Empire of the Sun 'haven't spoken since Brits'

Page last updated at 10:21 GMT, Friday, 4 June 2010 11:21 UK

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Empire Of The Sun aka Australians Luke Steele (left) and Nick Littlemore (right)

Empire Of The Sun's Luke Steele says he hasn't spoken to his band mate Nick Littlemore since the Brit Awards in February.

The Australian pop duo last saw each other at the London event, where they where nominated for awards in two categories.

Steele, who will bring EOTS's live show to the UK for the first time at Glastonbury festival later this month, says the pair "haven't spoken since".

He added: "Nick doesn't play in the live show. He doesn't play in anything. I saw him at the Brit awards and that was like a bit of a reunion."

'Emotionally challenging'

Steele said that continuing to play international shows without Littlemore meant he had felt "disheartened" but added, "you just mould into it".

"The first month was pretty emotionally challenging," he said.

"Because you're there going, 'What do you mean you don't want to be on the road?'

Nick doesn't play in the live show. He doesn't play in anything. I saw him at the Brit awards and that was like a bit of a reunion

Luke Steele, Empire Of The Sun

"It's kind of like a master chef serving up this new dish they've cooked called The Dream and then some kid coming off the street with a machete and shoving it into this steak, picking it up and just laughing watching the blood drip out of it.

"But once it starts it becomes the norm. You've got to keep the show on the road. This is rock 'n' roll."

Steele confirmed that while Littlemore has been absent he's begun writing material for the follow-up to their 2009 debut album Walking On A Dream on his own back home in Perth, Australia.

"I've kind of done about 20 tracks," he explained.

"You write songs and you think they're good but with the first Empire record it had God's hands firmly on it - it felt like God was leading where the record went.

"When it came out it was just perfect. Music has to flow and has to be the right time. Only the future knows."

'Blown' away

In the meantime, Empire Of The Sun will make their live UK debut at this year's Glastonbury festival, before playing T In The Park, Oxegen and Lovebox.

"It's hard for me to express. I think the show is amazing. We put it together probably a year ago now.

"We've got a dance troop on the road which is great because they're quite inventive dancers.

"We're trying to capture the imaginations of the songs and make it overblown. People should come expecting to be blown away."