In 2011, Nicholas Murphy recorded a cover of No Diggity late one night just for his friends. Shared by a handful of people, the song spread like wildfire until reaching #1 on the indie blog charts Hype Machine, and so the Chet Faker identity was born – an ode to Chet Baker’s singing style but incorporating the influence of a youth spent producing house and disco.
Before Chet Faker, Murphy spent his time in suburban Melbourne, Australia. Splitting his musical output between a penchant for soft and soulful singer-songwriter work and an appetite for electronic music production. But it was when he coupled his love of the analogue sounds of early dance music – only this time slowing the tempo – with his natural ability for RnB soaked vocals, that something truly exciting happened.
A handful of Chet Faker originals on soundcloud saw A&Rs from around the world knocking at his door, and he soon began recording his debut EP and creating the Chet Faker live show with 4-piece band backed by samples and an electronic soundscape.
An invite to SXSW quickly followed and by March 2012, he had played a stand-out performance at the festival’s Filter Magazine Party and was touted as a ‘must see’ act by The Austin Chronicle.
Soon after, his debut EP Thinking In Textures was released on Opulent / Remote Control in Australia, Chess Club Records in the UK and Downtown Records in the USA, to widespread acclaim.
Chet went on to sell out two tours across Australia, before taking off to the UK to perform at The Great Escape Festival with sold out shows in London. Meanwhile, his debut EP picked up spins from Gilles Petersen, Mary Anne Hobbs, Huw Stephens, Rob da Bank and was featured in Zane Lowe’s ‘Next Hype’ section.
Chet has since played at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Vivid Live Festival, played at the Laneway Festival, and been featured at LA’s tastemaker School’s Night.
Chet Faker was nominated for five Jagermeister Independent Music Awards, winning for Best Independent Single/EP and Breakthrough Independent Artist. He was also nominated for two Rolling Stone Awards for Best New Talent and Best Independent Release, winning Best Independent Release.
Recently, Chet Faker collaborated with fellow Australian up-and-comer Flume on the track Left Alone, which has been playlisted on BBC6, receiving support from Annie Mac and Gilles Petersen, and featured on DummyMag, Complex and Prefix Magazine.
Chet is currently recording his debut album when he isn’t lending his voice to the outback disco project Coober Pedy University Band on Soft Rock’s label Kinfolk, producing for Rainy Milo and working on an EP with Flume.
