Dave Murphy

PURCHASE DAVE MURPHY CD's HERE & NOW!!!!...(including the new one "STORIES FROM SNAKE HILL")
Stories From Snake Hill
Chasing Ghosts
Under the Lights
Dave Murphy's Musical Bio
Radio personality John Platt, of WFUV FM in New York City aptly described New Jersey based singer-songwriter Dave Murphy as “the real deal.” During an on-air interview Platt asked Murphy; “being from the northeast, how is it that your music has such a feel of the American heartland?” Murphy paused…and answered simply “well John… it’s because I really like dairy products.” Clearly, Murphy does not take himself too seriously and this trait alone sets him apart from the glut of singer-songwriters out there.
“Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Dave Murphy flavors this diva-dominated genre with the unnerving perspective of a guy, you know, the strong but sensitive type…Murphy is a natural storyteller who uses both image-rich lyrics and compelling melodies to illustrate his tale…Murphy's music at once thought-provoking and an easy listen, graciously rides the fine folk/Americana line.” - Fairfield County Weekly
Murphy has performed at hundreds of venues from Texas to New England. Top listening rooms and clubs including Joe's Pub, the Knitting Factory and Southpaw in New York City, Tin Angel in Philadelphia, Maxwell's in Hoboken,NJ and Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair,NJ. Festivals such as the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Wildflower Festival in Texas, SONO Music & Arts Festival in Connecticut and the New Jersey Folk Festival.
Over the last several years Murphy has shared the stage with Suzanne Vega, Steve Forbert, Slaid Cleaves, Alejandro Escovedo, Freedy Johnston, Christine Lavin, Lucy Kaplansky, Mike Doughty, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Vic Chesnutt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Christine Lavin and more.
Under the Lights, released in 1998 was Murphy’s solo debut album. Honest, intimate and revealing, this collection of original tunes reflected Murphy’s personal journey up until that point. In December 1999 Performing Songwriter selected Under the Lights as a prestigious Top- 12 DIY pick.
“Murphy sings in a gentle, unaffected baritone that suits his musings perfectly. He knows what he knows and he’s working on the rest. For the like-minded, Under the Lights will be illuminating, indeed.”- Performing Songwriter
“The collection’s simple, clean production compliments his bare-bones lyrics and smooth voice. A musical Raymond Carver, Murphy taps the raw nerve so many struggling songwriters can’t seem to find, creating a tight, focused album that delivers everything it promises.”- Twin Cities Revue
Chasing Ghosts, released in 2003 (Murphy’s second album) clearly reflects his ongoing evolution as both a songwriter and performer. Graced by a guest appearance by Grammy nominated troubadour Steve Forbert, Chasing Ghosts received significant airplay on Americana and Triple-A radio stations across the country. It was a “Top 5-most added” CD on the national “Americana Charts” and it spent over 12 weeks on the national “Top 35” Folk Airplay Charts at one point reaching as high as number 11.
Chasing Ghosts was produced by Marc Muller who has been a member of country superstar Shania Twain’s touring band since 1995 and co-produced Steve Forbert’s last two studio records. In addition to Muller and Forbert a bevy of talented musicians contributed to Chasing Ghosts including David Hamburger (Joan Baez, Freedy Johnston), Graham Hawthorne (David Byrne, Paul Simon), Conrad Korsch (Rod Stewart, Joan Osborne), Neil Thomas (Five- Chinese Brothers) and Columbia recording artist, Nicole Atkins.
“Impressive…finely crafted songs.”- Acoustic Live
“A masterful blend of Country, Americana and Folk Rock, a wonderful triumph of the human spirit in song.”- Tribes Hill News
In late 2003, as Chasing Ghosts was gaining momentum on the national Americana and Triple A radio airplay charts, Murphy was diagnosed with kidney cancer and after a successful surgery a full recovery followed. Though he was unable to fully capitalize on the airplay Chasing Ghosts was receiving, Murphy continues to this day to embrace that period of his life as a time of physical healing and spiritual growth.
In 2005 Dave Murphy’s songwriting talents were again formally acknowledged as he was selected as a Finalist in the prestigious New-Folk Competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. He performed his songs “Chesapeake” and “Lost and Lonely Heart” at the festival in May 2005.
In the same year he was a finalist at the Wildflower Music & Arts Festival Singer-Songwriter Contest, also in Texas and in 2007 Murphy was chosen as a winner of the New Jersey Folk Festival Songwriting contest.
Stories from Snake Hill, Dave Murphy’s 3rd full-length solo album, co-produced by Murphy and Marc Muller will be released in May 2008. On this record, the songs take center stage. There is a sense of cohesiveness and continuity on this record that are bound by the songs themselves and Murphy’s unaffected vocal delivery as well as a stellar backing band that knows just when to back off and just when to turn it on.
In addition to Murphy the players include co-producer/guitarist Marc Muller (Steve Forbert, Shania Twain), the world-class rhythm section of Shawn Pelton (Sheryl Crow, Shawn Colvin, SNL Band...) on drums and Zev Katz (Roseanne Cash, Lucy Kaplansky, Suzanne Vega...) on bass, Rob Clores (Black Crowes, Jesse Malin) ..boards and David Henry (Guster, Josh Rouse, Slaid Cleaves) ...
“Most of the songs on Stories From Snake Hill are not autobiographical, at least not in the conventional sense, but as I listen to them, I find my friend Dave in between the words. He offers up no great philosophical treatise, but provides stories of human relationships — between friends, lovers, families, and the places to which they are tied. These are songs about the ties that bind us and the relationships that cause us pain, bring us joy, and ultimately make our lives worth living…
These are also songs rooted to a place that Dave and I both call home. I’m a Jersey boy whose been living in Minneapolis longer than I care to remember, and Dave is a Jersey Boy now living in Brooklyn. This music brings me back to the place from which I came. There are obvious clues in the lyrics, but that sense of place is really in the music. In ways I can’t explain, this music feels like the stretch of the East Coast spanning from New York to Maryland. To me, these songs feel like home.
Given that, the title is an apt one. Snake Hill (officially Laurel Hill) — a rock formation near the Meadowlands in Secaucus, New Jersey — is the former site of a quarry and a notorious asylum. Now, it’s best known as a graffiti-covered landmark visible from the Jersey Turnpike. As it’s quite close to Dave’s home, these are, almost literally, the stories he sees unfolding from Snake Hill.”- Bill Snyder, Writer/Columnist -Minneapolis, MN
Over the last year or so Murphy has been concentrating on making and finishing Stories From Snake Hill, he has not done a lot of gigging. But with the new release, he is really excited about getting out there on the road in support of the new record. “Consistently playing my songs to a live audience is something that I’ve missed very much…and there’s a voice inside my head that’s telling me, that’s exactly what I need to be doing now…I’m really looking forward to getting out there and playing these new songs”
Murphy can really pull it off in a live performance and his songs resonate with honesty, intelligence, vulnerability and a sense of hard earned wisdom, yet never come across as heavy-handed. He takes you on a lyrical pilgrimage through the American soul, whether he’s telling the story of an aging Viet Nam era war widow in “Chesapeake” or sharing his own deeply personal journey with addiction in “the Bottom”. But just when you think things may be getting a bit too serious Murphy belts out “My Garden State” his tongue and cheek ode to New Jersey. Murphy strives to peel away the layers and go deeper in search of that place where the truth lives, exposing it, often from a unique and unexpected perspective.
Recently Murphy was a regional finalist in the 2008 Mountain Stage New-Song Competition, he was also awarded 1st Place in the 2007 Great American Song Contest (acoustic/folk category) for his song "Chesapeake". This song is the lead off track on his new CD "Stories From Snake Hill"
In June 2008 Murphy released "Stories From Snake Hill." It's available through most on-line music retailers including CDBaby.com and I-Tunes as well as selected brick & mortar locations.
For complete press, photos and schedule go to: www.sonicbids.com/davemurphy
For booking contact: Dave Murphy at: [email protected] or 201.452.5073
www.davemurphy.net
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