When Empire of the Sun create new music, they conjure it.
The electronic music project of Emperor Steele (Luke Steele) and Lord Littlemore (Nick Littlemore) have reunited on Ask That God, an album that’s almost eight years in the making – the result of which is a melting pot of pop, melody, and hooks that stick like cobbler’s pegs on your winter warmies.
Speaking with Rolling Stone AU/NZ from Los Angeles, Steele and Littlemore are looking relaxed, and admittedly proud of this fourth and latest collection, the follow-up to 2016’s Two Vines.
The alchemy that is an Empire of the Sun LP doesn’t adhere to the rules of a typical major-label release.
“We tried many things over the course of the last seven or so years,” says Littlemore. “But, you know, I feel like Empire’s always on divine time. And when it was the right time, we were sort of urged, I would say, from some kind of deep recesses in our subconscious. And here we are today with a collection of songs that we are extremely proud of.”
It’s a kind of magic that the recordings ever started, let alone reached its completion. In the years since Two Vines, Steele decamped to New Zealand, then the United States. Littlemore continued his journey with Pnau (their remix of Elton John’s “Cold Heart” with Dua Lipa was a global hit); battled Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a rare condition which can lead to facial paralysis and hearing loss, with effects that linger today; and launched a label with his bandmates.
“It’s gotta be always the same way,” says Littlemore of finding that divine time. “We share things that inspire us, whether we created them or we saw something, or we thought of something, we smelled them. Or we met someone who told us about a place or that taste, this restaurant, or that dish,” he explains. “We have an incredible thirst for experience.”
“We’re always looking for that spark to start the fire,” adds Steele.
Ask That God is led by the singles “Cherry Blossom”, “Changes”, and “Music on the Radio”, each accompanied with spectacular Michael Maxxis-helmed music videos, following the intergalactic adventures of our two electro-pop wizards.
Sessions came together in Asia, and California, where Steele felt the forces of nature and witnessed things that can’t be unseen.
“We’re really both quite sensitive artists,” Steele explains. “Extremely sensitive. It’s a miracle that we actually get any work done because we are so sensitive.”
Empire of the Sun have released three albums, the 2008 breakthrough debut Walking on a Dream, 2013’s Ice on the Dune and Two Vines, all of which cracked the top 10 in Australia.
With Walking on a Dream came hits, awards, expectation.
The lead track won single of the year at the 2009 ARIA Awards, one of their four pointy trophies on the evening (they would later add four more). In the United States, the song belatedly drove into the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2016. The track has since punched past one billion streams.
“There was tremendous pressure after ‘Walking on a Dream’, because it sold millions. It was like trying to grip lava,” says Littlemore. “You just couldn’t hold to the power that was going on.
“We have been fortunate enough to be around long enough for that to die out enough that we could face reality and face each other, and just celebrate what an extraordinary ride.”
Empire of the Sun will continue that ride when they embark on a tour of Australia from October, followed by concerts in Mexico and both coasts of the US.
“We’re building it at the moment,” says Steele of the forthcoming shows. “I’m just so excited about it. “We’re in a new era, a new chapter of Empire.”
Empire of the Sun’s Ask That God is out now via EMI Music.
Empire of the Sun 2024 Australian Tour
October 24th
The Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia
October 26th
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, Australia
October 29th
Riverstage, Brisbane, Australia
November 1st
Red Hill Auditorium, Perth, Australia
November 17th
Corona Capital Festival, Mexico City, Mexico
November 19th
Auditorio Telmex, Guadalajara, Mexico
November 23rd
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California USA
November 26th
Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, New York USA
