PNAU & Budjerah - Stranger Love
28 May 2021
Pnau
// MUSIC
“A true PNAU happening - an interstellar banger to be enjoyed by the trippy dreamer in all of us.”
PNAU has teamed up with Australian singer-songwriter prodigy Budjerah for their new single ‘Stranger Love’. A powerful and uplifting house track based on the French novella The Little Prince, ‘Stranger Love’ brings together Budjerah’s soulful voice with the dancefloor sensibilities that PNAU have become renowned for over their stellar career. Recorded in Byron Bay in early 2021, ‘Stranger Love’ magically marries the best of both artists into an interstellar banger.
PNAU’s Nick Littlemore describes the experience of working with breakthrough artist Budjerah: “Meeting a young, spirited artist like Budjerah is beautiful and challenging. To encounter someone so young who already has a great handle on creativity and kindness confronts one’s own insecurities. He comes across as a natural; not something one sees a lot of in this business. Whilst we come from vastly different experiences, the supernatural power of music brought us together. We wrote from the perspective of psychedelic adventuring, and wistfully met somewhere in the middle. What came together was a true PNAU happening - an interstellar banger to be enjoyed by the trippy dreamer in all of us.”
Budjerah adds, "Joel Quartermain [from ARIA and APRA Award winning band Eskimo Joe] and I originally wrote Stranger Love as an acoustic ballad. The song was written based on the book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and describes the relationship between the young boy (the little Prince) and a rose that lands on his home planet. The boy cares for her, he gives her his love and attention, but the rose doesn’t really appreciate the boy, so he leaves the planet. It was really fun to make the track with PNAU. I recorded the vocals with Nick Littlemore when we met in Byron in February of 2021. The performance element of a dance record is quite different to what I'm used to, but it was really fun. It sounds really great."
PNAU is the multi-platinum-selling, ARIA award-winning electronic act of Nick Littlemore (Empire of the Sun, Vlossom, Teenager), Peter Mayes and Sam Littlemore, famed for their extensive career born out of the underground clubs and festival dancefloors of Australia. PNAU also hold the acclaimed title of giving Elton John his first UK No.1 album in 22 years when they collaborated with the legendary Rocketman on the 2012 album ‘Good Morning To The Night’. Rumour has it PNAU are currently working with Elton John once again…
With a catalogue of their own hits and multiple albums behind them, PNAU have enjoyed a powerful renaissance over the past few years, with multi-platinum hits ‘Go Bang’ and ‘Chameleon’ becoming inescapable on the airwaves in their home country of Australia and climbing the Billboard Dance charts in the U.S. 2019 singles ‘Solid Gold’ and ‘All Of Us’, embedded PNAU as the most cutting edge electronic act to watch on a global scale, finding a loyal fan base amongst the most influential decision makers at BBC Radio 1, triple j and streaming services across the globe. In late 2020 PNAU reunited with New Zealand’s Ladyhawke for ‘River’, which harked back to their classic track and fan-favourite, ‘Embrace’. Last year Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes also launched their own label, Lab78, delivering a brand new project in the form of breakthrough indie act Vlossom (who also collaborated with PNAU on their single ‘Lucky’), with subsequent signings Ivy Rose out of Houston and the Tasmanian duo Sumner, who recently hit the top 5 of the Spotify Viral chart in Australia.
For Budjerah Slabb, making music was an inevitability. Raised in a home full of instruments and playing in family bands, the 19-year-old savant has crafted a sound that melds the formative elements of gospel and soul, with contemporary pop and R'n'B references. Budjerah found kinship with ARIA and J Award-winning artist Matt Corby, who produced his 2021 debut self-titled EP. Corby's studio is located close to Budjerah's home in Fingal Head – traditionally the land of Bundjalung people, from which Budjerah is descended – and the two clocked countless hours comparing notes and crafting the sound that would introduce the world to what Budjerah can do. Armed with his runaway hit single ‘Higher,’ Budjerah recently took the stage for a breathtaking performance at Music From The Home front, alongside special guest appearances for Jack River, Lime Cordiale and Thelma Plum. He will also support The Avalanches in Sydney this weekend and is touring nationally now.
PNAU now take Budjerah’s incredible voice to new heights, with ‘Stranger Love’ delivering a powerful and passionate message, whilst also calling fans to the dancefloor in signature PNAU fashion.
PNAU tour dates:
Ministry of Sound Testament (DJ set), Campbell’s Stores, The Rocks
Budjerah tour dates:
May 28 – Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney
June 4 – Byron Theatre, Byron Bay
June 5 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast
June 6 – The Triffid, Brisbane
