Pete Murray is just out of the surf, looking the way he always does: fit, lean, up for whatever the day has in store. He exudes energy, all of it positive, and that attitude shows in his new music. Pete Murray has a fresh take on his life and you can hear it in every song from his stellar fourth studio album, Blue Sky Blue.
Three years ago after the breakdown of his marriage, Pete took a complete break from music; refusing every work offer that came his way, devoting his time to fathering his two sons. Free from the rock'n'roll lifestyle of late nights and early flights, he hit the surf near his northern New South Wales home and spent a lot of thinking about what to do next.
It was a time of change - a time of new beginnings – in both his life and in his music. Recognizing that there was a fine line between a groove and a rut Pete decided to shake up the way he wrote songs, the places in which he recorded and the musicians with whom he collaborated.
In 2010, refreshed and full of inspiration, Pete headed to LA to record his fourth studio album. For the first time he would track overseas with a renowned international producer and a brand new band. He also employed some different instrumentation. It was all part of embracing a whole new chapter in his life and work.
The result is a classy and highly relatable record, which bursts to life with every rolling groove and punching horn line. You can hear it straight away with lead single 'Always A Winner', which immediately spells the change in Pete Murray's sound. It's a rock song alright; not an acoustic guitar in sight. The first thing Murray said when he opened communications with American producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith) was “I want a change”. He wanted someone to push him to places he hadn't explored before and sensed that Tom was the right person to do that. Rothrock's influence is highly evident, with Murray's acoustic sound transforming to a rockier, grittier, groove-based sound. “That's exactly what I was after. I wanted to make a record where every song was great to play live and I think I've done that” says Murray.
The Pete Murray story is an unlikely one… a rising Rugby football star gets so badly injured that he has to leave his sport behind. He picks up an acoustic guitar, teaches himself how to play it and records an indie CD that he sells after shows from the back of his Kombi Van.
His debut album ‘Feeler’ went on to sell 6 x platinum in Australia (450,000 copies) and earned 12 ARIA Award nominations. The record spent over two and a half years, yes years, in the Top 100. The acclaimed album spawned his classic ‘So Beautiful’ which became the Most Performed Australian Song of the Year, and several other radio tracks including ‘Bail Me Out’, ‘Feeler’ and ‘Lines’.
Follow up albums 'See The Sun' and 'Summer At Eureka' continued the momentum of this unlikely success story, selling over half a million more copies between them. Both debuted at #1 in Australia and helped lead to sell out shows in New York, Dublin, London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo and of course countless cities throughout Australia.
In 2011, Pete Murray will take his 4th studio album on the road along with his brand new red hot band which features some of Australia's finest instrumentalists. Audiences have been patiently waiting three long years for another Pete Murray release. Blue Sky Blue, is that album … a whole new chapter.
Link to new video 'Always A Winner' -www.youtube.com/petemurrayvevo#p/a/u/0/DGWI-5uFLxQ
Three years ago after the breakdown of his marriage, Pete took a complete break from music; refusing every work offer that came his way, devoting his time to fathering his two sons. Free from the rock'n'roll lifestyle of late nights and early flights, he hit the surf near his northern New South Wales home and spent a lot of thinking about what to do next.
It was a time of change - a time of new beginnings – in both his life and in his music. Recognizing that there was a fine line between a groove and a rut Pete decided to shake up the way he wrote songs, the places in which he recorded and the musicians with whom he collaborated.
In 2010, refreshed and full of inspiration, Pete headed to LA to record his fourth studio album. For the first time he would track overseas with a renowned international producer and a brand new band. He also employed some different instrumentation. It was all part of embracing a whole new chapter in his life and work.
The result is a classy and highly relatable record, which bursts to life with every rolling groove and punching horn line. You can hear it straight away with lead single 'Always A Winner', which immediately spells the change in Pete Murray's sound. It's a rock song alright; not an acoustic guitar in sight. The first thing Murray said when he opened communications with American producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith) was “I want a change”. He wanted someone to push him to places he hadn't explored before and sensed that Tom was the right person to do that. Rothrock's influence is highly evident, with Murray's acoustic sound transforming to a rockier, grittier, groove-based sound. “That's exactly what I was after. I wanted to make a record where every song was great to play live and I think I've done that” says Murray.
The Pete Murray story is an unlikely one… a rising Rugby football star gets so badly injured that he has to leave his sport behind. He picks up an acoustic guitar, teaches himself how to play it and records an indie CD that he sells after shows from the back of his Kombi Van.
His debut album ‘Feeler’ went on to sell 6 x platinum in Australia (450,000 copies) and earned 12 ARIA Award nominations. The record spent over two and a half years, yes years, in the Top 100. The acclaimed album spawned his classic ‘So Beautiful’ which became the Most Performed Australian Song of the Year, and several other radio tracks including ‘Bail Me Out’, ‘Feeler’ and ‘Lines’.
Follow up albums 'See The Sun' and 'Summer At Eureka' continued the momentum of this unlikely success story, selling over half a million more copies between them. Both debuted at #1 in Australia and helped lead to sell out shows in New York, Dublin, London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo and of course countless cities throughout Australia.
In 2011, Pete Murray will take his 4th studio album on the road along with his brand new red hot band which features some of Australia's finest instrumentalists. Audiences have been patiently waiting three long years for another Pete Murray release. Blue Sky Blue, is that album … a whole new chapter.
Link to new video 'Always A Winner' -www.youtube.com/petemurrayvevo#p/a/u/0/DGWI-5uFLxQ
