Biography
Brendan Maclean first made an impact as a musician when his break-up single ‘Stupid’ sent ripples online from his bedroom in Sydney across the U.S.A and saw him sign with the Universal Music Publishing Group as a songwriter in 2014.
Studio sessions across New York and LA resulted in the creation of his über fabulous electropop album ‘funbang1,’. The lead single House of Air and its accompanying short film created global controversy for its adult content but was later hailed by the New Yorker as one of the best music videos of the decade. His follow-up And The Boyfriends, an unexpected alt-rock album, peaked in the Australian album charts at number two.
Alongside his original material shines Brendan’s critically acclaimed work on the stage. 2015 saw him cast in the smash hit disco cabaret ‘Velvet’ starring opposite Marcia Hines. The production, directed by Craig Ilot, earned Maclean an ARIA nomination, (Best Original Cast Recording) with the show going on to play sold-out performances across three continents. Ilot would make Brendan as his leading man again in 2021 with the glamorous French cabaret L’hotel, commissioned by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. In early 2022 Brendan was announced as the lead in The Hayes Theatre production of Jekyll & Hyde, marking his first appearance in a musical.
Maclean’s career on screen continues to blossom: After his role as Klipspringer in Baz Luhrmann’s adaption of The Great Gatsby, Brendan landed his first major tv role as Eli in the ABC comedy F***ing Adelaide, directed by Sophie Hyde. The six-part series adapted Brendan’s single Winner for its closing credits and Sophie Hyde later used Maclean’s synth-heavy torch song Never Enough in her 2019 feature film Animals.