Rüfüs Du Sol

Rüfüs Du Sol (stylised in all caps) is an Australian alternative dance group from Sydney, that consists of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt.^[1]

Rüfüs Du Sol
Rüfüs Du Sol performing at the 2018 Electric Forest Festival
Background information
Also known as	RÜFÜS (2010–2018)
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Deep house alternative dance electronica house
Years active	2010 (2010)–present
Labels	Sweat It Out Sony Music Australia Warner Foreign Family Collective Monekeleon On the Fruit Gigpiglet Continental
Members	Tyrone Lindqvist Jon George James Hunt
Past members	Gwylim Johnstone
Website	www.rufusdusol.com

The band was known simply as Rüfüs (stylised in all caps) from their inception until January 2014, before changing their name to Rüfüs Du Sol – exclusively in the United States – to avoid confusion with existing funk band Rufus.^[2] In May 2018, the band adopted the name change worldwide for the sake of consistency.^[3]

Their debut album Atlas peaked at number one in Australia in 2013, and their three subsequent albums have all reached either number one or number two in their home country. While their second album Bloom debuted atop the Australian albums chart in early 2016. Their single "You Were Right" won the ARIA Award for Best Dance Release in 2015.

As part of their 2021–2023 Surrender world tour, Rüfüs Du Sol played three sold out stadium shows at Banc of California Stadium. In 2022, they won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for their song "Alive". In 2023, they headlined Oshega Festival in Montreal, and headlined Field Day in Sydney on New Year's Day in 2024.

Career

2010–2012: Formation

The band formed consisting of Jon George, Tyrone Lindqvist and James Hunt in November 2010. On 1 January 2011, they released their debut EP Rüfüs.^[4] "We Left", their debut single was released on 25 July 2011.^[5] Two tracks from the EP, "Paris Collides" and "We Left" reached numbers 8 and 13 on the Hype Machine charts simultaneously, while the video for "We Left" was nominated as one of 12 finalists internationally in the 2012 Vimeo Awards for Best Music Video.^[6]

In April 2012, Rüfüs released their second EP, Blue.^[7] The double A-sided single "This Summer"/"Selena" was released on 16 July 2012.^[8]

2013–2014: Atlas

Main article: Atlas (Rüfüs album)

The band's debut studio album, Atlas, was released on 9 August 2013.^[9] It debuted at number one on the Australian Albums Chart on 25 August 2013.^[10] It was preceded by "Take Me" as the lead single on 8 March 2013,^[11] and "Desert Night" as the second single on 2 August 2013.^[12] "Tonight" was released as the third single 22 November 2013,^[13] followed by "Sundream" as the fourth single on 21 March 2014.^[14]

2015–2017: Bloom

Main article: Bloom (Rüfüs album)

In June 2015, Rüfüs released "You Were Right", the lead single from their forthcoming second album. It peaked at number 22 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and was certified double platinum. The album Bloom was released in January 2016 and become the band's second number-one album. In 2016, they performed at both Coachella and Electric Forest.^[15][16]

2018–2020: Solace and Solace Remixed

Main articles: Solace (Rüfüs Du Sol album) and Solace Remixed

In May 2018, the band changed its name worldwide to Rüfüs Du Sol, having already made the change in the United States four years prior. Lead singer Tyrone Lindqvist explained the name change: "I guess we don't really know any other bands that have two names throughout the entire world so it just seemed fitting."^[3] Soon after, Rüfüs Du Sol released their single "No Place" on 25 May 2018. They later released the singles "Underwater" and "Lost in My Mind", along with announcing their third album Solace.^[17] In 2018, they again played at Electric Forest,^[18] while in 2019 the band's performances included Field Day, Coachella and a sold out show at Lollapalooza, Chicago.^[19][20][21] A Solace remix album was released in September 2019. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, Solace was nominated for three ARIA Music Awards.^[22] In 2020, the band headlined CRSSD Fest in San Diego.^[23]

2020: Live from Joshua Tree

Main article: Live from Joshua Tree

In 2020, the band recorded a live album from Joshua Tree, California entitled Rüfüs Du Sol: Live from Joshua Tree. The 45-minute album and accompanying feature film, shot in Joshua Tree National Park, included music from the band's three albums to date: Bloom, Atlas and Solace. The film was directed by Alexander George, and was presented by Mixmag and the band's label Rose Avenue Records. It premiered at the Vista Theatre in Los Angeles in February 2020, before being digitally released in March 2020.^[24][25]

2021–2023: Surrender

Main articles: Surrender (Rüfüs Du Sol album) and Surrender (Remixes)

On 13 July 2021, the band released "Alive"; their first song in three years. In a press statement, Lindqvist said, "It's a heavier song in some ways, but at its core it's hopeful."^[26] The follow-up single "Next to Me" was released on 11 August 2021. Jon George said it "is a song of devotion, caring compassion and pure love."^[27] On 24 September 2021, they released the single "On My Knees".^[28] On the same day, they also announced their fourth studio album, Surrender, which was released on 21 October 2021.^[29] They embarked on a two-year global tour of Surrender in 2021, completing it in 2023.^[30] In 2021, they played three sold out stadium shows at Banc of California Stadium,^[31] as well as performing at the Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado,^[32] The Gorge Amphitheatre,^[33] and Gunnersbury Park in London. In 2022, after two prior nominations, the band won their first Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording, for their song "Alive".^[34]

In October 2022, the band launched Mate Maker Co., a line of hard kombucha drinks, with the help of Justin Medcraft, ex-global senior brand manager at Diageo and brand director at Pabst Brewing Company, their artist manager Danny Robson, and drinks trade expert Tom Appleton.^[35]

In 2023, they headlined Oshega Festival in Montreal, and Beyond the Valley in Melbourne.^[36][37]

2024–present: Inhale / Exhale

On 11 September 2024 the band announced that they would release their fifth studio album, Inhale / Exhale on 11 October 2024.^[38]

Band members

• Tyrone Lindqvist – vocals, guitar, keyboards
• Jon George – keyboards
• James Hunt – drums

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions				Certifications
		AUS [39]	NZ [40]	SWI [41]	US [42]
Atlas	Released: 9 August 2013 (AU)[9] Label: Sweat It Out Formats: CD, LP, digital download	1	—	—	—	ARIA: Platinum[43]
Bloom	Released: 22 January 2016 Label: Sweat It Out Formats: CD, LP, digital download	1	14	—	—	ARIA: Platinum[44]
Solace	Released: 19 October 2018 Label: Rose Avenue, Sony Music Australia Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	2	32	—	—	ARIA: Gold[45]
Surrender	Released: 22 October 2021[46] Label: Rose Avenue, Warner Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	1	27	89	—
Inhale / Exhale	Released: 11 October 2024[38] Label: Rose Avenue, Reprise Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	3	23	18	179
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Live albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		AUS [39]
Live from Joshua Tree	Released: 6 March 2020[47] Label: Rose Avenue, Reprise Formats: Digital download, streaming LP	14

Remix albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		AUS [39]
Solace Remixed	Released: 6 September 2019[48] Label: Rose Avenue Format: digital, 2×CD, 2×LP	69
Surrender (Remixes)	Released: 12 August 2022[49] Label: Rose Avenue Format: digital	—

Extended plays

Title	Details
Rüfüs	Released: 1 January 2011 (AU)[4] Label: Monekeleon Format: CD, DD
Blue	Released: 6 April 2012 (AU)[7] Label: Gigpiglet Format: CD, DD

Singles

Title	Year	Peak chart positions				Certifications	Album
		AUS [39]	AUS Indie [50]	NZ Hot [51]	US Dance/ Elec. [52]
"We Left"[5]	2011	—	—	—	—		Rüfüs
"This Summer" / "Selena"[8]	2012	—	—	—	—		Blue
"Take Me"	2013	61	2	—	—	ARIA: 2× Platinum[53]	Atlas
"Desert Night"		67	4	—	—	ARIA: Platinum[53]
"Tonight"		87	9	—	—	ARIA: Gold[53]
"Sundream"	2014	47	5	—	—	ARIA: 2× Platinum[53]
"You Were Right"	2015	22	1	—	—	ARIA: 6× Platinum[53]	Bloom
"Like an Animal"		44	4	—	—	ARIA: 3× Platinum[53]
"Innerbloom" (solo or What So Not remix)		65	5	—	—	ARIA: 3× Platinum[53]
"Say a Prayer for Me"	2016	58	4	—	—	ARIA: 2× Platinum[53]
"Be with You"[54]		—	—	—	—
"No Place"	2018	41	—[A]	—	31	ARIA: Platinum[55]	Solace
"Underwater"		77		—	42	ARIA: Platinum[55] MC: Gold[56]
"Lost in My Mind"		103		—	49	ARIA: Gold[55]
"Treat You Better"		158		—	28	ARIA: Platinum[55] MC: Gold[56]
"Alive"	2021	62	8	16	18		Surrender
"Next to Me"		60	8	22	19
"On My Knees"[28]		22	6	17	14	MC: Gold[56]
"I Don't Wanna Leave"[57]		70	—	10	20
"Something in the Way" (Like a Version)[58]	2023	—	—	—	—		Non-album single
"Music Is Better"[59]	2024	—[B]	2	18	35		Inhale / Exhale
"Lately"[61]		—[C]	—	16	30
"Break My Love"[63]		—[D]	4	16	28
"Pressure"[64]		—	13	13	30
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Album
		NZ Hot [51]	US Dance/ Elec. [52]
"Make It Happen"	2021	38	24	Surrender
"See You Again"		—	34
"Wildfire"		—	47
"Surrender" (featuring Curtis Harding)		—	37
"Devotion"		—	42
"Always"		—	39
"Inhale"	2024	30	44	Inhale / Exhale
"Breathe"		—	45
"Levitating"		16	32

Music videos

Title	Year	Director(s)
"We Left"	2011	Katzki[65]
"This Summer"	2012
"Take Me"	2013
"Desert Night"
"Tonight"
"Sundream"	2014	Katzki and Jackson Mullane[66]
"You Were Right"	2015	Katzki[67]
"Like an Animal"
"Say a Prayer for Me"	2016	Toby + Pete[68]
"Be with You"		Daperis Brothers[69]
"Innerbloom"		Katzki[70]
"No Place"	2018	Katzki[71]
"Lost in My Mind"		Drew Kirsch[72]
"Treat You Better"	2019	Leah Barylsky & Katzki[73]
"Next to Me"	2021	Osk[74]
"Alive"		James Frost[75]
"On My Knees"		Katzki & Ruff Mercy [76]
"I Don't Wanna Leave"		Katzki[77]
"Lately"	2024
"Break My Love"
"Music Is Better"

Awards and nominations

Rüfüs Du Sol have won an AIR Award: Best Independent Dance, Electronica Album, for Atlas (2014), two Electronic Music Awards: Record of the Year, for Innerbloom (Sasha remix, 2017), and Live Act of the Year (2017), and four ARIA Awards: Best Dance Release, for You Were Right (2015), Best Dance Release, for Solace (2019), Best Group (2021), Best Dance Release, for Alive (2021), with a fifth ARIA won by their mix engineer Cassian, Best Mixed Album, for Surrender (2022).

The band has also won a Grammy Award: Best Dance Recording, for Alive (2022), an APRA Award: Most Performed Dance/ Electronic Work of the Year, for On My Knees (2023), and a National Live Music Award: Best DJ/ Electronic Act (2023).

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2013	RÜFÜS	Carlton Dry Global Music Grant	Nominated[78]
	"Take Me"	Best Independent Dance/Electronica or Club Single	Nominated[78]
2014	Atlas	Best Independent Album	Nominated[79]
		Best Independent Dance, Electronica Album	Won[79][80]
	"Sundream"	Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single	Nominated[79]
2015	"You Were Right"	Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single	Nominated[81]

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. Rüfüs Du Sol has been nominated for one award.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
2020	"Treat You Better"	Most Performed Dance Work of the Year	Nominated	[82][83]
2023	"On My Knees"	Most Performed Australian Work of the Year	Nominated	[84] [85]
		Most Performed Dance / Electronic Work of the Year	Won

ARIA Music Awards

The annual ARIA Music Awards have been presented since 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). RÜFÜS/Rüfüs Du Sol have won four awards from twenty nominations.^[86]

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2013	Atlas	Breakthrough Artist – Release	Nominated
		Best Dance Release	Nominated
2014	"Sundream"	Best Group	Nominated
		Best Dance Release	Nominated
	Words Within Worlds Tour	Best Australian Live Act	Nominated
2015	"You Were Right"	Best Dance Release	Won
2016	Bloom	Album of the Year	Nominated
		Best Group	Nominated
		Best Dance Release	Nominated
	Bloom Tour	Best Australian Live Act	Nominated
	Jack Vanzet for RÜFÜS' Bloom'	Best Cover Art	Nominated
2018	"No Place"	Best Group	Nominated
		Best Dance Release	Nominated
2019[22]	Solace	Album of the Year	Nominated
		Best Group	Nominated
		Best Dance Release	Won
2020	2019 Summer Festival Tour	Best Australian Live Act	Nominated
2021[87]	"Alive"	Best Group	Won
		Best Dance Release	Won
2022[88]	Surrender	Album of the Year	Nominated
		Best Group	Nominated
		Best Dance/Electronic Release	Nominated
	"On My Knees"	Best Pop Release	Nominated
		Song of the Year	Nominated
	"I Don't Wanna Leave" – Rüfüs Du Sol, Katzki	Best Video	Nominated
	Cassian for Rüfüs Du Sol Surrender	Mix Engineer – Best Mixed Album	Nominated
2023[89]	Rüfüs Du Sol Australian 2022 Tour	Best Australian Live Act	Nominated
2024[90]	"Music Is Better"	Best Group	Nominated
		Best Dance/Electronic Release	Nominated
	"Lately" - Rüfüs Du Sol, Katzki	Best Video	Nominated
	Rüfüs Du Sol 2024 Australian Summer Tour Dates	Best Australian Live Act	Nominated

Electronic Music Awards

The Electronic Music Awards is an annual award show with an emphasis on the electronic music genre. It commenced in 2017. Rüfüs Du Sol have won two awards from three nominations.

Year	Category	Nominated Artist / Work	Result
2017	Record of the Year	"Innerbloom" (Sasha remix)	Won
	Remix of the Year	"Innerbloom" (Sasha remix)	Nominated
	Live Act of the Year	Rüfüs Du Sol	Won

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are an annual award ceremony presented by The Recording Academy, recognising achievements in the music industry.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
2020	Solace	Best Dance/Electronic Album	Nominated	[91]
	"Underwater"	Best Dance Recording	Nominated
2022	"Alive"		Won	[92]
2023	"On My Knees"		Nominated	[93]
	Surrender	Best Dance/Electronic Album	Nominated

J Awards

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
2013	Atlas	Australian Album of the Year	Nominated	[94]
2018	Solace	Australian Album of the Year	Nominated	[95]
2021	Surrender	Australian Album of the Year	Nominated	[96][97]
2024	Inhale/Exhale	Australian Album of the Year	Nominated	[98]

National Live Music Awards

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
2016	Themselves	Live Electronic Act (or DJ) of the Year	Nominated	[99]
		International Live Achievement (Group)	Nominated
2019	Themselves	Live Electronic Act (or DJ) of the Year	Nominated	[100][101]
		International Live Achievement (Group)	Nominated
2023	Matthew Smith and Alex ‘Katzki’ George (Rüfüs Du Sol)	Best Stage & Light Design	Nominated	[102][103]
	Rüfüs Du Sol	Best DJ/Electronic Act	Won

Rolling Stone Australia Awards

The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.^[104]

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
2022	Rüfüs Du Sol	Rolling Stone Readers' Choice Award	Nominated	[105]
	Rüfüs Du Sol	Rolling Stone Global Award	Nominated
	"Alive"	Best Single	Nominated
2023	Rüfüs Du Sol	Rolling Stone Global Award	Nominated	[106]
2025	Inhale/Exhale	Best LP/EP	Shortlisted	[107]
	"Lately"	Best Single	Shortlisted

Notes

1. In 2018, Rüfüs Du Sol's music was distributed by Sony Music Australia as such, their songs are ineligible for the Australian Indie chart.
2. "Music Is Better" did not enter the Australian top 100, but peaked at number 17 on the ARIA Australian Artist Singles Chart^[60]
3. "Lately" did not enter the Australian top 100, but peaked at number 17 on the ARIA Australian Artist Singles Chart^[62]
4. "Break My Love" did not enter the Australian top 100, but peaked at number 20 on the ARIA Australian Artist Singles Chart^[62]