Nicholas James Murphy (born 23 June 1988), known professionally as Chet Faker, is an Australian singer and songwriter. In 2012, as Chet Faker, he issued an extended play, Thinking in Textures, and signed to Downtown Records in the United States.[1][2] In October 2012, he won Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Thinking in Textures won Best Independent Single/EP at the Australian Independent Records Awards.[3] In January 2013, the work won Best Independent Release at the Rolling Stone Australia Awards for 2012.[4]
In September 2016, Murphy dropped the Chet Faker name to start performing and releasing material under his birth name, beginning with the release of a pair of singles later that year, and the Missing Link extended play in 2017.[9] Murphy's second studio album – the first under his birth name – Run Fast Sleep Naked was released in April 2019.[10] This was followed up by a surprise instrumental album, Music for Silence, in March 2020, initially released via the Calm meditation app.[11]
In October 2020, four years after dropping the moniker, Murphy revived the Chet Faker name for the release of a new single, "Low".[12]
Career
Early career
Murphy played under his stage name after people came to his shows thinking he was a different and already established musician, Nick Murphy. He settled on the name as a homage to Chet Baker: "I listened to a lot of jazz and I was a big fan of ... the way he sang, when he moved into mainstream singing. He had this really fragile vocal style—this really, broken, close-up and intimate style. The name is kind of just an ode to Chet Baker and the mood of music he used to play—something I would like to at least pay homage to in my own music."[13] Other influences he has cited include Bob Dylan, as well as his mother's Motown albums and his father's "chilled out Ibiza CDs".[13][14]
Thinking in Textures and collaborations (2011–13)
He first rose to prominence after his cover of Blackstreet's "No Diggity" went viral online, reaching number one on the Hypemachine chart in May 2011.[13] He released his first extended play, Thinking in Textures, on 22 March 2012 to positive reviews, being described as "wonderfully loungey" and praised for its ability to "mix subtlety with impressive beauty".[15] The EP was also popular with fans, with its second single, "I'm into You", landing at number 24 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2012.[16]
Murphy has collaborated with Flume and remixes of songs by MS MR and The Temper Trap. He was a featured vocalist on Say Lou Lou's "Fool of Me", which was named Best New Track by Pitchfork in May 2013.[17]
On 12 August 2013, Murphy released a new single, "Melt", featuring American vocalist Kilo Kish.[18] In November 2013 Flume and Murphy released an EP, titled Lockjaw. Murphy released his debut studio album, Built on Glass, on 11 April 2014.[19] The album's full release was preceded by its lead single, "Talk Is Cheap", and an accompanying music video on 11 February 2014.[20] The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts.[7]
Murphy performed at the Boston Calling Music Festival in May 2015.[21] Later that month, "Talk Is Cheap" was named the number-one song in the 2014 Triple J Hottest 100, while two other singles, "Gold" and "1998", also reached the top ten, placing at number 7 and 8, respectively.[22] In June, Murphy released a new single, "Bend", a previously unreleased track intended for Built on Glass.[23] It was promoted by his Australian Built on Live tour in October.[24]
Murphy released a new EP, Work, a collaboration with London-based DJ Marcus Marr on 4 December 2015.[25]
Nick Murphy (2016–2019)
On 8 September 2016, the artist wrote on his Facebook page, "It's been half a decade since I started releasing music as Chet Faker and all of you have been the driving force behind the music since. There's an evolution happening and I wanted to let you know where it's going. The next record will be under my own name, Nick Murphy. Chet Faker will always be a part of the music. This is next."[26][non-primary source needed][27][28]
Chet Faker revival (2020)
In October 2020, Murphy revived the Chet Faker social media accounts and released "Low", his first single under the Chet Faker moniker since 2016. This marked his first release through BMG Australia & New Zealand, with whom he had recently signed a record deal.[29]
Discography
Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
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.
The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The AMP was established in 2005.
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. The J Awards were established in 2005.
The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001.[120] Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
^"Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
^"Dance Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
