rock band Teenager and one part of the electro pop-duo Empire of the Sun. As a record producer, he has worked with Elton John, Lover Lover, Groove Armada and Mika. From late 2009, Littlemore had worked with the Cirque Du Soleil as a composer and musical director for the touring arena show Zarkana, which debuted on 29 June 2011. His older brother Sam La More is also a musician and record producer. In 2019, he and Peter Mayes launched the label Lab78.
Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter, best known as Ricki-Lee Coulter or simply Ricki-Lee, is a New Zealander-Australian singer and songwriter. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, grew up on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and began performing at age 15. Coulter rose to fame in 2004 on the second season of Australian Idol and placed seventh in the competition. She subsequently signed with Australian independent label Shock Records, and released her self-titled debut album Ricki-Lee (2005), which produced the top-ten hits "Hell No!" and "Sunshine". Both singles were certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The following year, Coulter became a member of the Australian pop girl group Young Divas, before leaving in early 2007 to resume her solo career.
Video Hits was an Australian music video program that first aired on 15 February 1987. From 7 May 2011 it broadcast on Network Ten for two hours each Saturday and Sunday morning: 10am – 12pm on Saturdays and 8am – 10am on Sundays. At the time of its cancellation, Video Hits was the world's second longest running music show after the Eurovision Song Contest. The show was cancelled in July 2011 and its last episode aired on 6 August 2011.
Luke James Steele is an Australian musician, singer and songwriter. Steele is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band the Sleepy Jackson and is a member of the electronic music duo Empire of the Sun.
Angus & Julia Stone are an Australian folk and indie pop group, formed in 2006 by brother and sister Angus and Julia Stone. Angus & Julia Stone have released five studio albums and a soundtrack album: A Book Like This (2007), Down the Way (2010), Angus & Julia Stone (2014), Snow (2017), Life Is Strange (2021) and Cape Forestier (2024). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010, they won five awards from nine nominations: Album of the Year, Best Adult Alternative Album, Best Cover Art and Producer of the Year for Down the Way, and Single of the Year for "Big Jet Plane". The siblings have also issued solo albums.
Samuel Falson, better known by his stage name Sam Sparro, is an Australian singer, songwriter and record producer. He was signed to the British record label Island Records. Sparro is best known for his 2008 single "Black and Gold".
Australian singer and songwriter Ricki-Lee Coulter has released five studio albums, one compilation album, twenty two singles, and twenty music videos. Coulter placed seventh in the second season of Australian Idol in 2004, and subsequently signed with independent label Shock Records. Coulter's self-titled debut album Ricki-Lee was released in October 2005, which debuted at number 30 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album produced two top-ten singles, "Hell No!" and "Sunshine", which were both certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Coulter briefly became a member of the Australian pop girl group Young Divas the following year, before resuming her solo career early in 2007.
Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic music duo formed in 2007. The duo is a collaboration between Luke Steele, formerly of alternative rock band The Sleepy Jackson, and Nick Littlemore, of electronic dance band PNAU.
Walking on a Dream is the debut studio album by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun, released on 3 October 2008 by Capitol Records. The album was produced by band members Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, along with Peter Mayes and Donnie Sloan. It was recorded and mixed by Peter Mayes at Soundworks Music Studio in Sydney at various times throughout 2007, with additional recording by Chris Vallejo at Linear Recording, also in Sydney. In 2010, the song “Half Mast” was sampled on rapper Mac Miller’s song “The Spins”, which was featured on his breakout mixtape K.I.D.S..
"Walking on a Dream" is a song by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun, released on 30 August 2008 as the lead single from their debut studio album of the same name (2008). The track was co-written by band members, Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore with Jonathan "Donnie" Sloan. The full Sam La More remix was made available as a free download on the band's official website.
"We Are the People" is a song by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun, released as the second single from their debut studio album, Walking on a Dream (2008). It was released in Australia on 20 September 2008 and debuted at number 85 on the ARIA Singles Chart before peaking at number 24 on 12 January 2009. It reached number one in Germany in December 2010.
Stan Walker is an Australian New Zealand singer, actor, and television personality. In 2009, Walker was the winner of the seventh season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. It was in December 2009, Walker released his debut studio album, Introducing Stan Walker, which included the hit single, "Black Box". The album debuted at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It also appeared on the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).
The discography of Australian singer-songwriter and musician Missy Higgins consists of five studio albums, two extended plays, thirty seven singles and one download-only live album. In 2001, Higgins won the national Unearthed radio competition for unsigned artists with her song "All for Believing" and shortly after signed a recording contract with Eleven. The following year she signed an international contract with Warner Bros. She released a self-titled EP in November 2003. Her debut album, The Sound of White, was released 6 September 2004. It reached No. 1 on the Australian albums chart and was certified nine times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It contained the singles "Scar", "Ten Days", "The Special Two" and "The Sound of White".
The discography of the Australian jazz and funk band the Cat Empire consists of nine studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums, two video albums, three extended plays, and forty-four singles. The band has scored two number-one albums and six top ten albums on the ARIA Charts. They have been nominated for twelve ARIA Music Awards, of which they have won one. They were formed in 1999 by founding members Felix Riebl, Ollie McGill, and Ryan Monro. Long-term members Harry James Angus, Jamshid Khadiwala and Will Hull-Brown joined the band in 2001.
Secret Codes and Battleships is the fourth studio album from Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It was released 21 October 2011 on Mercury Records in Australia, on EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 24 October, and on his own label Powdered Sugar for the rest of the world on 25 October.
"Raining Diamonds" is a song by Australian recording artist Ricki-Lee Coulter. It was written by Coulter, Billy Mann and Boyblue, who also produced the song. "Raining Diamonds" was released digitally on 18 October 2011 as the lead single from Coulter's third studio album Fear & Freedom (2012). The song serves as Coulter's debut release with EMI, after parting ways with her former record label Shock Records in May 2011. Lyrically, Coulter stated that the song is "all about knowing your value and not settling for less than what you believe you are worth."
Angus John Stone is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is one half of the musical sibling duo Angus & Julia Stone, with whom he has released four studio albums. His debut solo album, Smoking Gun, was released in April 2009 under the pseudonym Lady of the Sunshine, and reached the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart. His second solo album, Broken Brights, was released under his name on 13 July 2012 and peaked at number 2. Stone currently records under the moniker of Dope Lemon.
Fear & Freedom is the third studio album by Australian recording artist Ricki-Lee Coulter, released through EMI Music Australia on 17 August 2012. The album is Coulter's first release since parting ways with her former record label Shock Records. Coulter had been working on her third album since 2009, under the title Hear No, See No, Speak No, and was originally due for release in November 2009. However, Coulter cancelled the album's release due to unsuccessful singles. After taking a break from her music career in 2010, Coulter began working on new material for the album in 2011. Unlike her previous albums, Fear & Freedom incorporates up-tempo pop genres, ranging from dance-pop, electropop, drum and bass and trance. Love and self-empowerment are its main themes.
