Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Built On Glass, the renowned singer-songwriter reflects on the iconic album’s legacy and why he hasn’t listened to it much in the years since.
If you’re not already feeling old enough, Chet Faker’s magnum opus, Built On Glass has just turned 10 years old. If you now find yourself questioning where the time has gone in the interim, believe me, you’re not alone.
The year was 2014. Amid the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, The Fault In Our Stars and the iconic Ellen Oscar selfie, Faker released this album. For many, it became a coming-of-age soundtrack. For others, it became a cherished companion during tough times.
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For Faker, born Nick Murphy, though, his feelings towards this album and its respective anniversary are different to most. His baby has now come of age. Rather bemused by the lapse of time, Faker can’t quite believe it’s been a decade.
Before Built On Glass was released, Faker existed on the periphery of the music industry. He was more of an underground artist that only your coolest friends would have known about.
“I put out an EP before called Thinking In Textures but things were only really brimming back then. I was at uni at the time, and I remember they reviewed it in The Age which was cool. I think I got four and a half stars or something. I hadn’t done anything good as an adult at the time, so that was cool.”
His breakthrough eventually came when he recorded and released a cover of No Diggity. The cover instantly went viral, reaching number one on the Hype Machine chart and even being used in a Super Bowl commercial.
“After that, I started getting booked and touring, but I didn’t really have much music and I was trying to fill 45-minute slots. I also didn’t want to do covers back then because I didn’t want to be the ‘No Diggity guy’. I wanted to write my own songs and have people know me for that.”
Off the back of No Diggity, Faker got an offer from a record label to record an album, which spurred the making of Built On Glass. Released in April of 2014, the album was not a raging success at first, but six months later things began to change quite rapidly for Faker.
“It just started to go gangbusters. The Gold music video went big. I did Boiler Room, I did Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel. I won the Hottest 100. I won five ARIAs. It was nuts. It was just so hectic. I played like 125 shows that year. I did the maths – that’s one show every three days and it was mostly in different cities. I’m really just unpacking it all now. The whole time was so crazy. The album blew it up and I hit all these different worlds.”
Now living in America, Faker reflects on how Built On Glass connects him to his Australian roots. “Listening to it now, I hear so many memories. It feels personal, but to be honest, I’ve only listened to Built On Glass maybe five times in the last decade.”
Despite this, he continues to remain proud of the album’s sounds. “It’s more ambient than I remembered, with so much space and patience. I envy that; creating silence in tracks would be challenging today, given how music is consumed. That really makes me think of Melbourne.”
The album’s anniversary has also inspired Faker to record in Melbourne at some point in the future. The opportunity to do so may present itself imminently, with Faker returning to Melbourne in November for a show in the Botanic Gardens presented by ALWAYS LIVE. Speaking on the show, Faker offered, “I can’t wait for that gig. It’s just cool to play these old songs. It’s fun coming back to them.”
With Built On Glass, Faker ultimately laid the foundations for his illustrious career. From there, he has travelled down many musical paths and created a diverse catalogue of tunes. Upon being asked to distil the album’s legacy into a platitude, Faker finished with this: “From it, I’ve avoided having a real job for the last decade. Let’s hope it continues.”
To get tickets to see Chet Faker at the Royal Botanic Gardens presented by ALWAYS LIVE, head here.
