Biography
Nicole Thibault established Minimum Chips as a founding participant in that Australian indie pop outfit before channeling her understated voice and elegant songcraft into work released under her own name. The first full-length to appear in that format, Or Not Thibault from 2020, continues the thread of her earlier band recordings yet reveals greater maturity alongside more expansive instrumentation.
Between 1994 and 2005 she contributed vocals and keyboards to the Melbourne-based group Minimum Chips, whose sound drew from French pop of the 1960s and space-age easy listening while drawing frequent comparisons to Stereolab. During that span the band issued a series of singles and EPs later gathered on the 2002 compilation Portfolio, followed by the 2005 album Kitchen Tea Thankyou. Shortly after the latter’s release the ensemble disbanded, prompting Thibault to withdraw from music-making in order to focus on family life. Years later she resumed studio activity, supported by a cohort of younger Melbourne indie-pop musicians that included Lachlan Denton of the Ocean Party, Rebecca Liston of Parsnip, Zak Olson of Traffik Island, and former Minimum Chips colleague Julian Patterson. Architecture in Helsinki’s James Cecil handled production, shaping a welcoming, nostalgic tone that referenced her earlier work while refreshing its palette. Chapter Records, the label long associated with Minimum Chips, released Or Not Thibault in August 2020.
Between 1994 and 2005 she contributed vocals and keyboards to the Melbourne-based group Minimum Chips, whose sound drew from French pop of the 1960s and space-age easy listening while drawing frequent comparisons to Stereolab. During that span the band issued a series of singles and EPs later gathered on the 2002 compilation Portfolio, followed by the 2005 album Kitchen Tea Thankyou. Shortly after the latter’s release the ensemble disbanded, prompting Thibault to withdraw from music-making in order to focus on family life. Years later she resumed studio activity, supported by a cohort of younger Melbourne indie-pop musicians that included Lachlan Denton of the Ocean Party, Rebecca Liston of Parsnip, Zak Olson of Traffik Island, and former Minimum Chips colleague Julian Patterson. Architecture in Helsinki’s James Cecil handled production, shaping a welcoming, nostalgic tone that referenced her earlier work while refreshing its palette. Chapter Records, the label long associated with Minimum Chips, released Or Not Thibault in August 2020.
Albums
Singles
