The Framework for Goytes Rise to Fame
Anyone who hasn’t heard Gotyes “Somebody That I Use to Know” would have to be living under a rock only because it was one of the biggest hits to ever grace the contemporary music genre in radio, released in 2011. Even today in 2014 the song is still widely played throughout radio. The album entitled “Mirrors”, which “Somebody that I use to know” came from was perhaps out of the realm of typical music he would sing and write being that he did start out in a rock band. It was also without a doubt a rewarding album for his career as it produced a Billboard Hot 100 song in the U.S. selling over 13 million copies and in 2013 being a two time Grammy award winning song for Best Pop Duo/Group performance and Record of the year.
Goytes musical background started at none other than a frat house. I know what you are thinking right? It all started in 2001 when Goytes family moved to a new home so that he could continue his studies attending the university of Melbourne which he graduated from with a Bachelor of Arts and then following allowed two friends to move in with him, coining it the name of a frat house because of how many friends would regularly drop by and hang out. It was in this frat house that he spent his days rehearsing in the band Downstares and where he was given his first large collection of records from a much older neighbour which had inherited the collection from his wife who had passed on.
Even more so what stands to be true for some even today in the music industry is the power of collaboration and good old persistence. It also proved to be instrumental and true in the career of Goyte when he chose to collaborate with other musicians. Having in 2001 made only 50 copies which came with the inclusion of a song called “Out here in the Cold” which he put together in a 4 track EP, then sent out to all the radio stations that came to his mind along with recording industry contacts he could find in a phone book then picking up the phone and following up with each contact. It was this grass roots approach that generated positive feedback for the artist and inspired him to continue his music career. Following this he then would hook up with another fellow musician by the name of Kris Schroeder at a party in Mt. Eliza and formed a duo called The Basics, which would also prove to be a recurring part of his musical journey with whom he would form a songwriting and performing partnership with as regulars on the music scene give Goyte aka real name De Backer a solid outlet for his live performing. It was this friendship as well as partnership that would lead to touring and inevitably helped him get a distribution deal with a company called Creative Vibes for his solo work which just goes to show that though most music artists are out for themselves not all music artists are. Though rare there are still some who help each other in the music industry.
To sample two tracks closer to how Gotye started, download for free on the right hand side of this page.
