Australia's extravagant electro-glam-pop pair Empire of the Sun unites Luke Steele of the Sleepy Jackson with Nick Littlemore of Pnau. Their breakthrough arrived via the global success of the single "Walking on a Dream," which launched their self-titled debut album in 2008. The follow-up Ice on the Dune expanded their reach further still, marking their strongest commercial performance to date. Once Two Vines appeared in 2016, the duo turned their energies elsewhere until nearly ten years later, when they resurfaced with Ask That God in 2024.
Before forming the group, Steele had already joined Pnau for the track "With You Forever," which appeared on the band's self-titled third album released in 2007. Their shared enjoyment of that session prompted a new venture influenced by Phoenix and Daft Punk. Empire of the Sun issued their debut album Walking on a Dream in fall 2008, an effort the pair characterized as "a spiritual road movie." Songs on the record were co-written with Pnau's Peter Mayes; the album achieved platinum status in Australia, while the title track became an international hit that reached the top of the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart nearly a decade afterward after featuring in a U.S. car commercial.
Following extensive touring and a brief hiatus during which Littlemore composed music for Cirque du Soleil, the duo reconvened to create their second album. The 2013 release Ice on the Dune showcased the multi-platinum single "Alive" and included a contribution from Daniel Johns of Silverchair on the track "Celebrate." Steele then embarked on a worldwide tour while "Alive" continued its chart ascent. Two fresh songs, "Tonight" and "Wandering Star," surfaced on the soundtrack to Dumb and Dumber To in late 2014. Throughout much of the next year the pair wrote and recorded their third album across Los Angeles and Hawaii, enlisting Lindsey Buckingham, musicians from David Bowie's Blackstar sessions, and Wendy Melvoin of Prince & the Revolution. Two Vines arrived in October 2016, entering Australia's Top Ten and landing just outside the Billboard Top 50. One year later they issued the On Our Way Home EP, which contained the title track alongside additional B-sides and remixes.
In 2019 the duo celebrated the tenth anniversary of their debut with a special reissue that added the new song "Chrysalis." Steele later released his first solo studio album Listen to the Water, while Littlemore remained active with Pnau, achieving widespread success through the Elton John and Dua Lipa remix "Cold Heart," which topped charts in more than a dozen countries. During 2023 Littlemore bridged both projects on Pnau's single "AEIOU." Empire of the Sun formally returned the following year with the single "Changes," and their fourth album, Ask That God, arrived in July 2024. The set featured the additional singles "Cherry Blossom" and "Music on the Radio." A deluxe edition issued in 2025 added "Somebody's Son," another collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham.
