Illy and Vera Blue toasting success with their unlikely collaboration, Papercuts

ILLY and Vera Blue may have seemed an unlikely pairing but the Australian artists are the latest odd couple to create musical alchemy in the charts.

ILLY and Vera Blue may have seemed an unlikely pairing but the Australian artists have created musical alchemy with their collaboration on the hit single Papercuts.

The award-winning hip hop chart-topper and ethereally-voiced indie pop sensation were sitting pretty at No. 1 on iTunes as they performed it live for the first time at the Splendour In the Grass festival last weekend.

The success of Papercuts follows a raft of surprising hook-ups among Australian artists as they ignore genre divides to create beautiful music together.

Pop stars including Flume, Delta Goodrem and Guy Sebastian have courted international voices for their tracks.

The duets — now known as “features” — are proving to be chart gold as music fans embrace the bold collisions of hip hop, pop, R & B and rock.

Two musical worlds collide on the new Illy and Vera Blue hit Papercuts. Picture: Tim Hunter

Vera Blue, the artistic alter ego of Celia Pavey who finished third on The Voice in 2013, has become a Triple J darling since releasing her debut EP, Fingertips, in May.

Illy, known as Al Murray on his passport, was good mates with Pavey’s manager and was prompted by his girlfriend to ask if Vera Blue would be interested in singing on Papercuts.

Pavey admits she isn’t much of a hip hop aficionado but her brother James is a huge Illy fan so his approval was a big tick for the collaboration.

But it was the song itself about warring partners in a relationship and the opportunity to contribute her own lyrics for the bridge which sold the deal for her.

“I always listen to lyrics first and I was going through exactly what the song was about,” Pavey says.

“This is my first work with an Australian rapper and normally I would want to write my own thing but this was great.

“And there was a space in the bridge where I could write something.”

Australian artists haven’t always been willing or able to record duets, with labels or managers often blocking collaborations because they felt they weren’t a good fit.

Now the charts are bursting with hits including the credits of a guest vocalist with Rihanna, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Pitbull and Justin Bieber among the most likely to “feature”.

While the Hilltop Hoods, 360, Sebastian and Illy have regularly sought out song partners, it is becoming more popular as the local industry wakes up to the fact that two voices can equal a bigger audience.

“Our generation takes a lot of cues from what is happening in America and also their tastes are not defined by one genre; they listen to everything,” Murray says.

“The idea of using guests isn’t foreign now and it can make for really interesting art. That’s what happened here.”

Vera Blue was the most “featured” singer at this year’s Splendour festival.

She also performed with Perth production duo Slumberjack and joined Flume to sing his monster hit Never Be Like You, replacing Canadian vocalist Kai who recorded the track.

Her popularity is escalating rapidly with almost all dates on her September tour sold out.

“It’s just very special to be able to work with other Australian talent,” she says.

“I loved it all but I was a bit angsty before each performance, just wanting to focus on what we were doing.

“I put every single inch of emotion into what I do and the collaboration with Illy, I felt such an emotional connection to the music.”

Paces and Guy Sebastian are making cool grooves together. Picture: Supplied.

She wasn’t the only one making her Splendour debut. Sebastian was invited to sing and play keyboards during the set by respected producer Paces, aka Mikey Perry.

The X Factor coach is no stranger to chart-topping collaborations having enjoyed megahits with Eve and Lupe Fiasco.

Desert, his song with Paces, may not reach the top 10 but it has opened the doors of Triple J to him where the pair performed for the popular Like a Version segment and got him on the hallowed Splendour stage.

“I’d been a fan of Mikey’s work for a while and reached out to him late last year to write together,” Sebastian says about his collaborations with Paces.

“We have kept in touch ever since and then Mikey sent Desert to me and I put my vocals on the track for his album.”

Perry admits he was just as gobsmacked when the record-breaking, award-winning chart star and television personality reached out to him.

“Life can be a crazy thing sometimes” he says.

“I’ve been working with Guy on some tracks for his album. He’s an actual musical genius, he definitely doesn’t need my help, he could do everything himself but I think he just doesn’t have the time.

“I learnt so much while working in his studio.”

Our most beloved duets

The Australian songbook has featured many beloved and popular meetings of musical minds in the past 50 years.

Hey Paula cover was a big hit for Ernie Sigley and Denise Drysdale. Picture: Supplied.

Hey Paula, Ernie Sigley and Denise Drysdale

Their reboot of the 1963 hit for Paul and Paula went to No. 1 in Australia in 1974 and helped Sigley win the Gold Logie in 1975.

Neighbours superstars Kylie and Jason hit the top of the charts with Especially For You. Picture: Barry McKinnon.

Especially For You, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan

The two on-screen and off-screen Neighbours lovers proved to be chart gold when they recorded this cheesy duet in 1988, smashing to the top of the charts in the UK and Europe and No. 2 back home.

The Kings of Pop were a mighty musical force when paired on a soul classic in the early 1990s. Picture: Supplied.

When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham

The remake of the Sam and Dave classic by two of Australia’s leading music men for Barnesy’s Soul Deep album reached No. 3 on the Australian charts and the top 10 in New Zealand in 1991.

Way Out West, James Blundell and James Reyne

Another eyebrow-raising collaboration pitched the good-looking king of country with the revered rocker for a remake of The Dingoes hit from 1973. Reaching No. 2, it was the highest charting single for both men in 1992.

Kylie even got up at the Big Day Out with Nick Cave in 1996 to sing Where The Wild Roses Grow. Picture: Troy Bendich.

Where The Wild Roses Grow, Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue

One of the most shocking pairings in Australian music history brought the Prince of Darkness together with the Princess of Pop for a No. 2 hit two decades ago.

Somebody That I Used To Know, Gotye and Kimbra

The biggest Australian duet hit of the modern era won a cabinet full of awards including a couple of Grammys and reached No. 1 in 23 countries and the top 10 in dozens more in 2012.

360 with Daniel Johns for Impossible was a bold experiment but the rapper enjoyed more success linking with Gossling. Picture: Supplied

Impossible, 360 and Daniel Johns

360 became a chart star when he introduced Gossling to the pop charts with Boys Like You in 2011. The unexpected collaboration between the rapper and former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns reached the top 30 in 2014.

Hilltop Hoods know jow to pick a winning guest teaming with Sia and Montaigne for top 3 hits. Picture: Britta Campion.

1955, Hilltop Hoods with Montaigne and Tom Thum

One of this year’s biggest local hits reached No. 2 and helped introduce Sydney singer Montaigne to a mainstream audiences ahead of the release of her debut album in August.

The pop princess and the rapper combo worked for Delta Goodrem and Gizzle. Picture: Adam Taylor

Enough, Delta Goodrem and Gizzle

Australia’s sweetheart enlisted Los Angeles rapper Gizzle for her first foray into a genre collision between pop and hip hop, peaking at No. 27 on the ARIA charts.