You probably wouldn't recognize him if you passed him on the street -- and chances are you don't know how to pronounce his stage name -- but Wally De Backer, a.k.a. Gotye, is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet right now, thanks to his smash hit 'Somebody That I Used to Know.' Curious about the man behind the song? So was the Village Voice, so they went to the source for an in-depth interview about his life, his current success, and his plans for the future.

Asked how he laid the groundwork for what's shaping up to be a huge year, Gotye speculated "Some of it is due to my persistence," but quickly added, "Just the song 'Somebody That I Used To Know' has had a potent response. It does feel like it's kinda huge because of those things that have happened with the record and with the single, but there is also an aspect when I feel like there has been consistently upward momentum that I have had for about 10 years."

Reflecting on why he thinks his breakup anthem has become such a runaway hit, he mused, "I get the feeling that there is an element of truth or a reflection of reality ... this reflection of the range of emotions that can flare up after a relationship breaks up -- and especially the memory of how you felt at different times changes -- the picture and potentially blurs your confidence on how you felt, or how you feel at the time."

Gotye's immediate future includes plenty of touring, including his first American festival appearance at Coachella this month, but he's still making time to work on new music. Asked if he can talk about upcoming projects, he teased, "There is a lot of stuff people can find on my YouTube and video channels. Ya know, live visuals, and other things, all the songs. And yeah, people should go exploring."

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