Chet Faker

Biography

Nicholas James Murphy, born on 23 June 1988 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adopted the stage name Chet Faker as an homage to jazz musician Chet Baker. Influenced by Bob Dylan, his mother's Motown albums, and his father's chilled-out Ibiza CDs, Murphy spent eight years making music privately before gaining public attention. His career breakthrough came in 2011 when his cover of Blackstreet's 'No Diggity' went viral, topping the Hypemachine chart and later featured in a 2013 Super Bowl commercial for Beck's Sapphire.[1][2][4]

Murphy released his debut EP Thinking in Textures in 2012, earning Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Independent Single/EP at the Australian Independent Records Awards, as well as Best Independent Release at the Rolling Stone Australia Awards. Signing with Downtown Records in the US, he collaborated with artists like Flume on the Lockjaw EP, featuring the hit 'Drop the Game'. His debut album Built on Glass (2014) debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts, with 'Talk Is Cheap' topping Triple J's Hottest 100 and tracks like 'Gold' gaining international exposure, including an Apple MacBook ad and performances at Coachella and on Ellen.[1][2][3][5]

In 2016, Murphy retired the Chet Faker moniker to perform under his birth name, releasing singles, the Missing Link EP (2017), Run Fast Sleep Naked (2019), and Music for Silence (2020). He later revived Chet Faker with Hotel Surrender (2021), expanding his electronica sound with loungey, sultry elements blending subtlety and beauty, and continued activity into the 2020s, including 'A Love for Strangers'.[2][4][5][9]

Fun Facts

• Spent eight years making music privately before his 2011 viral breakout with 'No Diggity'.[3]
• His 'No Diggity' cover was featured in a 2013 Super Bowl ad for Beck's Sapphire.[2]
• 'Talk Is Cheap' music video depicts his upper body thawing from ice and being overtaken by foliage.[3]
• Moved to New York post-Built on Glass, working in a tiny, cramped soundproofed studio.[5]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Chet Baker - Primary stylistic inspiration for stage name and sound (Homage in overall Chet Faker project) [2000s-2010s]
• Bob Dylan - Cited musical influence (General stylistic influence) [Ongoing]

Key Collaborators

• Flume - Future Classic labelmate and EP collaborator (Lockjaw EP including 'Drop the Game') [2013-2014]
• Say Lou Lou - Featured vocalist ('Fool of Me' (Pitchfork Best New Track)) [2013]
• Marcus Marr - Collaboration on single ('The Trouble With Us') [2016]
• GoldLink - Co-collaboration on single ('On You') [2014]
• Bonobo - Featured on album track ('No Reason' on Migration) [2017]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #downtempo, #electronica, #soul