John Murry’s debut solo album The Graceless Age was released locally in September last year via Spunk records to widespread critical acclaim.
Boasting perfect score reviews in publications such as The Guardian, the record has also gone on to earn a spot in Uncut magazine’s list of the ‘50 Greatest Singer/Songwriter Albums of All Time’ and came in at number two in Mojo’s ‘Best Albums of 2013’ list.
With such universal praise being heaped on The Graceless Age, one would expect Murry to have known what a masterpiece he had created when the recording process was over. However, the deeply contemplative artist explained that he was unaware of the power of the album, and went on to say, “I’m still not sure that it’s special, and I think if it is special then that’s why.”
Of course, critic approval was never the aim for Murry when he was creating the record. “The reality is that I never made a record for anybody but me, the people I made it with, and my wife. I really was more concerned about whether I would ever be with my family again,” he said of his feelings at the time.
The Graceless Age chronicles, with brutal and beautiful honesty, the dark period in Murry’s life after his heroin addiction had caused his family to leave him. “That record is nothing but a document of that moment in time. It was an amazing experience.”
“The impetus for the record was to retain my sanity”Speaking of that period of his life, Murry recalled, “I had too much money and nothing to do except heroin, and it ruined me enough to realise just how utterly pointless everything is except for the things that I had taken for granted: my wife, my daughter, and these people around me.”
“The impetus for the record was to retain my sanity,” explained Murry, adding, “It took a team of people to keep it all together emotionally.”
Murry believes that the creative process was hugely beneficial to his wellbeing at the time. “Art is the type of thing that allows you to let go of the terror around you, and that’s what rock n’ roll lets you do,” he reasoned. “It’s a way to embrace terror; we’re able to escape the fear by connecting with the visceral part of music that we don’t understand.”
Having created something completely personal that was then so widely well received, Murry mused over the resultant effect on his approach to making music. “I made the record because I quit caring about the populace,” he commented, “But now, because I made the record, I care too much about the populace.”
To explain this dichotomy further, Murry went on to say, “I’ve played for audiences that sing my songs to me. How can I look them in the face and deny that now I owe them a debt? Not only did they listen, but they said ‘something about this speaks for me.’”
Murry feels that an audience’s connection to his art is dependent on music and lyrics working in unison. “I don’t disconnect [the two],” he said.
“Without lyrics I don’t think there is music – that’s not to say that there isn’t instrumental music that I love and adore, and it’s not to say that there’s not poetry that I love and adore – but I’m just a song and dance dude.”
Murry went on to declare that he would have no interest in creating something “if the two things [lyrics and music] weren’t reflecting the same emotion as the same object”.
“If there were a separation then I’d be a fraud.”
To say that Murry is looking forward to his upcoming Australian tour would be an immense understatement, as he noted, “This is the first tour I’m able to perform freely. [Tour promoter] Gaynor Crawford has really created something for me that I don’t know how to say thank you for.”
“I get to go stay on 17 acres of land with the tour manager and look at koalas and wombats and kangaroos and stuff, and then stay there for a week extra and play a show with John Grant and play at all these wonderful places, and there’s a popular interest in [the tour].That’s ridiculous!”
The show with John Grant that Murry refers to is taking place at the Sydney Town Hall on 16th January as part of the 2014 Sydney Festival program.
Murry is enthused about the opportunity to share a bill with Grant. “I stood and watched him from side stage at Electric Picnic, this festival in Ireland and it was amazing,” Murry recalled.
“I’m just a song and dance dude”“I felt this weird kinship with what it is that he does,” Murry continued, before tantilising Sydney Festival goers with this prospect: “I was hoping that for that show [John Grant] would play piano on ‘Little Colored Balloons.’”
‘Little Colored Balloons’ is the third track on The Graceless Age and is Murry’s harrowing, ten-and-a-half-minute account of a heroin overdose that nearly took his life. It’s a frank and darkly beautiful piece that epitomises Murry’s style and has drawn high praise.
Murry remains affected by the song’s dark and personal subject matter whenever he performs it. “When I’m just standing there singing [‘Little Colored Balloons’], I know it so well now that it has become a little bit like living the scenes, because they are real,” he explained.
“I sort of see things in my mind’s eye that I didn’t know were there, and it’s gone from being a sepia-tone blur to being a William Egglestone photograph: far too colourful.”
Recollecting the obvious pain associated with the material covered by ‘Little Colored Ballons’ and all of The Graceless Age may seem an arduous task, however Murry is able to remain philosophical about his experiences.
“It’s only in suffering that we can ever experience love,” he reasoned, “It’s only in what’s totally mysterious and betraying – and what causes us to feel lost and lonely – that can make us feel anything akin to the opposite.”
All the eloquence and depth of character that Murry exhibits in his music are identifiable in his general nature, and are highlighted by statements such as: “I would prefer to give more to the world than I take from it.”
Australian fans can look forward to seeing what it is that John Murry has to give to the world during his upcoming tour, which promises to provide some truly remarkable performances.
John Murry Australian Tour Dates
THU 16 JAN – SYDNEY FESTIVAL – Town Hall – SYDNEY NSW
Town Hall with John Grant Tickets http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au
FRI 17 JAN – SYDNEY FESTIVAL – Lennnox Theatre, Parramatta – SYDNEY NSW
Tickets http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au
SAT 18 JAN – Meeniyan Town Hall – MEENIYAN VIC
Tickets www.lyrebirdartscouncil.com.au or phone bookings: 1300 762 545
TUES 21ST JAN – Northcote Social Club – MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets www.northcotesocialclub.com or phone bookings: 1300 724 867
