Luke Steele (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luke Steele
Steele performing in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Luke James Steele
Born	(1979-12-13) 13 December 1979 (age 45) Auckland, New Zealand
Genres	Electronic pop
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano synthesizer bass
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Capitol Virgin Astralwerks EMI Universal

Luke James Steele (born December 13, 1979) is a musician, singer, and songwriter. He was born in New Zealand. Luke is known as the main singer and songwriter for the band the Sleepy Jackson. He is also part of the electronic music duo Empire of the Sun.

Luke Steele's Early Life

Luke Steele was born in Auckland, New Zealand. This was on December 13, 1979. Later, his family moved to Perth, Western Australia. Luke went to Yokine Primary School. He also attended Mount Lawley Senior High School. Luke grew up in Jandakot with his sister, Katy.

Luke Steele's Family and Personal Life

Luke Steele comes from a musical family. His father, Rick, plays blues guitar and harmonica. Luke's sister, Katy, was the singer for the band Little Birdy. His brother Jake joined the Sleepy Jackson in 2008. He played computer samples. Luke's other brother, Jesse, was an early member of the Sleepy Jackson.

In 2006, Luke married Jodi. They had their first child, a daughter, in October 2008. In 2014, they welcomed a son. Luke Steele is a Christian.

Luke Steele's Music Career

Luke Steele has been making music since 1998. He has been part of two main bands. These are The Sleepy Jackson and Empire of the Sun. He has also worked on solo projects and with many other artists.

The Sleepy Jackson (1998–2007)

The band The Sleepy Jackson started in 1998. Luke Steele was the singer and played guitar. His brother Jesse played drums. They released their first music independently. Jesse left the band in 2000.

In 2001, the band signed with EMI Records. Luke recorded an EP called Caffeine in the Morning Sun. He used session musicians for this. Later, he formed a new lineup for the band. They released another EP, Let Your Love Be Love, in 2002.

The Sleepy Jackson toured a lot in 2003. They played in Australia, the United States, and Europe. During this time, they worked on their first album. It was called Lovers.

Their second album, Personality – One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird, came out in 2006. It reached number 10 on the Australian charts. In 2007, The Sleepy Jackson played at big music festivals. Luke also played slide guitar for the band Silverchair. He also worked with Pnau on their song "With You Forever". This led to a new project with Nick Littlemore.

Empire of the Sun (2007–Present)

Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore formed Empire of the Sun in 2008. They first met in 2000 in Sydney. They became friends and decided to make music together. Their first song together was on The Sleepy Jackson's 2003 album.

They started writing songs for Empire of the Sun in 2004. Steele lived in Perth and Littlemore in Sydney. They worked on songs separately and met to plan their music style.

Their first album, Walking on a Dream, was released on October 4, 2008. Six songs from the album were put on MySpace before it came out. The album reached number six on the Australian charts.

The first single, "Walking on a Dream", was released in August 2008. It became a top 10 hit in Australia. The second single, "We Are the People", reached number 24. This song was used in a TV ad in America. Other singles from the album included "Standing on the Shore" and "Without You".

Music critics had mixed feelings about the album. Some liked its unique and serious sound. Others felt it was too much and wished it was calmer.

The duo released their second album, Ice on the Dune, on June 17, 2013. The first song from this album was "Alive". It came out on April 16, 2013. Luke Steele also worked with Japanese-American DJ Steve Aoki. He was featured on the song "Neon Future".

In October 2014, Empire of the Sun played at a big festival in Dubai. They also went on a short world tour in 2015.

Solo Career (2022)

In February 2022, Luke Steele announced his first solo album. It is called Listen to the Water. He released the first song from it, "Common Man", on February 11, 2022.

Luke Steele's Musical Influences

Luke Steele has many musical heroes. He says he is influenced by bands like The Cure. He also likes artists such as Elliott Smith, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon. Other influences include Brian Wilson, Carole King, and James Taylor.

Luke Steele's Collaborations

Luke Steele has worked with many other musicians.

• In 2003, he formed a band called Nations by the River. They released an album called Holes in the Valley.
• In 2005, he sang on a song for Paul Mac's album.
• In 2006, he contributed a song to Yoko Ono's remix album.
• He also sang on the Pnau song "With You Forever" in 2007.
• In 2008, Luke and his father, Rick, released an album together. It was called Through My Eyes.
• He also recorded music with Daniel Johns from Silverchair. Their project was called "Hathaway/Palmer".
• In 2009, Luke Steele was featured on a song by Jay-Z. The song was "What We Talkin' About" from Jay-Z's album The Blueprint 3.
• He co-wrote and co-produced the song "Rather Die Young" for Beyoncé Knowles's 2011 album 4.
• He also sang on Usher's song "Looking 4 Myself" in 2012.
• In 2018, Luke teamed up with Daniel Johns again. They formed the band DREAMS. They released the single "No One Defeats Us" and an album of the same name.
• In 2019, he was a guest singer on Kyle Crane's album Crane Like the Bird.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Awards and Nominations

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are given out every year in Australia. They celebrate great music.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are annual awards in Australia. They honor the best in Australian music.

Images for kids

• 

  Steele performing with Empire of the Sun in Wellington (2008).

See also

In Spanish: Luke Steele para niños