The Mint Chicks
The Mint Chicks | |
---|---|
Years active | 2001–2010 |
Labels | |
Past members | Ruban Nielson Kody Nielson Paul Roper Michael Logie |
Website | themintchicks |
The Mint Chicks were a New Zealand noise rock and art punk group (the band began to refer to their style of music as "troublegum"[1] and have been referred to as anything from neo-punk[2] to schizo-pop[3] to the only half-serious genre definition of shit-gaze[4]). The band is originally from Auckland and relocated to Portland, Oregon, USA in 2007.
History
Meeting in high school, the band formed in 2001, and began by playing punk house parties and low profile shows before being discovered by acclaimed New Zealand independent record label
All four original band members met at Orewa College in Orewa, New Zealand, although the band starting moving between Portland, Oregon and Auckland, as the Nielson brothers have dual citizenship in New Zealand and the U.S.
In 2006, the band played support for the
At the 2007 New Zealand Music Awards the band won five Tui awards including best rock group, best album, best rock album[7] as well as winning best album cover and best music video for the single "Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!".[8][citation needed]
On 24 October 2007, it was announced on the band's website that their bassist Michael Logie would leave the band when they relocated to Portland.[9] The group continued as a trio, with Logie relocating to London, England. The band played a free show in Portland on 29 June 2008, in which they played their then-upcoming third album from beginning to end live. The band later supported Shihad on the July 2008 Beautiful Machine Tour and tested their new songs in front of a home audience. As a result of their bass player having left the band, the Mint Chicks weren't able to play hits from earlier songs, angering some fans. To counter this Shihad's bass player, Karl Kippenberger, filled in for several more popular songs.
On 25 December 2008, The Mint Chicks released the Mintunes EP consisting of "8-bit versions" of both previously released songs and tracks from the upcoming album. The band also released an iTunes-only single during 2008, "Life Will Get Better Some Day", a teaser for the album "
In October 2009 the Mint Chicks performed a rendition of
Shortly after the release of the EP, the band played their final show on 12 March 2010. The show, originally a fundraiser for MusicHy.pe, ended in chaos after Kody Nielson destroyed the two drumkits and equipment, imploring the crowd to "start your own fucking band".
Post-breakup activity
Singer Kody Nielson is making music under the alias Opossom with former bassist Michael Logie and Bic Runga and also as a solo artist under the name Silicon.[10] Guitarist Ruban Nielson now fronts Unknown Mortal Orchestra with producer Jacob Portrait. Michael Logie continues his solo project F In Math as well as playing bass for fellow New Zealand band Die! Die! Die!.[11] Paul Roper plays drums in Portland band Blouse.
Band members
- Ruban Nielson (guitar, vocals)
- Kody Nielson (vocals, keyboards, drums)
- Paul Roper (drums)
- Michael Logie (bass) (except 2008)
Discography
- Fuck the Golden Youth (2005)
- Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! (2006)
- Screens(2009)
Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! – The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Album of the Year | Won[12] |
The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Group | Won[12] | |
Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! – The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Rock Album | Won[12] | |
Sam Peacocke – "Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!" (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Music Video | Won[12] | |
Chris Nielson, Kody Nielson, Ruban Nielson – Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Producer | Nominated[12] | |
Ruban Neilson – Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Album Cover | Won[12] | |
2009 | Screens – The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Album of the Year | Nominated[13] |
The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Group | Nominated[13] | |
Sam Peacocke "I Can't Stop Being Foolish" (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Music Video | Nominated[13] | |
Screens – The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Rock Album | Nominated[13] | |
Ruban Neilson – Screens (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Album Cover | Won[13] |
References
- ^ "The Mint Chicks! | We have moved to knoxroad.com". Knoxroad.wordpress.com. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ "The Mint Chicks – Crazy? Yes. Dumb? No. | Record Reviews | Polaroids Of Androids". Polaroidsofandroids.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ "The Mint Chicks: "Enemies" | Tracks | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ Trevett, Claire (18 July 2006). "Volume of band brings house down at St James". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
- Critic. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2007.
- ^ "Mint Chicks prepare to take on the world". One News. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- ^ "The Mint Chicks nab major awards at NZ Music Awards". The New Zealand Herald. APN. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ "the mint chicks". Themintchicks.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Gibsone, Harriet (9 April 2015). "Nu-Zealand: meet Silicon, the latest Kiwi kook". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Jenkin, Lydia. "Die!Die!Die!'s tough times end in Harmony". Retrieved 12 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "2007 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "2009 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2014.