Artist description To Nicolette, music is all about moving people - their bodies, their minds,maybe even their whole outlook on life. Not content with just a good tune and adance beat, she says she always looks to inspire as well. "I love the way music cando that for people," she says, "especially young kids. So I like to write songs thatmake people think...songs that touch people's hearts."

Music Style Pop/dance

Musical Influences Madonna, Prince, Alanis Morrisette, No Doubt, Lenny Kravitz

Similar Artists Madonna, Alanis, Geri Halliwell

Artist History Now 25, Nicolette's passion for music startd to take shape when she leftAuckland at 19 to travel to Sydney. Always a keen singer, she entered a few talentquests and was quickly snapped up by a covers band - learning all about stage craftand performance in the often unforgiving environment of the Australian pub and clubscene. Although she says the experience was invaluable, after a couple of years shealso felt something was missing - singing other people's ongs had treated her well,but the time had come for Nicolette to discover herself.An extended OE followed. Quitting the band, Nicolette worked her way throughLondon, Paris and New York, stocking up on a ton of musical inspiration along theway. Re-invigorated, she decided to head back to Auckland and kick start her career.But it wasn't that easy. Arriving home pre-True Bliss and Deep Obsession,she found few job offers on the table for wannabe pop stars, so took to her secondfavoured career option, acting...acting tough that is. For unlikely as it may seem,the diminutive singer is also a trained stuntwoman - competent enough to duel withLucy Lawless in Xena: Warrior Princess, as well as rough and tumbling iton the set of Hercules.But as interesting as the stunt work was, it couldn't compete with Nicolette'strue passion, and before long she had scraped together enough money to head into thestudio to record a demo of the 80's Mi-Sex hit Blue Day. Once again sheshopped herself around local producers, and once again she thought she had notakers, until an unexpected call back from Adamson Productions's Michael Lloyd. "Ihad approached every producer in Auckland," she says. "Michael had been kind enoughto give me a list of them, as he wasn't interested. But then a week after I'd beento see him he called to say they'd had a change of heart - so I was lucky I guess."In fact, Nicolette was doubly fortunate, as at the time Adamson Productions wasdeeply involved with chart toppers Deep Obsession, having put the grouptogether. Their writer/producer Christopher Banks became involved, the deal withUniversal was set in motion, and about a year after arriving home in Auckland,Nicolette entered the top 20 with her danced-up version of Blue Day.But that was only the beginning. Second single Harden Up is now set for release,and this time Nicolette has been fully involved in the writing - a part of thecreative process she admits she enjoys equally as much as performing. "So manythings excite me about music, but at the moment it's the songwriting that I love."Never satisfied to write what she describes as "mushy love songs", she says herbiggest influences in writing terms are artists like Madonna or AlanisMorrisette. "They write songs that people can relate to...songs that hit anerve."Also important to Nicolette is the power good pop has to break new ground and atthe same time deliver a deeper message. "Madonna and No Doubt are strongperformers," she says. "Rather than just being pretty gorgeous pop stars they've gotother things going on. Their songs will touch you. At the same time they're genuisesof pop and although a lot of people trash pop, it's not trash probably because ofpeople like them and Lenny Kravitz and Prince. They're inspirationalbecause they're prepared to try new things, so that's what I want to be - aninspiration in another way. Still pop - but fresh too, you know?"For more information on Nicolette, check out www.nicolette.co.nz or contactUniversal Music New Zealand.

Press Reviews For new single "Harden Up!" - "Great follow-up to 'Blue Day'...Good pop track with some very clever lyrics with a great hook. As with her last effort, it's got great production values and a very refined sound...up there with anything available to CHR and AC radio today - we've added it!" - Russell Hubber & Andrew Sepie, ZM Christchurch

Location Auckland, North Island - New Zealand

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