Ten years ago, Pete Murray came onto the Australian music scene and captured hearts with his soulful and acoustic record Feeler. Since then, he has gone on to sell over a million albums and has earned his place as one of the country’s most celebrated songwriters.
After releasing Blue Sky Blue in 2011 and touring around, Pete stepped away from the music scene for a few months.
“I did do a tour around that time, so its been a bit of work,” says Murray, “but yeah had a few months of last year off.” And what has Murray been up to in his downtime? “I’ve just been surfing and spending time with my boys. I’ve probably got to start doing a bit of more writing fairly soon actually, I would like to try and get into recording the next album towards the end of the year … but yeah, just kicking back.”
Murray now pays tribute to a decade in the music industry by going back to his roots and releasing Blue Sky Blue: The Byron Sessions. After discussions about what was to be next for Murray, and his desire to do some kind of greatest hits tribute, the result is a revisit to one of his favourite albums.
“My management were having a chat about what to do next,” he says, “we talked about doing a solo tour because I’d never done a solo tour in this country. We thought it would be nice to have some sort of recording that might help promote the tour.”
“We talked about doing some work with some other artists, and what should this album be? Should it be a new album with new songs, or maybe some old? One thing I did want to do was greatest hits,” he explains.
“So I thought we probably should do an acoustic interpretation of the last album, Blue Sky Blue, [which] was an electric album.”“If they want to ask questions, if they have a song they want to hear, then yell it out and I’ll play that for you.”
One of the tracks getting the Byron treatment is last year’s most played track on Australian radio “Free”. With guitar support from Australian rock-duo Busby Marou, the already-great tune is turned into an acoustic jam-party classic.
As well as giving the original songs a more acoustic sound, Murray also used the opportunity to collaborate with more amazing artists.
“To have artists like Bernard Fanning and Katie Noonan, Ash Grunwald, Busby Marou and Scotty Owen from the Living End involved – using friends to make that different flavour from the last album – that’s been a lot of fun.”
The album was recorded in the township of Byron Bay, the place Murray now calls home after being drawn in: “It’s just got a great sense of community, it’s a great and healthy place to live, it’s got great surf and, you know, a really friendly town.”
“I use to live in Brisbane years ago, so I use to come down here quite a bit. It was always the place that I wanted to spend some time at, or live, which now I’m doing, which is great.”
Murray’s love for regional townships is also being reflected in his upcoming tour; 44 shows that will take on a more stripped-back nature as he performs at some of the cities’ smaller, out-of-the-way venues.
“I thought it would be good to get out there and do these venues, some places I haven’t been for a long time; it’s just new and fresh,” says Murray. “Particularly with a lot of bigger acts who don’t get to those venues, they kind of do the cities and the surroundings of the cities but don’t go anywhere else. So I just thought let’s get out there and get amongst it.”
With the smaller sized venues, the shows will be a lot more intimate, an aspect of the show that the singer-songwriter is looking forward to being able to give his fans.
“I guess it just makes it a bit more interesting, having not only the solo tour but doing these smaller venues. I mean everyone’s asking the same question, why are you doing these venues? Aren’t you too big for these venues? Well no, not really, it’s kind of nice – this is more of an intimate show.”
“It wasn’t done for any commercial success, it was done for fun and done to help promote a tour.”“I don’t wanna have big crowds, and we’re not trying to … get a couple of thousand people for these shows. It’s just keeping it small, and really letting people feel like they’re part of the show. If they want to ask questions, if they have a song they want to hear, then yell it out and I’ll play that for you.”
As well as taking open requests, the tour is also quite an extensive one, with its 44 shows right across the country spilled across two and a half months.
“We just thought, do a big tour, a big run of shows. It’s kind of starting to scare me the closer I’m getting to it now, but I’m sure once we get into it, it’ll be okay.”
Despite the nerves, Murray is looking forward to touring and the experiences that come along with playing new venues.
“Meeting different people and seeing different cities, towns and places, that’s all interesting for me. You learn a lot about yourself on the road to.”
“I’ve done that many shows now that we’re trying to look for different places, because I’ve kind of done all the venues. For me it’s going to be fun and I think just getting out there and playing venues that I’ve never played in before, that I’ve never seen, will be an experience in itself and I’ll probably really enjoy that.”
With the stripped-back album and up close and personal shows, Murray’s fans are being reintroduced to his breezy and carefree style. In an industry currently all about over production and intense marketing schemes, this approach is a breath of fresh air.
“[The album] is getting a really good vibe from the press, it’s getting amazing feedback from people, so that’s great,” he says.
“It wasn’t done for any commercial success, it was done for fun and done to help promote a tour. I don’t expect to get any radio play from it, but if we do, that’s a bonus I guess.”
Blue Sky Blue: The Byron Sessions is out now through Sony, read the Tone Deaf review here. Pete Murray is currently on tour around the nation, dates below
Pete Murray 2013 Australian Tour
Thursday 28th February – Esperance Civic Centre – ESPERANCE
Ticket info: www.esperanceciviccentre.com or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Friday 1st March – Goldfields Arts Centre – KALGOORLIE
Ticket info: gac.curtin.edu.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 2nd March – Capitol – PERTH
Ticket info: www.amplifiercapitol.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Sunday 3rd March – Fremantle Arts Centre – FREMANTLE
Ticket info: www.fac.org.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Thursday 7th March – Commercial Hotel – SOUTH MORANG
Ticket info: www.thecommercialhotellounge.com.au or www.oztix.com.au ,
Friday 8th March – Theatre Royal – CASTLEMAINE
Ticket info: www.theatreroyal.info or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 9th March – Ferntree Gully Hotel – FERNTREE GULLY
Ticket info: www.ferntreegullyhotel.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Sunday 10th March – Pier Hotel – FRANKSTON
Ticket info: www.pierlive.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Thursday 14th March – Regent Multiplex – BALLARAT
Ticket info: www.regententertainment.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Friday 15th March – Corner Hotel – RICHMOND
Ticket info: www.cornerhotel.com or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 16th March – The Depot – ADELAIDE #
Ticket info: www.the-depot.com.au
Sunday 17th March – Nautilus Theatre – PORT LINCOLN
Ticket info: www.civichall.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Thursday 21st March – Port Macquarie Panthers – PORT MACQUARIE
Ticket info: www.portmacquarie.panthers.com.au or www.oztix.com.au ,
Friday 22nd March – Club Forster – FORSTER
Ticket info: www.clubforster.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 23rd March – The Cambridge – NEWCASTLE
Ticket info: www.yourcambridge.com or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Sunday 24th March – West Tamworth Leagues Club – TAMWORTH
Ticket info: www.wtlc.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Thursday 4th April – Orange Ex Services Club – ORANGE
Ticket info: www.oesc.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Friday 5th April – Dubbo RSL – DUBBO
Ticket info: www.dubborsl.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 6th April – Entrance Leagues Club – BATEAU BAY
Ticket info: www.telclub.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Sunday 7th April – The Hornsby RSL – HORNSBY
Ticket info: www.hornsbyrsl.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Wednesday 10th April – Lizotte’s – DEE WHY
Ticket info: www.lizottes.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Thursday 11th April – The Abbey – CANBERRA
Ticket info: www.theabbey.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Friday 12th April – The York Theatre – SYDNEY
Ticket info: www.seymourcentre.com or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 13th April – Waves – WOLLONGONG
Ticket info: www.towradgibeachhotel.com.au or www.oztix.com.au ,
Sunday 14th April – Batemans Bay Soldiers Club – BATEMANS BAY
Ticket info: www.baysoldiers.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Thursday 18th April – Harvey Road Tavern – GLADSTONE
Ticket info: www.harveyroadtavern.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Friday 19th April – Magnums Hotel – AIRLIE BEACH
Ticket info: www.magnumshotel.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 20th April – Dalrymple Hotel – TOWNSVILLE
Ticket info: www.dalrymplehotel.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Sunday 21st April – Brothers Leagues Club – CAIRNS
Ticket info: www.brotherscairns.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Tuesday 23rd April – Racehorse Hotel – IPSWICH
Ticket info: www.racehorsehotel.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Wednesday 24th April – HIFI – BRISBANE
Ticket info: www.thehifi.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Friday 26th April – Villa Noosa – NOOSAVILLE
Ticket info: www.villanoosa.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Saturday 27th April – The Northern – BYRON BAY
Ticket info: www.thenorthern.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
Sunday 28th April – Twin Towns – TWEED HEADS
Ticket info: www.twintowns.com.au or www.oztix.com.au , 1300 762 545
