Keir Nuttall

Keir Francis Nuttall (born 1975) is a Brisbane-based guitarist-singer-songwriter. He is a founding mainstay member of the rock trio, Transport, which formed in 2001. He married Australian singer-songwriter and actor, Kate Miller-Heidke, in 2007. Since 2004 he has performed and recorded in her backing band. Nuttall's songs have been recorded by Miller-Heidke, including her singles, "Space They Cannot Touch" (March 2008), "Words" and other tracks on her debut album, Little Eve (both 2007). As Franky Walnut, Nuttall performs comic songs such as, "Where Have I Been All Your Life?" and "Three Word Review", both of which he recorded. His first solo album, The Franky Walnut Reflective Drink Coaster (2013), was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release in 2014.

Keir Nuttall
Nuttall (at left), performing in Transport at The Zoo, Brisbane, October 2006
Background information
Birth nameKeir Francis Nuttall
Also known asFranky Walnut
Born1975 (age 45–46)
OriginToowomba, Queensland, Australia
Genres
  • Pop
  • rock
  • comedy
Occupation(s)Musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years activeca. 1995–present
Associated acts
Websitekeirnuttall.com

Biography

Keir Francis Nuttall,[1] was born in 1975 and raised in Toowoomba by Lyn, a primary school teacher, and Robyn Nuttall.[2] He attended Toowoomba Grammar School before studying at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 2001. Nuttall played in a number of Brisbane bands,[3] including Complicated Game, experimental rock-funk trio More (formed in Toowoomba with Phil Lepherd and Lachlan Stewart), industrial metallers Dogmachine,[4] and 1980s covers band Space Invaders. In 2001 he formed Transport, on lead guitar and vocals, as a progressive rock band with fellow conservatorium students, Steve Pope on drums and Scott Saunders on bass guitar and vocals.

Nuttall has written songs recorded by his then-girlfriend, Kate Miller-Heidke, since 2004.[5] His written work include her single, "Space They Cannot Touch" (March 2008), which first appeared on her debut extended play, Telegram, in July 2004. With his band mates from Transport, Nuttall is also a member of her backing band. Another composition for his now-wife, "Words" (May 2007) was nominated for ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single in 2007.[6] Nuttall and Miller-Heidke collaborated on all tracks on her second album, Curiouser (October 2008).[7] In May 2009 the pair were awarded the Grand Prize of $US25,000 in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition for their composition, "Caught in the Crowd".[8] It was released as the second single from Curiouser, in February 2009, which peaked in the ARIA Singles Chart top 40.[9]

As Franky Walnut, during Miller-Heidke concerts, Nuttall performs comic songs such as, "Where Have I Been All Your Life?" and "Three Word Review", both of which he recorded.[10] His first solo album, The Franky Walnut Reflective Drink Coaster (2013), was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release in 2014.[11] The pair formed a side-project, Fatty Gets a Stylist, and issued a self-titled album in June 2011, which reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 100.[12] Internationally it was re-titled as Liberty Bell.[12]

Together with Miller-Heidke, he co-wrote the score and additional songs for the stage musical version of Muriel's Wedding.[13][14][15] It premiered to positive reviews in Sydney, in November 2017 and continued in its run to late January of the following year.[16] In 2019, "Zero Gravity," a song co-written by Nuttall and Miller-Heidke with Julian Hamilton, was selected to represent Australia at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel.[17] It was performed by Miller-Heidke, where it reached the final and finished in ninth place.[17]

Personal life

Nuttall's took part in an unplugged band competition at Toowong's Regatta Hotel and won against a fellow Brisbane group.[18] Nuttall started dating that group's lead singer, Kate Miller-Heidke, while both attended Queensland Conservatorium of Music.[2][18] The couple married in November 2007,[7] and in 2016 the couple had their first child.[19]

Discography
  • The Franky Walnut Reflective Drink Coaster (2013) (as Franky Walnut)

References
  1. "'Can't Take You Anywhere' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 13 July 2020. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  2. Johnson, Callum (6 September 2011). "Musos get parents backing". The Chronicle. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  3. Chris Spencer et al., Who's Who of Australian Rock, Five Mile Press, 5th edition (2002),
  4. Robertson, David. "2017 Season Kate Miller-Heidke and the SSO" (PDF). Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2020 – via Trove (National Library of Australia).
  5. Profile by Noel Mengel, "Something for Kate among the rock hits", Brisbane Courier-Mail, 10 August 2006
  6. "Diversity Rules the Day!" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 19 October 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
  7. Mengel, Noel (17 October 2008). "Kate Miller-Heidke finds a songwriter in her heart". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  8. "ISC: 2008 Grand Prize Winner". International Songwriting Competition. Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  9. Hung, Steffen. "Kate Miller-Heidke - 'Caught in the Crowd'". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. "MySpace page: Franky Walnut". MySpace.com. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  11. "ARIA Music Awards 2014: the full list of nominees" The Australian, October 7, 2014 Retrieved July 24, 2019
  12. McFarlane, Ian (2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Kate Miller-Heidke'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Jenkins, Jeff (Foreword) (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press. p. 317. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
  13. Hetrick, Adam (8 September 2016). "Muriel's Wedding Stage Musical Will Feature ABBA Songs". Playbill. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  14. Taylor, Andrew (8 September 2016). "Muriel's Wedding revived as a musical in Sydney Theatre Company's 2017 season". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  15. Gerard, Jeremy (8 September 2016). "Musical Muriel's Wedding Set To Become Global Creatures' Latest Stage Venture". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  16. "Event: Muriel's Wedding". AusStage. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  17. "Results of the Grand Final - Detailed voting results". Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  18. Baker, Candida (7 March 2014). "Diva Brisvegas Kate Miller-Heidke: from opera to pop and back again". news.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  19. "Kate Miller-Heidke gives birth to baby boy", The Courier-Mail, 7 June 2016
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