JANELLE MONÁE with KIMBRA

The Golden Electric Tour – Australia & New Zealand 2014

A serendipitous meeting between two music contemporaries – JANELLE MONÁE and KIMBRA – was the spark for a new friendship that has developed into a mutual desire to explore a joint creative endeavor, culminating in what will be one of the finest co-headline tours of 2014:

Janelle Monáe with Kimbra: ‘The Golden Electric Tour’
Step back to July 2013 when both Janelle and Kimbra were performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

That evening the two artists were in the same Swiss hotel bar with their respective bands. Conversations sparked, bonding over a shared love of Prince, and as the night wore on the collective began jamming in the bar.

The impromptu session cemented their mutual respect for each other’s artistry: it was the budding of a deep friendship. The ties between Janelle and Kimbra grew stronger, in tandem with an artistic curiosity and an exploration of different musical languages, and the idea of the tour collaboration was born.

‘The Golden Electric Tour’ will reveal a stellar show of intertwined joint and individual performances – both artists will perform separate sets with their bands, as well as performing together.

Tickets for all shows go on sale next Thursday, April 17.
My Live Nation members can access tickets first during the exclusive pre-sale beginning this Monday, April 14. Head to www.livenation.com.au.

A Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter, performer, producer and CoverGirl spokesperson, Janelle Monáe is known for her unique style and groundbreaking sound. In 2010, Monáe released the highly-anticipated and critically-acclaimed album ‘The ArchAndroid’, which earned her two Grammy Award nominations.

In 2013, her celebrated album ‘The Electric Lady’ reached #5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and is home to a host of collaborative hits such as ‘Primetime’ featuring Miguel, ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’ featuring Erykah Badu, ‘Electric Lady’ featuring Solange and her musical hero Prince on ‘Given Em What They Love’.

The video for the album’s first single, “Q.U.E.E.N.,” received a coveted MTV VMA Moonman. Monáe also received Billboard’s prestigious 2013 Rising Star Award.

Hailing from Kansas City, ‘The Golden Electric Tour’ heralds Janelle’s first-ever New Zealand show, having previously visited Australia to headline at the Sydney Opera House’s Vivid Festival in May 2012.

Kimbra released her debut album ‘Vows’, which debuted in the US Billboard Top 200 at #14 and achieved platinum status in her native NZ/Australia. There have been close to 70 million views on YouTube which contained videos for the singles ‘Settle Down’, ‘Cameo Lover’, ‘Good Intent’ and ‘Two Way Street’, all of which ranked in Triple J’s Hottest 100 – the world’s biggest music poll.

She won the ARIA Award for ‘Best Female Artist’ in both 2011 and 2012 and five of the six Tui awards she was nominated for at the New Zealand Music Awards. In April 2012, it was announced that Kimbra had won the grand prize in the International Song Writing Competition 2011, for her single ‘Cameo Lover’.

In 2012 Kimbra followed up with the #1 worldwide smash hit, ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, her duet with Gotyé, which topped the charts in eleven countries. The massive single retained the #1 ARIA spot for an impressive eight weeks, was the biggest selling single in the US in 2012 and won two GRAMMY Awards.

The New Zealand native renowned for her electric live performances is rapidly expanding her reach, establishing herself internationally as a significant talent.

Collaborations with Daniel Johns, Van Dyke Parks, Thundercat, Bilal, Mark Foster, Keefus Green, John Legend, Matt Bellamy and Producer Rich Costey.

Excitement is growing surrounding Kimbra’s highly anticipated sophomore album, expected to drop later this year.