Shane Nicholson (singer)

Shane Nicholson
Nicholson performing at the Dashville Skyline in October 2015
Background information
Born	Brisbane, Australia
Genres	Country, Americana
Occupation(s)	Musician
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Virt Records, Liberation Records, EMI Records, Warner Bros. Records, WEA
Website	shanenicholson.com

Shane Nicholson is an Australian singer-songwriter from Brisbane. He has released 11 albums, both in Australia and internationally, and has won 3 ARIA Awards, 15 Golden Guitars, and 2 APRA Awards. He's twice been named Producer of the Year at the Country Music Awards of Australia. ^[1]

Career

1990s–2001: Freak and Pretty Violet Stain

During his final year of high school, Nicholson was part of a band called Freak, which won an early round of Triple J Unearthed competition in the Sunshine Coast division. ^[2] Shortly after this, the band name changed to Pretty Violet Stain and released an extended play in 1997 called Blush. ^[3] This was followed by singles "If the Money's Right", "Never Come Down" and "Talk" and album Parachutes and Gravity, which was released in 2000. The band split shortly after.

2002–2007: It's a Movie and Faith and Science

Nicholson signed with EastWest and released his debut studio album It's a Movie in 2002. It was during the recording of this album with Nash Chambers that Nicholson met Kasey Chambers. The two dueted on the lead single, "Designed to Fade".

He toured in Australia and made his United States debut at the South by Southwest Festival, which prompted his signing with Virt Records and a more extensive American tour. ^[4] USA Today named It's a Movie one of the top pop albums of 2004. ^[5]

A second solo album, Faith and Science, was released in 2006 and included the single "I Know What You Need", which became his first charting single, peaking at number 54.

2008–2013: Albums with Kasey Chambers, Familiar Ghosts and Bad Machines

Main articles: Rattlin' Bones, Bad Machines, and Wreck & Ruin

Nicholson joined with wife Kasey Chambers for the album Rattlin' Bones , which was released in April 2008 and debuted at number 1 on the ARIA charts. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2008, it won ARIA Award for Best Country Album. The album won five Golden Guitar Awards at the Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) in January 2009.

Between tours he recorded a third solo album, Familiar Ghosts, which was released in November 2008 and was nominated for an Best Country Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009. This coincided with Nicholson moving into music production.

In March 2011, Nicholson released his sixth solo album, Bad Machines , which peaked at number 29. Nicholson and his wife welcomed a baby girl on 6 October 2011, named Poet Poppin Nicholson.

At the January 2012 CMAA, Nicholson won the Song of the Year for his song, "Bad Machines". Also in 2012, Nicholson won the APRA Country Work of the Year award for "Famous Last Words".

In September 2012, Nicholson and Chambers released a second collaborative album, Wreck & Ruin was peaked at number 6 on the ARIA Charts. The album was nominated for 5 awards at the 2013 CMAA awards, ultimately winning the couple the award for "Group/Duo of the Year". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2013, the album won Best Country Album. Nicholson was named Producer of the Year at the 2013 Country Music Awards of Australia.

On 23 April 2013, it was announced that Nicholson and Kasey Chambers had separated, with the collision of work and family life said to have forced their split. ^[6]

2014–2020: Hell Breaks Loose and Love and Blood

Main articles: Hell Breaks Loose (album) and Love and Blood (album)

In 2014, Nicholson signed a new recording deal with Lost Highway Australia/Universal Music, and released his first live album, Pitch, Roll & Yaw – Live and Solo.

June 2015 saw the release of "Secondhand Man", the first single from Nicholson's album Hell Breaks Loose . The album was written amongst the break up of this married to Chambers. ^[7] Released in August 2015, it debuted at No. 16 on the ARIA chart.

Hell Breaks Loose won the ARIA award for Best Country Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2015 and received 7 CMAA nominations at the 2016 CMAA awards. The album won Alternative Country Album of the Year Award. ^[8]

Love and Blood was released in July 2017 and debuted at No. 28 on the ARIA chart. It was nominated for Best Country Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017. At the CMAA in January 2018, Nicholson won Male Artist of the Year. ^[9]

Nicholson appeared as an on-camera music producer in ABC television production of The Recording Studio , a 10-part series that ran in April 2019. ^[10] The music from the series won the 2019 ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album. ^[11]

In May 2019, Nicholson was signed a publishing deal with Cooking Vinyl Australia. ^[12]

On 3 April 2020, Nicholson confirmed the digital reissued of his back-catalogue. ^[13]

2021: Living in Colour

Main article: Living in Colour

In July 2021, Nicholson announced the release of his forthcoming studio album, Living in Colour . The album was released on 20 August 2021. ^[14] August also saw the release of Camille Trail's album River of Sin which Nicholson had produced. ^[15] It debuted at #34 on the ARIA Country Music Charts, and #5 on the ARIA Australian Country Music Charts. ^{[16] [17]}

Personal life

On 17 December 2005 Nicholson married fellow country music singer-songwriter, Kasey Chambers. ^[18] In 2002, Chambers sung on Nicholson's debut solo album "Designed to Fade", which was produced by Kasey's brother, Nash. ^[19] Subsequently, they co-released two albums, Rattlin' Bones (2008) and Wreck & Ruin (2012). Chambers and Nicholson have two children: son Arlo Ray (2007) and daughter Poet Poppin (2011). In April 2013 the couple announced their separation. ^[20]

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Certifications
		AUS [21]
It's a Movie	Released: 2002 Label: EastWest / Warner (245577, 0927455772) Formats: CD	—
Faith & Science	Released: 2006 Label: Essence / EMI (094636128429) Formats: CD	—
Rattlin' Bones (with Kasey Chambers)	Released: 21 April 2008 Label: Essence / Liberation (LMCD005) Formats: CD, LP, download	1	ARIA: Platinum [22]
Familiar Ghosts	Released: 2008 Label: Liberation (LMCD025) Formats: CD, download	—
Bad Machines [23]	Released: March 2011 Label: Liberation (LMCD0127) Formats: CD, download	29
Wreck & Ruin (with Kasey Chambers)	Released: 23 October 2012 Label: Essence / Liberation (LMCD0178) Formats: CD, LP, download	6
Hell Breaks Loose	Released: August 2015 Label: Lost Highway Australia, UMA (4745547) Formats: CD, LP, download	16
Love and Blood	Released: August 2017 Label: Lost Highway Australia, UMA (5772093) Formats: CD, LP, download	28
Living in Colour	Released: 20 August 2021 [14] Label: Lost Highway Australia, Island (3807851) Formats: CD, LP, download, streaming	68

Soundtrack albums

List of soundtrack albums with selected details

Title	Album details
Mad Bastards (with The Pigram Brothers, Alex Lloyd & Kasey Chambers)	Released: 2011 Label: Bush Turkey Films (BTF001) Formats: CD, Digital download

Live albums

List of live albums with selected details

Title	Album details
Pitch, Roll & Yaw – Live and Solo	Released: November 2014 Label: UMA (4711153) Formats: CD, digital download

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums with selected details

Title	Album details
Sleeping Dogs – The Rarities	Released: 2011 [24] Label: Shane Nicholson Formats: CD

EPs

List of EP with selected details

Title	Album details
It's a Home Movie	Released: 2002 Label: EastWest / Warner (SHANSAM002) Formats: Promotional CD
Exit Wounds	Released: 2011 Label: Liberation / UMA Formats: CD, download

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album
		AUS [21]
"Designed to Fade"	2002	—	It's a Movie
"I Wish I Was You (Sometimes)"	2003	—
"I Know What You Need"	2006	54	Faith & Science
"Safe and Sound"	2007	—
"Rattlin' Bones" (with Kasey Chambers)	2008	55	Rattlin' Bones
"Monkey on a Wire" (with Kasey Chambers)		—
"Summer Dress"		—	Familiar Ghosts
"Wildflower" (with Kasey Chambers) [25]	2009	—	Rattlin' Bones
"Where the Water Goes" [26]		—	Familiar Ghosts
"Bad Machines" [27]	2010	—	Bad Machines
"Famous Last Words" [28]	2011	—
"Whistling Cannonballs" (with Paul Kelly) [29]		—
"Jimmie Rodgers Was a Vampire"		—
"Adam & Eve" (with Kasey Chambers) [30]	2012	—	Wreck & Ruin
"The Quiet Life" (with Kasey Chambers)		—
"Wreck & Ruin" (with Kasey Chambers)	2013	—
"Secondhand Man" [31]	2015	—	Hell Breaks Loose
"When the Money's All Gone" [32]		—
"Weight of the World" [33]	2016	—
"Safe" [34]	2017	—	Love and Blood
"I Don't Dance" [35]		—
"Even If You Were the One" [36]		—
"As Above, So Below" (with Aleyce Simmonds) [37]	2018	—	More Than Meets the Eye
"The High Price of Surviving" [38]	2020	—	Living in Colour [14]
"Long Way from Lonely" (with Hunger Kaine) [39]		—	non album singles
"Don't Take John Prine" [40]		—
"Harvest On Vinyl" [41]	2021	—	Living in Colour
"Life Ain't Fine" [42]		—
"And You Will Have Your Way" [14]		—
"Sometimes" (with Tori Forsyth) [43]	2023	—

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

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.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
AIR Awards of 2011 [44] [45]	Bad Machines	Best Independent Artist	Nominated

Americana Music Awards

The Americana Music Honors & Awards honours distinguished members of the music community. Nicholson has been nominated twice. ^{[46] [47]}

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2009	Nicholson and Kasey Chambers	Best Duo/ Group of the Year	Nominated
2010	"Rattlin' Bones" (with Kasey Chambers)	Song of the Year	Nominated

APRA Music Awards

The APRA Music Awards is annual awards ceremony that celebrate excellence in contemporary music, which honour the skills of member composers, songwriters and publishers who have achieved outstanding success in sales and airplay performance. Nicholson has won two awards from five nominations.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2009	"Rattlin Bones" (with Kasey Chambers)	Song of the Year	Nominated
		Country Work of the Year	Won
2012	"Bad Machines"	Country Work of the Year	Nominated
		Song of the Year [48]	Shortlisted
	Country Work of the Year	"Famous Last Words"	Won
2013	"Adam and Eve" (Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson)	Song of the Year [49]	Shortlisted
	"The Quiet Life" (Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson)		Shortlisted
2016	"Secondhand Man"	Country Work of the Year	Nominated
		Song of the Year [50]	Shortlisted

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Nicholson has won three awards from eleven nominations. ^[51]

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2008	Rattlin' Bones(with Kasey Chambers)	Best Country Album	Won
		Album of the Year	Nominated
	Aaron Hayward & David Homer for Rattlin' Bones	Best Cover Art	Nominated
2009	Rattlin' Bones Max Sessions(with Kasey Chambers)	Best Music DVD	Nominated
	Familiar Ghosts	Best Country Album	Nominated
2011	Bad Machines	Best Country Album	Nominated
2013	Wreck & Ruin(with Kasey Chambers)	Best Country Album	Won
	Glen Hannah for Wreck & Ruin	Best Cover Art	Nominated
2015	Hell Breaks Loose	Best Country Album	Won
	"Secondhand Man" (directed by Filmery)	Best Video	Nominated
2017	Love and Blood	Best Country Album	Nominated
2021 [52] [53]	Living in Colour	Best Country Album	Nominated

Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. Nicholson has won fifteen awards. ^{[54] [55] [56] [57] [8] [9] [58] [59]}

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2009	Rattlin' Bones(with Kasey Chambers)	Album of the Year	Won
		Highest Selling Album	Won
	"Rattlin' Bones" (with Kasey Chambers)	Song of the Year	Won
		Single of the Year	Won
		Video of the Year	Won
	himself with Kasey Chambers	Group/Duo of the Year	Nominated
2012	Bad Machines	Album of the Year	Nominated
	"Bad Machines"	Song of the Year	Won
		Single of the Year	Nominated
		Male Artist of the Year	Nominated
	"Whistling Cannonballs" (with Paul Kelly)	Vocal Collaboration of the Year	Nominated
	"Famous Last Words"	Video of the Year	Nominated
	Songs & Pictures by Beccy Cole	Producer of the Year	Nominated
2013	Wreck & Ruin(with Kasey Chambers)	Album of the Year	Nominated
	"Adam & Eve" (with Kasey Chambers)	Group or Duo of the Year	Won
		Song of the Year	Nominated
		Single of the Year	Nominated
		Video of the Year	Nominated
	"Reach For You" (with Harmony James)	Vocal collaboration of the Year	Nominated
	himself	Producer of the Year	Won
2016	Hell Breaks Loose	Alternative Country Album of the Year	Won
		Male Artist of the Year	Nominated
		Top Selling Album of the Year	Nominated
	"Secondhand Man"	Song of the Year	Nominated
		Single of the Year	Nominated
		Video Clip of the Year	Nominated
	"Hermannsburg"	Heritage Song of the Year	Nominated
	Producer of the Year	Sweet Rebecca by Beccy Cole	Nominated
2018	Love and Blood	Alternative Country Album of the Year	Nominated
		Male Artist of the Year	Won
	"Safe"	Single of the Year	Nominated
		Song of the Year	Nominated
2021	"The High Price of Surviving"	Song of the Year	Won
		Video of the Year	Nominated
2022 [59]	Living in Colour	Album of the Year	Won
		Alt Country Album of the Year	Won
	And You Will Have Your Way"	Song of the Year	Won
		Single of the Year	Won
2023 [60]	"Wiser" (with Lyn Bowtell)	Vocal Collaboration of the Year	Nominated
2024 [61] [62]	"Sometimes" (with Toni Forsyth)	Vocal Collaboration of the Year	Pending

Selected Production work

Year	Artist	Album	Notes
2009	Lou Bradley	La La La Not Listening
2010	Catherine Britt	Catherine Britt	ARIA Award for Best Country Album, nominated (2010)
2011	Beccy Cole	Songs & Pictures	ARIA Award for Best Country Album, nominated (2012)
2012	Quarry Mountain Dead Rats	Bloodhound Killed My Squeezebox
2013	Alex Lloyd	Urban Wilderness
2014	Lyn Bowtell	Heart of Sorrow
2014	Jodi Martin	Saltwater
2015	Beccy Cole	Sweet Rebecca
2015	Suze DeMarchi	Home
2016	Katie Brianna	The Victim or The Heroine
2016	Jason Walker	All-Night Ghost Town
2016	Amber Lawrence	Happy Ever After
2016	Tori Forsyth	Dawn of the Dark	CMAA Alternative Country Album of the Year, nominated (2017)
2018	Ben Leece	No Wonder The World Is Exhausted
2021	Camille Trail	River of Sins

References

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External links

• Official site
• Entry at Allmusic