The Mint Chicks
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 in Auckland, New Zealand |
| Headquarters | Auckland , New Zealand |
Area served | New Zealand, United States |
Key people | Ruban Nielson, Kody Nielson, Michael Logie, Paul Roper |
| Products | Noise rock and art punk music |
The Mint Chicks were a New Zealand-based band known for their blend of noise rock and art punk, describing their sound as "troublegum," and spanning styles from neo-punk to schizo-pop. Originally formed in Auckland, they relocated to Portland, Oregon, USA, in 2007.
History
Established in 2001 by friends from high school, The Mint Chicks initially performed at punk house parties before securing a deal with New Zealand's indie label Flying Nun Records. Their discography with Flying Nun includes two EPs and three full-length albums: the Octagon, Octagon, Octagon EP (2003), Anti-Tiger EP (2004), Fuck the Golden Youth (2005), Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! (2006), and Screens (2009). They also released the Bad Buzz (2010) through a smaller label. The core duo, Ruban and Kody Nielson, handled production on all records except for Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!, which was co-produced by their father Chris Nielson.
All founding members met while attending Orewa College in New Zealand. Due to the Nielson brothers holding dual citizenship, the band operated between Auckland and Portland.
In 2006, The Mint Chicks opened for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, delivering such a loud set that it caused damage to Auckland’s St James Theatre. They also supported notable acts including The White Stripes, Death From Above 1979, and TV on the Radio, and appeared at New Zealand’s Big Day Out festivals in 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2009. A memorable moment occurred in 2005 when Kody Nielson used a chainsaw to destroy a corporate sponsor’s sign during a live show.
At the 2007 New Zealand Music Awards, the band earned five Tui awards: best rock group, best album, best rock album, best album cover, and best music video for "Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!".
On 24 October 2007, bassist Michael Logie announced his exit as the band prepared to move to Portland. The Mint Chicks continued as a trio while Logie relocated to London. In June 2008, they debuted material from their forthcoming third album during live performances in Portland. During Shihad’s Beautiful Machine Tour in July 2008, The Mint Chicks tested new songs but were restricted from playing many earlier hits due to Logie’s absence; Shihad’s bassist Karl Kippenberger stepped in for those popular tracks.
The Mintunes EP was released on 25 December 2008, featuring "8-bit versions" of both past and new songs. An iTunes-exclusive single titled "Life Will Get Better Some Day" served as a preview for their March 2009 album Screens, which had been recorded sporadically over two years.
In October 2009, The Mint Chicks performed a rendition of Ray Columbus and the Invaders' "She's a Mod" as a four-piece at the New Zealand Music Awards. Shortly after, on 16 October 2009, Michael Logie rejoined the group via an announcement on their Twitter account. Collaborating with New Zealand music platform MusicHy.pe, they promoted the release of the Bad Buzz EP scheduled for February 2010.
Following this release, The Mint Chicks played their final concert on 12 March 2010—a benefit event supporting MusicHy.pe—concluding with controversy when Kody Nielson smashed drumkits and gear onstage while encouraging the audience to "start your own fucking band."
Activities following the split
After the band's dissolution, vocalist Kody Nielson continues to create music under the name Opossom, collaborating with former bassist Michael Logie and Bic Runga, while also releasing individual material as Silicon. Ruban Nielson, the guitarist, fronts Unknown Mortal Orchestra together with producer Jacob Portrait, with Kody joining the lineup as drummer since 2013. Michael Logie pursues his solo endeavor F In Math and remains active as the bassist for New Zealand's Die! Die! Die!. Meanwhile, Paul Roper performs as the drummer for Portland-based group Blouse.
Personnel
- Ruban Nielson – guitar, vocals
- Kody Nielson – vocals, keyboards, drums
- Paul Roper – drums
- Michael Logie – bass (absent in 2008)
Albums
- Fuck the Golden Youth (2005)
- Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! (2006)
- Screens (2009)
Accolades
|- | rowspan="6" | 2007 | Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! by The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Album of the Year | |- | The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Group | |- | Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! by The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Rock Album | |- | Sam Peacocke for "Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!" (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Music Video | |- | Chris Nielson, Kody Nielson, Ruban Nielson for Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Producer | |- | Ruban Nielson for Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Album Cover | |- | rowspan="5" | 2009 | Screens by The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Album of the Year | |- | The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Group | |- | Sam Peacocke for "I Can't Stop Being Foolish" (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Music Video | |- | Screens by The Mint Chicks | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Rock Album | |- | Ruban Nielson for Screens (The Mint Chicks) | New Zealand Music Awards – Best Album Cover |