Audien

Born Nathaniel Rathbun in 1992, Audien grew up in the small Connecticut seaport of Mystic and first began making electronic music while still in his teens. His early work centered on a buoyant, piano-led brand of progressive trance that eventually climbed to the summit of Billboard’s dance rankings, packed out large halls, and placed him atop the bills of major EDM events. In 2008 he started issuing material, beginning with happy hardcore releases on Only Vibes Recordings, the digital imprint he launched alongside producer Naggy. The following year he pivoted to trance, sending an unsolicited demo to Ferry Corsten that resulted in the placement of “Rise & Shine” on Corsten’s Aleph Recordings. Further singles soon appeared on Songbird, First State Music, Enhanced Progressive, and Perceptive Deep, drawing support from leading progressive-house figures including Tiësto, Above & Beyond, and Armin van Buuren; the latter booked Audien for a support slot at New York’s Roseland Ballroom in 2011. Two additional tracks surfaced on Anjunabeats and Trice Recordings in 2012, after which Audien joined Hardwell for a coast-to-coast U.S. tour. Subsequent releases arrived via Zouk Recordings and Spinnin’ Records. In 2014 he delivered official remixes of Michael Jackson’s “Slave to the Rhythm” and Bastille’s “Pompeii,” the latter receiving widespread club and festival play and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. Following his first headline tour in 2015, Audien joined the Astralwerks roster; the label immediately issued “Insomnia,” which ascended to number one on the Billboard dance chart. “Something Better,” a collaboration with country superstars Lady Antebellum, appeared next, succeeded in turn by three further singles: “Crazy Love” featuring Deb’s Daughter in 2016, “One More Weekend” with MAX, and the 2017 track “Hot Water” alongside 3LAU. For Anjunabeats in 2018 he issued the Cecilia Gault collaboration “Higher,” then the Arty-assisted “Never Letting Go,” closing the year with the Liam O’Donnell-fronted anthem “Rollercoaster.”