Pete Murray is in a great place in his life and career. Guitarist, singer, songwriter and now producer, it seems there’s no end to his talents. His happiness shines through in his new album, ’Summer at Eureka‘, which he produced and recorded at his home in Byron Bay’s hinterland. Coast caught up with Pete at the home that he shares with his wife and two children.
fifteenminutesoffame words as told to Sally O’Neill photo Chris Searle
When did you realise that you wanted to be a musician? That’s a tough question! I was twenty-two and studying, and living with a mate. He said he was going to get guitar lessons, so I went with him. I had never done anything musical before and I had fun. A few years later I started writing and performing my own songs.
What do you love about where you live? Up here, it’s visually beautiful. We’re close to the beach and there’s a strong community. I come from a small town. In the city there’s not as much community. We support each other, it’s healthy, there are farmers’ markets, healthy food and the weather and water are warm.
Your worst job before music? When I was travelling as a backpacker, I worked as a dish pig in a busy bar in Canada. I also worked as a handyman in huts in the Rockies which was actually a good job, but it had its bad days. Like once a year when they had to clean out the toilets. They collected the big barrels of waste and flew them by helicopter down to us ‘shit kickers’ to put them on the back of the pickup trucks. The barrels started to spin, and we were covered in shit! It was a bad job in a lovely area.
What keeps you grounded? I’ve always been a grounded person. Having a family also helps. When I come back from touring and see how hard my wife works with the kids, I realise there’s more to life than touring and playing music. I’ve never been swept up in the whole fame thing.
What drives you as a musician? I always push to be the best I can be, to write a better song, to do a better album. And I think, to this day, I have achieved this. What was the defining moment that made you decide to produce this album yourself? After my second album, I realised that I had always been active in production. With ‘See the Sun’, I took control and knew what I wanted. Then I knew I was in a position to produce an album. If you have the right team around you, you can do it. My music doesn’t need to be over-produced, it just needs the right feel, the right emotion. What do you love about ‘Summer At Eureka’? It’s a happy album. It’s a good reflection of me and where I’m at. I’m living in a good place, I’m happy with my wife and two boys. On my first album, ‘Feeler’, there were some deep and dark tracks and I don’t want to go back there. A lot of singer/songwriters are melancholy. My favourite tracks on the album are the electric ones: ‘Chance to Say Goodbye’ and ’Sugar’.
Favourite summer moments? I like getting outside and being active - going to the beach and running, although my knee is bad from an old rugby injury. Getting hot and sweaty, having a surf then a drink in the beer garden at the Beach Hotel (in Byron Bay). Have you been to Phillip Island before? Yes, when I was nineteen. I went with my sister and we saw the penguins come in. It was freezing cold and I couldn’t believe there were guys out surfing! What do you love about festivals? The fun – there’s always a good vibe. There’s a particular feel – people have a few drinks and are pretty chilled out. My music seems to go down well in this atmosphere. If you were Prime Minister for a day? Well, I’m pretty happy that Obama got in, I have to say! But, that’s a hard question. It would be a tough job. I like a lot of things about both parties, so I think it’s about finding a middle ground between them. If I could tackle one issue, I would ensure that the health system was affordable and accessible for all. C Pete Murray is headlining Chill Island Festival on Sunday 3 February.