Taking their name from the J.G. Ballard novel that became a 1987 Steven Spielberg film, Australia's larger-than-life electro-glam-pop duo Empire of the Sun features 's and Pnau's .
Steele had previously worked with Pnau on "With You Forever," a track from the band's 2007 self-titled third album, and the pair enjoyed collaborating so much that they started their own project, drawing inspiration from the likes of and .
In fall 2008, Empire of the Sun released their debut album Walking On A Dream, which the musicians described as "a spiritual road movie." Featuring songs co-written by Pnau's other half, , the album went platinum in Australia. The Steele-led band performed live for the first time at the Parklife tour in September and October 2009, while Empire of the Sun garnered 11 ARIA award nominations including Album Of The Year and Single Of The Year.
Live performance members include
- Luke Steele lead vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Ian Ball guitar
- Olly Peacock drums
- Tony Mitolo - drums ( 2008-15)
- Surahn Sidhu - guitar / bass / vocals ( 2008-15)
Members
- Nick Littlemore
- Luke Steele
- Ian Ball
- Olly Peacock
- Tony Mitolo
- Surahn Sidhu