Gotye U.S. Radio Debut on KCRW – Somebody I Used to Know

It would be easy to assume Australian artist Gotye came out of nowhere. This year, he went from being somewhat unknown in the States to being a name on the lips of many music lovers because of his track “Somebody I Used to Know”. The truth is he has released three albums, and we’re pretty sure this one will make him a household name.

Gotye (real name Wally Debacker) performed a bunch of songs from “Making Mirrors” for his U.S. radio debut, telling us the album is named as such because the songs are a reflection of his life.

Interestingly, the breakout track was giving him trouble and he was on the brink of letting it go when his co-producer suggested he add a female counterpart and bring singer Kimbra on board.

Kimbra had been covering one of his older songs in her set and it is their back and forth about the end of their fictional relationship that makes “Somebody I Used to Know” a song we can all connect to emotionally. (We’ve all been there before, right?)

There are a few other tracks destined to be hits – “State of the Art” and “Easy Way Out”. The last track in the session really took a turn towards the 70’s with a catchy pop sound that reminded me instantly of Michael McDonald. If you need a refresher on who he is, go here.

It was a great session and one definitely worth revisiting! Find it in our archives here.

Gotye Live on KCRW Set List

The Only Way

Easy Way Out

State of the Art

Don’t Worry We’ll All Be Watching

Somebody That I Used to Know

Heart’s a Mess

I Feel Better