Chanel Cole

Chanel Cole (born Chanel Cole Whalley on 13 November 1977 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a musician from Bega, New South Wales. Her fame grew largely from her appearance as a finalist in the second series of Australian Idol (2004). She was eliminated from the competition on 25 October having reached fifth place, despite her stubborn refusal to be moulded or play for votes. Her quirky song choices and unique, jazz-influenced vocal style was a far cry from the traditionally inauthentic and melismic Idol contestant. This distinction, along with her individuality, quick comebacks and off-beat sense of humour, won her a loyal, cult following of fans, who for the most part did not fit into the program's target audience of female teenagers. Cole's eccentric hair accessories, which often included feathers, flowers and other ornaments , also added to her notoriety.

Spook

In 2005, Cole and fellow idol Daniel Belle collaborated with the Brisbane-based electronica duo Statler & Waldorf, under the collective name of "Spook". The debut album of the self-described "downtempo project" is called The Dusk Sessions and is entirely funded by the group members themselves. From April 2005, demo versions of "Faster", "Predator" and "Running Away" were made available for download on Statler & Waldorf's official website. The completed album was released on October 4 2005 through the group's independent label, Ghost Music. A double single was expected to be released in mid September, featuring the tracks "Faster" and "Trouble". The former was hoped to cater to less commercial stations, while the latter to mainstream radio, although Cole admitted that even then they'll "be pushing their luck". However, these plans were later cancelled. In a webchat a month before The Dusk Sessionss release, Cole revealed that she has "never been more sure of the merit of something I've done" and that there is "absolutely no filler on this album; all the tracks have their own personality."

Related Topics:
Daniel Belle - Brisbane - Electronica - Statler & Waldorf

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A music video for "Faster" was expected to be shot after Cole and Belle's joint Melbourne gig in August 2005. However, those plans never came through. A remix follow-up and a Australian promotional tour are planned. The tracklisting of the album and composer of each track is the following:

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• This Album
• Running Away
• Predator
• Faster
• Trouble
• Lullaby
• Fall
• Cruelest Of Deeds
• Glorious
• Cause & Effect

"Lullaby" is a cover of The Cure's provocatively creepy hit, originally included on their eighth album, Disintegration. In earlier versions of the tracklist, the song titles "Star", "Secrets" and "Urges & Necessity" were present, however they now have been either replaced or renamed. "Urges & Necessity" became "Faster" while "Star" and "Secrets" are hoped to be reworked for a possible second album.

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