Nicholson first appeared on the music scene through a band, called Freak, which formed in his last year of high school. The band went on to win the first round of the Triple J Unearthed competition in the Sunshine Coast division. Shortly after this, the band name changed to Pretty Violet Stain and released an EP in 1997 called Blush and the album Parachutes and Gravity in 2000. Both releases had minor hit songs on radio stations around the country, such as "Blush" and "Never Come Down".
The band split shortly after a lengthy delay in releasing the album and Nicholson decided to pursue a solo career and released the critically acclaimed It's a Movie in 2002. It was during the recording of this album with Nash Chambers that Nicholson met Kasey Chambers, who duetted with him on the lead single, "Designed to Fade". Nicholson and Chambers later married.
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. USA Today named It's a Movie one of the top pop albums of 2004. A second solo album, Faith and Science, was released in 2006.
In 2008, Nicholson joined with wife Kasey Chambers for the critically acclaimed Rattlin' Bones roots/country album, which debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA charts, achieved platinum-plus sales and eventually won an ARIA Award for Best Country release in Australia in 2008 and also receive five Golden Guitar Awards in Australia in 2009. Between tours he recorded a third solo album, Familiar Ghosts, which was released in November 2008 and also nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Country Album in 2009.
In more recent years, Nicholson has also moved into music production, working on albums for artists such as Angie Hart (Frente), Catherine Britt, Beccy Cole, Alex Lloyd, Suze DeMarchi, Jenny Queen, Sarah Humphreys, Nikki Jensen, Lyn Bowtell, Josh Rennie-Hynes, Lou Bradley, Jodi Martin, Allison Forbes, the Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, and others.
In March 2011, Nicholson released his sixth solo album, Bad Machines, which received an ARIA Country Album of the Year nomination and six CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia nominations in the awards held in Tamworth on 28 January 2012.
Nicholson and his wife welcomed a baby girl on 6 October 2011, named Poet Poppin Nicholson.
On 28 January 2012, Nicholson won the APRA Song of the Year Golden Guitar Award for his song, "Bad Machines". Also in 2012 Nicholson won the APRA Country Work of the Year award for "Famous Last Words". In September that year his latest collaboration with his wife, the album Wreck & Ruin was released, receiving 5 Golden Guitar nominations, ultimately winning the couple the award for "Group/Duo of the Year" in January 2013, and then the ARIA Award for 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 decided to separate.
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 9th album, "Hell Breaks Loose." The album was released on Aug 7 and debuted at #16 on the ARIA chart.
On 17 November 2015, "Hell Breaks Loose" received 7 CMAA Golden Guitar nominations, and on November 26 won the ARIA award for Best Country Album. "Secondhand Man" was also nominated for Best Video.
In January 2016, "Hell Breaks Loose" won The CMAA Alternative Country Album of the Year Award.
Shane nicholson hell breaks loose interview part 1
Albums
Parachutes & Gravity (2000, Pretty Violet Stain, Warner Music)
It's a Movie (2002, Warner Music)
Faith & Science (2006, EMI/Essence)
Rattlin' Bones (with Kasey Chambers) (2008, Liberation/UMA) No. 1 Australia
Familiar Ghosts (2008, Liberation/UMA)
Bad Machines (2011, Liberation/UMA) No. 29 Australia
