Nicky Chiswell is a songwriter with great maturity and depth. Well known for her moving and intimate solo performances, she has also produced a large repertoire of songs for congregational singing in churches.
Starting out as a singer at her own church as a teenager she began to write her own material after leaving school. She performed regularly as a solo artist at local churches, missions and conferences. She has developed over the years a very warm rapport with her audiences. It is in this kind of environment that Nicky says she gets to "dig deep and deliver". Drawing together both her own life experience and her journey of faith these performances "invite the listener into a world that is real, in that it resembles their own, yet full of hope and wonder. Nicky shares an honesty and vulnerability that engages any audience." (Nathan Tasker).
Nicky's solo material was first captured on her debut album Speechless (1993) and then on Copernicus (1996). Nicky's most recent solo album is The Secret of the World (2003)
"I haven't done a solo album for 7 years. I have been writing songs that are just about life and funny everyday things (like being a musician, the street I live in etc.), as well as some more directly Christian material. This album is a collection that is diverse and interesting but still has themes that pull it together into an album. It's about reality, illusion and wisdom.
Nicky's style has been likened to Joni Mitchell. She draws upon styles as diverse as folk, rock, blues and jazz. Her least favourite compliment was when she was told that she plays guitar like a bloke! Her biggest guitar influence has been James Taylor. She loves the music of Sting and says she is currently having a "Rattle and Hum" by U2 phase!
Nicky's earlier music for congregations to sing has been captured on an album that is still selling many copies called Resurrection (1998). Her next album of this nature was a joint effort with Rob Smith called No other Name (2001). She was involved in, and wrote for, a live church album called You Alone (2002) and in a children's album called Meet the King (2003). This music for churches is put out by EMU music.
Nicky was born in London and grew up in Sydney. She now lives in Melbourne with her husband and two sons. Taken from: http://www.nickychiswell.com/biography.html