Nicholas George Littlemore (born 6 May 1978) 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.
Littlemore was born on 6 May 1978 in Sydney and was raised in Wahroonga with his older brothers, James (later a music video director) and Sam Littlemore (born February 1975, later a musician and producer). In 2011 Littlemore recalled, "[m]y parents didn't push us but led us towards creative endeavours. Early on, my brothers and I were naturally interested in that. In school holidays we were doing pottery classes or life drawing. I wasn't very sporty".[1] Their cousin, Xanthe Littlemore, is a singer-songwriter and has toured with Paul Kelly.[2][3] When Littlemore was 10 years old, he met future bandmate Peter Mayes and the pair were making music together at the age of 13 or 14.[1] Littlemore attended Barker College in Hornsby and finished secondary education in 1996. He attended the College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales studying film, sound and performance. Littlemore and Mayes formed Pnau in the mid-1990s, initially as an acid house and trance band, while still at secondary school.[4] The group have issued four studio albums, Sambanova (July 1999), Again (October 2003), Pnau (January 2007) and Soft Universe (July 2011).[5]Sambanova, Pnau and Soft Universe have each peaked into the ARIA Albums Chart Top40.[5]
Pnau – Nick Littlemore at left, Peter Mayes at right – performing at Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton, in January 2012.
While still a member of Pnau, Littlemore has also been involved in side-projects. In 2001 he joined his brother Sam in the group L'More and issued a single, "Takin' Hold".[6][7] Sam subsequently performed as Sam La More, in April 2003 "Takin' Hold" was released in the United Kingdom.[7] In 2004 Littlemore formed Teenager as an art rock band in Sydney and asked Pip Brown (aka Ladyhawke) to join on guitar. Brown had relocated to Australia after the disbandment of her New Zealand hard rock group, Two Lane Blacktop. Teenager issued Thirteen and the related single "Bound and Gagged" in 2006. Littlemore's brother James directed the music video for "Bound and Gagged". Mess + Noise's Craig Mathieson described the album as "a pop record, albeit a particularly exotic species that equally suggests creative guile and hints of self-indulgence ... 'Pony' is the closest the album comes to cheap genre holidaying, approximating rock attitude when the organic and desperate growth of 'Bound And Gagged' is so much more impressive".[8] Soon after the album's appearance Brown left to concentrate on her solo career (i.e. Ladyhawke) and she later credited Littlemore:[9]
I was quite happy playing guitar [in Teenager], contributing my ideas and stepping back [...] [Littlemore] heard me singing a song, and rushed in and said, "What's that?" I was like, "It's just like, you know..." [...] Nick was like, "That's cool, you should really follow that up. You just need to get in a studio and record it". So we jumped in the car, and he drove me out to his parents' house, and we recorded that song ... that was the start for me, where he helped me get the confidence.
In 2000, Littlemore met Luke Steele of alternate rockers The Sleepy Jackson, the pair subsequently collaborated on songwriting and performing.[10] The Sleepy Jackson's recorded "Tell the Girls That I'm Not Hangin' Out" for their debut album, Lovers (2003).[11] It had been co-written by Littlemore, Steele and The Sleepy Jackson's Malcolm Clark.[12] The Sleepy Jackson and Pnau both performed "Modern Way", which was written by Littlemore, Mayes and Steele.[13] In 2007 Pnau issued their self-titled album with Steele supplying lead vocals, and co-writing with Littlemore and Mayes, on "Freedom" and "With You Forever". Ladyhawke supplied lead vocals on "Embrace" which was co-written by Brown, Littlemore, Mayes and La More.
While working together on Pnau, Littlemore and Steele started writing tracks for a side project, initially called Steelemore, which became the electro pop group Empire of the Sun.[14] Littlemore was living in Sydney and Steele, then in Perth, however the pair corresponded and continued composing together.[10] Periodically during 2007, Steele would fly to Sydney where tracks were recorded for Empire of the Sun's debut album, Walking on a Dream.[15] Mayes assisted with recording and mixing.[15]
To promote Pnau internationally, Littlemore and Mayes travelled to London. In December 2007 Elton John heard Pnau's "Wild Strawberries" – the lead single from the album – while in Sydney for the Australian leg of his Rocket Man Tour.[14] After hearing the whole album John contacted Littlemore to encourage him.[16][17] Pnau returned to Australia in January 2008 to perform at Big Day Out and met John who signed the duo with his United Kingdom-based management.[17][18] Pnau then relocated to London more permanently, both Littlemore and Mayes worked with John.[1] Littlemore and Mayes established a recording studio in London and worked as record producers.[19]
In August 2008, Empire of the Sun issued their debut single, "Walking on a Dream", which peaked at No.10 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[20] The second single, "We Are the People", followed in September with the parent album released in October. The album reached No.6 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[20] In February 2009, Littlemore told Linda McGee of Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) that Empire of the Sun planned to tour in August but not as a group "this is not a band project. We're not going to stand up there with guitar, bass, drums and a keyboard player and just play our songs out in a merry Indie kind of way".[10] He described a more theatrical presentation, "I've just finished the first draft of the script and it's going to be more of a play, for want of a better term. So at the moment we've got people working in China building inflatable sets and all kinds of things and we're working with some theatre directors in London".[10] However, from April to September that year, Steele could not contact Littlemore.[21] From September Empire of the Sun, without Littlemore, performed live tours of Australia.[21]
Littlemore's bands have won eight ARIA Music Awards, with one in 2000 for 'Best Dance Release' for Pnau's Sambanova,[22] and seven in 2009 for Empire of the Sun's album Walking on a Dream and the title song.[23] Empire of the Sun – without Littlemore – performed "Walking on a Dream" at the ceremony with Steele collecting the awards on the band's behalf, he quipped "German Shepherd [sic] Steele gets another award ... Everybody say hi to invisible Nick!".[24] Ladyhawke also won two awards for her solo work.[23]
Since 2009 Littlemore has received medication to treat arthritis.[25] From late 2009 Littlemore worked in Montreal,[19] Canada with the Cirque Du Soleil as a composer and musical director for the touring arena show, Zarkana, which debuted on 29 June 2011 in New York.[21][26] Pnau's fourth album, Soft Universe, was recorded in London.[19] Upon its release Mayes confirmed Littlemore and Steele were working on a second Empire of the Sun album.[27] Littlemore expanded, "We just started writing two or three weeks ago in New York ... Luke and I got into a studio, which was run by blind people – it was great. It's good to be in weird places with Luke, we enjoy that. He has an extraordinary mind – it's sounding so good".[19] As from July 2011, when not touring or performing, he lives in LA.[19][25] During late 2011 Pnau toured through Australia promoting their album.[25]
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
Littlemore married his wife, illustrator and fine artist Gigi Rose Gray, in 2014.[54]
Related Research Articles
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.
The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele. Stemming from a musical family, Luke's father Rick Steele is a local blues musician, and two of Luke's siblings are also musicians, with brother Jesse a former member of The Sleepy Jackson, and sister Katy, who fronts another Perth rock band, Little Birdy. While a series of acclaimed EPs brought The Sleepy Jackson to a broader musical attention of Australia, it was the release of their 2003 album Lovers and 2006 second album Personality – One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird that directed significant international focus upon the band.
Luke James Steele is a New Zealand born 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.
Sam Littlemore, also known as Sam La More,, is an Australian record producer, songwriter and recording artist working in Sydney and Los Angeles. Littlemore, a member of dance music trio Pnau, is best known for the international number one song Cold Heart by Elton John & Dua Lipa (2021) which he and fellow members of Pnau co-wrote and produced. He is also known for his involvement in the production of "What You Waiting For?" (2004) by Gwen Stefani, Pnau songs "Go Bang", "Chameleon" and "Changes" (2013) by Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau, "Can't Get Better Than This" (2012) by Parachute Youth, "High" (2013) and "Fire" (2018) by Peking Duk, "Don't Hold Back" (2007) by The Potbelleez and songs with Nellee Hooper, Rick Nowels, Nelly Furtado on Loose (2006), Arthur Baker, Pnau and Tonite Only. He has won multiple ARIA and APRA Awards.
Phillipa Margaret "Pip" Brown, better known by her stage name Ladyhawke, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She took her stage name from Richard Donner's 1985 film Ladyhawke.
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 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.
Teenager was an art rock, punk dance band formed in 2004 by Nick Littlemore as a side project from his electronic dance group Pnau, and Phillipa "Pip" Brown on guitar.
Peter Mayes is an Australian musician and producer. He is widely known for being a leading member of dance act Pnau. He is a longtime collaborator with Nick Littlemore and has produced and mixed many of his projects, most notably the platinum-selling album Walking on a Dream and Ice on the Dune for Empire of the Sun, and the art-rock act Teenager. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009 he won Producer of the Year. He has also done work with Elton John, Mika, Karen O, Ellie Goulding, Sia, ESG, Electric Youth and Lindsey Buckingham. In 2019 he and Nick Littlemore launched the label Lab78.
Sambanova is the debut album by Australian dance music duo Pnau, released in July 1999 on the independent Peking Duck label. However, the album was pulled from record stores due to uncleared samples; Warner Music Australasia re-released it in August 2001 with a different track listing, and it peaked in the top 40 of the ARIA Albums Chart.
Pnau is the third studio album by Australian dance music duo, Pnau. The album was released on 12 November 2007 on the independent record label etcetc in Australia and on the independent record label Pnau Records and Tapes on LP in the UK in 2009. The album peaked at 31 on the Australian albums chart and was featured at number 89 on the Triple J Hottest 100 Albums of All Time.
"Celebrate" is a song by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun. It was released as the third and final single from their second studio album, Ice on the Dune, on 14 February 2014. It was co-written by the band's members Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore with Daniel Johns, Peter Mayes and Scott Horscroft. It was remixed by various artists and two digital remixes were released in February.
"Chameleon" is a song by Pnau, released in November 2016 as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, Changa (2017). It is co-written by band members, Nick Littlemore, his older brother Sam Littlemore, and Peter Mayes. "Chameleon" is the first new original music from Pnau since their album Soft Universe in 2011. The song features vocals from Kira Divine. The song peaked at number 4 on the Australian charts and was certified platinum. Digital remixes were released on 25 November 2016 and on 26 May 2017.
Changa is the fifth studio album by Australian electronic trio Pnau. It was released on 10 November 2017 by the independent label etcetc. It follows their 2012 remix album in collaboration with Elton John, Good Morning to the Night, and is their first studio album since Soft Universe (2011). It is also their first album as a trio, with vocalist and co-founder Nick Littlemore's brother Sam Littlemore joining in 2016.
"Solid Gold" is a song by Pnau featuring Kira Divine & Marques Toliver and released in May 2019 as the lead single from the band's forthcoming sixth studio album, Hyperbolic (2024). The song was previewed in 2018 at their Splendour in the Grass set.
"River" is a song by Australian electronic trio Pnau and New Zealand electropop singer-songwriter, Ladyhawke and released on 11 December 2020.
"You Know What I Need" is a song by Australian electronic trio Pnau and Australian singer Troye Sivan, released through Etcetc on 2 December 2022.
"AEIOU" is a song by Australian electronic trio Pnau and electronic duo Empire of the Sun. It was released as a single from Pnau's album Hyperbolic on 13 October 2023 through Etcetc. The song also appeared on Empire of the Sun's 2024 album Ask That God.
Hyperbolic is the sixth studio album by Australian electronic trio Pnau, released on 22 March 2024 through etcetc. Their first album in seven years since Changa (2017), it features collaborations with Empire of the Sun, Khalid, Kira Divine, Marques Toliver, Bebe Rexha, Ozuna, Troye Sivan, Ladyhawke, and Emily Wurramara.
Ask That God is the fourth studio album by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun, released on 26 July 2024 through EMI Music Australia and Capitol Records. It is their first studio album since 2016's Two Vines. The album was preceded by the singles "Changes", "Music on the Radio", and "Cherry Blossom", and also includes their 2023 collaboration with Nick Littlemore's project Pnau, "AEIOU".
↑ "Darren Emerson Au Go Go". Nightlife. Rocknrolla Magazine. Rocknrolla Media. 26 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
↑ "Lost Valentinos". International Music Concepts (IMC). Retrieved 9 April 2012.
↑ "Dance Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2014. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
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