Music Career
Niblett has released five LPs, through the Secretly Canadian and Drag City record companies in North America and through Too Pure in the United Kingdom. Her first release was a split 7" single with Songs: Ohia in 2001. Shortly after this she released her first LP Sweet Heart Fever, recorded at Chem Nineteen Recordings in Hamilton, Scotland by producer Andy Miller with drummer Kristian Goddard. Her follow-up release was a one-sided 10" EP, I Conjure Series, recorded live, where Niblett plays all the instruments herself. For the next two albums, 2003's I Am and 2005's Kidnapped by Neptune, Niblett enlisted the help of Steve Albini, as well as guitarist and bassist Chris Saligoe. The title track from Kidnapped by Neptune has been featured internationally on Stella McCartney's perfume advertisements. She also features on Jason Molina's album Magnolia Electric Co. (2003). 2007 saw the release of Niblett's fourth long player This Fool Can Die Now again featuring a rhythm section of Kristian Goddard & Chris Saligoe as well as Bonnie "Prince" Billy as guest vocalist on four of the albums duets. 2010 saw the release of The Calcination of Scout Niblett
Niblett cites among her influences a number of grunge period bands, including Mudhoney, Sonic Youth and Nirvana, and in particular the guitar of Kurt Cobain; she has covered the Nirvana song "Verse Chorus Verse" in concert. She also stated that she was hugely influenced by Courtney Love, Cobain's wife, and her band, Hole: "I was really into Hole in a big way. The first album was phenomenal. I think Pretty on the Inside is amazing."
Her drumming technique, however, is inspired, she says, by a man who played at an open-mic night in Nottingham and would accompany himself on the drums while playing Beatles covers. This drumming technique has been a particularly distinctive feature of Niblett's records with Steve Albini, whose method is to place the drums centrally in the mix. A good example of Niblett's minimalist approach to songwriting is "Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death", included on I Am and as the B-side to "I'll Be a Prince". It consists solely of a drumbeat with a cheerfully delivered repeating lyric, "We're all gonna die!", eventually concluding, "We don't know when, We don't know how." Niblett names the song as a favourite. Also of note is her downbeat cover of Althea & Donna's 1978 reggae hit "Uptown Top Ranking", which Niblett released as a single after it became popular at live performances.
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