Flume says it was nerve-wracking working with his idol, Damon Albarn.
Blur and Gorillaz star Damon, 54, is featured on the Australian record producer’s title track from his latest studio album, ‘Palaces’, but he very nearly didn’t make it onto the LP at all, as the ‘Parklife’ hitmaker wasn’t a fan of the songs Flume showed him.
Speaking to NME, the 30-year-old DJ – whose real name is Harley Streten – said: “We were both playing the LA festival Life Is Beautiful and linked up afterwards, and went to some weird studio in the middle of nowhere in the desert.
“I was nervous because I’m a huge fan.”
Flume was relieved when Damon finally took an interest in ‘Palaces’.
He spilled: “He was like ‘Alright, there’s something in this, this is cool’.”
“After he came round to one of the songs, I did think ‘Thank f*** for that!”
The album also features Caroline Polachek on ‘Sirens’.
Flume’s comeback comes after he revealed he nearly quit music due to severe anxiety, which drove him to self-medicate.
The music star noticed similarities in the way he was dealing with his mental health to those of the late Avicii – whose family said he “could not go on any longer” after years of health worries caused by stress and alcohol abuse.
Flume admitted he would drink booze and get high to make himself feel confident enough to go on stage.
In a candid interview in 2020, he said: “I mean I used a lot of alcohol.
“Like, when performing, I would drink to calm nerves.
“I would drink to make it bearable, which sounds crazy but really it’s the truth.
“I’m just not a performer and I’ve definitely used alcohol to feel comfortable on stage in front of people.”
Flume has changed his ways and no longer drinks before his concerts, but that hasn’t stopped him feeling anxious.
He continued: “Now I don’t drink before shows, because I kind of realised that was a pattern, and it was getting pretty bad.
“The second I enter the festival I’m riddled with anxiety.
“Even to this day, after I’ve done thousands of shows, I still get anxious.”
On how similar his behaviour was to the ‘Wake Me Up’ hitmaker – who tragically took his own life aged 28 in April 2018 – he said: “I think people like Avicii and things, are literally the same as me.
“And he died because he was medicating himself just like I was, with alcohol, drugs, whatever. He wasn’t happy.”
Flume came close to quitting music until he decided to face his issues head-on by seeing a therapist.
He said: “I was at a point where I was like ‘I don’t wanna do this anymore.’
“When I have to use alcohol, like, I’m not having fun with this.
“I think I wanna quit unless I can figure something else out.
“I went to a therapist and I was like ‘I hate my job, and it’s f***ed that I can even say that because I have an incredible job that people dream of having.
“I feel like a bad person for saying that, but I love making music but I hate touring.'”
The ‘Sleepless’ star had doubts about going on medication for anxiety but admitted without it, he would’ve had to quit touring.
‘Palaces’ is the follow-up to 2016’s Grammy-winning ‘Skin’.