Nick Murphy is recognisable to most as the uber talented guitarist from Melbourne indie rock sensations The Anyones. Stepping out the shadows from this band Nick has embarked on a different journey releasing his new solo album Breaking the Light and is heading to Adelaide to launch it at The Grace Emily.
With The Anyones working on a new album and a solo release in the offing, it’s shaping up to be a big year for Murphy and his band. “We’ve just got to get in there and finish it,” he said. “Having said that it is hard to put a time line on it. Hopefully it will be by May when we’ll have it in the can.”
The popular band has been keeping a low profile of late. ”We had a bit of a break after doing some hardcore touring and stuff,” explained Murphy. “That also included our American tour and the extensive touring around Australia the year before that.
“We came back to start writing and it looked like the album was going to take longer due to money issues, studios and record company stuff,” he adds. “I took the opportunity to put something out which I wanted to do for a long time. There’s always this thing about how long it takes to get something out. We have a lot of material between us collectively and I just ran with this stuff which is a bit away from The Anyones.”
It sounds as though a solo album wa always in the pipeline for Murphy.”I think it was more that the timing was right,” he indicated. “We’ve never been a band that could plan that well even a year in advance. When you record an album you try and get it out as quickly as possible but due to the intricacies of the industry it takes a lot longer so you might as well add a year to your timeline. In the mean time I have been playing my new songs with my band around the place.”
Does it feel weird not having the usual suspects alongside Murphy on stage? “It does,” he answered. “Rohan is playing drums but the band does have a different feel. The band isn’t quite as tight as The Anyones and not really a big rock thing either. For me it is a great release because I’ve never had the opportunity have total control over a project. I’ve always been in a collective which is about sharing creative decisions and that is great but this is a new fun thing to do.”
Murphy describes his solo effort as a ”really eclectic album actually,” and added: ”I don’t really have a vision but I know what music I really like and that’s reflective in the songs I write. For example, track three Arrival is one that I don’t know where it really fits on the album. I really love music that makes you feel a certain way and I just write and see what comes out.”
Initially working from out of his home studio, Murphy explained the ideas for his album came quickly. “I had a real purple patch there for a while,” he said. “Everything was recorded in my home studio, which means if you start dreaming about a backing vocal or guitar line you just whack it on it’s so easy. It’s like having a canvas you can paint on to and add to it as you go along.”
Not to mention all the guest cameos on the album… ”I did the majority on my own before I needed other voices and instruments,” he revealed. “It’s a hell of a lot of work and just consumes, it was one of those things where I just underestimated the time it would take. By the time I finished all the tracking I got individuals to come in and that was great working with all those people.”
While Murphy has enjoyed working on his solo effort and loves his band, he admitted they “both have their advantages and disadvantages”. “The thing about doing it yourself is that you have total control and there’s something really nice about that,” he said. “It does at time become a ponderous and lonely process, which does way on your shoulders a bit. If you’re in a collective you share that burden but the upside is that you work together as team in bringing stuff to the table. Sometimes it is nice to be free from all of that and liberated to make your own decisions.”
