Gotye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gotye
Gotye at the 2012 APRA Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Wouter André De Backer
Also known as	Wally De Backer
Born	(1980-05-21) 21 May 1980 (age 45) Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium
Origin	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Indie rock alternative rock indie pop trip hop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals drums percussion keyboards guitar ondioline
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Fairfax Universal Republic Samples 'n' Seconds Inertia Lucky Number Eleven Creative Vibes

Wouter "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), who is known by his stage name Gotye, is a Belgian-Australian singer, songwriter, and musician who can play many instruments. He is famous for his 2011 hit song "Somebody That I Used to Know", which featured the singer Kimbra.

The song was a massive success around the world. It reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was the best-selling song of 2012. Gotye has won five ARIA Awards in Australia. He also won three Grammy Awards in 2013. The album the song came from, Making Mirrors, won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

Besides his solo work, Gotye is also a member of an indie-pop band from Melbourne called The Basics.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Wouter De Backer was born in Bruges, Belgium. When he was two years old, his family moved to Australia. They lived in Sydney for a short time before moving to Montmorency, a suburb of Melbourne. His parents started calling him Walter at school, but his mother gave him the nickname "Gotye," which is based on "Gauthier," the French version of his first name.

From a young age, Gotye loved music. He learned to play several instruments, especially the piano and drums. As a teenager, he and his high school friends started a band called Downstares. After high school, the band members went their separate ways.

In 2001, his parents moved to a new house but let him stay in their old family home. This allowed him to focus on his studies at the University of Melbourne. The house became a popular spot for his friends to visit. It was during this time that he started creating music as Gotye, after a neighbor gave him a large collection of old records.

Career

2001–2004: Starting Out with Boardface

In 2001, Gotye began making his first tracks, mostly using samples from other songs. He created a CD with four songs and made about 50 copies. He drew the covers himself and sent them to radio stations and music companies. The positive feedback encouraged him to keep making music.

Around the same time, he met Kris Schroeder, and they started a band called The Basics. This band gave Gotye a chance to perform live. The Basics have released several albums and still perform together.

Gotye continued to make more music on his own. Soon, he was offered a deal to release an album. This album, called Boardface, came out in 2003. It was a collection of songs from his earlier homemade CDs.

2006–2009: Like Drawing Blood

Gotye performing at the Golden Plains Festival in 2007.

Gotye's second album, Like Drawing Blood, was released in 2006. The title referred to how hard it was for him to record music in different places as he moved from house to house. The album was very popular on the Australian radio station Triple J and was voted the Best Album of 2006 by its listeners.

Two songs from the album, "Learnalilgivinanlovin" and "Hearts a Mess", became popular. In 2007, Gotye won an ARIA Award for Best Male Artist. The album became a success in Australia, selling over 70,000 copies. It also gained some attention in Europe, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands.

2010–2013: Global Fame with Making Mirrors

In 2010, Gotye set up a recording studio in a barn on his parents' farm to work on his third album. He released the single "Eyes Wide Open", which did well in Australia.

In 2011, he announced the album's title: Making Mirrors. The title was inspired by a painting his father had made years ago, which also became the album's cover art.

The album's most famous song, "Somebody That I Used to Know", was released in July 2011. It featured New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song quickly became a huge hit, partly thanks to celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen sharing it on Twitter. It reached number one in 18 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The music video for the song has been viewed on YouTube over 2.4 billion times as of April 2025.

Gotye performing in Montreal in 2012.

Making Mirrors was also a big success. It reached number one on the Australian album charts. This made Gotye the first Australian artist since Silverchair in 2007 to have the number one single and album at the same time. The album was successful internationally, reaching the top 10 in 17 countries.

In 2013, Gotye won three Grammy Awards:

• Record of the Year for "Somebody That I Used to Know"
• Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Somebody That I Used to Know"
• Best Alternative Music Album for Making Mirrors

2014–Present: New Projects and Interests

After the huge success of Making Mirrors, Gotye decided to take a break from his solo project. In 2014, he said there would be "no new Gotye music" for a while, but he might return to it in the future.

He stayed busy with his band, The Basics, and also started his own record label called Spirit Level.

Jean-Jacques Perrey (left) playing an Ondioline. Gotye is a big fan of his work.

Gotye became very interested in the work of Jean-Jacques Perrey, a pioneer of electronic music. He became an expert on the ondioline, a rare electronic keyboard that Perrey used. In 2016, Gotye formed the Ondioline Orchestra to perform Perrey's music. He also launched a record label called Forgotten Futures to release rare recordings by Perrey.

In July 2020, Gotye released a live album from a 2018 performance with his bandmates from The Basics. He has said he plans to release a fourth studio album someday. In 2024, a remix of his famous hit, titled "Somebody (2024)", was released with Fisher, Chris Lake, and Sante Sansone.

Musical Style

Gotye's music is known for mixing different styles, including indie rock, alternative rock, and trip hop. His singing voice has often been compared to famous artists like Peter Gabriel and Sting. He is known for using samples and unique electronic sounds in his songs.

Discography

• Boardface (2003)
• Like Drawing Blood (2006)
• Making Mirrors (2011)

Awards and Nominations

Gotye has won many awards throughout his career. Here are some of the most important ones:

Images for kids

• 

  Gotye in front of Fractured Heart, an interactive sound and light sculpture he helped create in 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Gotye para niños