PETE Murray is back in the studio to record a new album, due out next year and with a new sound. Murray is back on the road and coming to Mount Isa next week as part of a 33-date national tour. Fans can expect to hear plenty of the old hits. In this interview, Murray explains what his first number one album Feeler means to him and why it took him so long to like the album that made his name.
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Do I suffer from nerves? No, I'm totally fine with that.
- Pete Murray
How does it feel touring?
It feels really good, actually. I'm really excited about it. For a long time I didn't like the album at all and I never listened to it from start to finish until about two years ago. I got a text from Darren Middleton from Powderfinger, saying, ''Hey, I just listened to Feeler, great album'', and I kind of thought I've never really liked it because I think I went into this post-album blues. So it made me listen to it two years ago and actually I went, ''You know what? It's actually pretty good''. So I was happy with it and I think relieved after a long time of not giving it the chance and probably being too critical.
What didn't you like about the album?
I just thought maybe it wasn't dynamic enough, or maybe it was too deep and dark and certain lyrical concepts were a bit too much, a bit too personal, but I think that was the beauty of it.
What are you normally doing 10 minutes before a gig?
I'd normally just have an acoustic guitar and have a little bit of a play, just going over a few songs and trying to warm up a bit. Do I suffer from nerves? No, I'm totally fine with that. I used to be a little bit like that but you just get used to it. I just make sure the whole show is off to a good start.
And straight after a gig?
I like to sit down and probably have a rum.
What's your biggest career highlight?
I think my very early show that I did [at Bar Broadway in Sydney], I always kind of refer to as the highlight for me. It held about 400 people, which was a massive crowd for me back then, and it was the first time I sold out a show. I remember the band and I were coming to the gig and we had to drive through this crowd lined up blocks down the road, and I was going, ''Oh, there must be some other gig on that people are going to and no one is going to come to my show'', but it turned out that everyone was lined up for that. I came out on stage, singing the last track on the album Feeler, which was Ten Ft Tall, which I would have though a lot of people wouldn't have known, and everyone sang it back word for word.
Do I suffer from nerves? No, I'm totally fine with that.
- Pete Murray