Wouter "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), also known professionally by his stage name Gotye (pronounced /ˈɡɔːti.ɛə/), is a Belgian-Australian[1]
multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is
derived from "Gauthier", the French equivalent of "Walter" or "Wouter".
His voice has been compared to those of Peter Gabriel and Sting.[2][3][4]
Gotye has released three studio albums independently and one album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums. He is a member of the Melbourne indie-pop trio The Basics, who have independently released three studio albums and numerous other titles since 2002. Gotye's 2011 single "Somebody That I Used to Know" reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the fifth Australian based artist to do so and the second Belgian (after Sœur Sourire in 1963).[5] He has won five ARIA Awards and received a nomination for an MTV EMA for Best Asia and Pacific Act. Gotye has said he sometimes feels "less of a musician, more of a tinkerer."[6]
