DAVID MURPHY – BIOGRAPHY 2024 David Murphy takes the pedal steel guitar outside the connes of its tradional roots with frequent ventures into a range of genres, spanning Americana and folk to ambient, experimental music and lm soundtracks and is best known for his work with arsts such as The Lost Brothers, John Blek, Ordnance Survey, Arborist, The Delines, Willy Vlaun, M.Ward and Jolie Holland amongst others.
His debut album ‘Cuimhne Ghlinn: Exploraons in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar’ (Rollercoaster Records) takes it from the well-worn roads of the dusty American south to a new place in contemporary Irish music. His all-instrumental debut recasts ancient Irish harp tunes and historic airs into the 21st century with the swelling, expressive and mournful sounds of the pedal steel guitar. This connues Murphy’s quest to expand the vocabulary of the instrument, taking it deeper into a world much closer to home and, for the very rst me, present it in a modern Irish framework.
Murphy’s live shows present these ancient Irish harp tunes and historic airs by O’Carolan, O’Riada et al in the 21st century, voiced by the mysterious and emove sound of the pedal steel guitar. With a band of all-star musicians from across contemporary, modern-classical and tradional/folk worlds, the pedal steel ably takes its place within an ensemble of cello, violin, piano, harp and lush electronic textures and synths.
Recent appearances include Kilkenny Arts Fesval, Electric Picnic, Another Love Story, Galway and Doolin Folk Fesvals and a live TG4 performance at Fleadh Cheoil. Conjuring a palee of sparse, dreamlike, atmospheric soundscapes and srring, cinemac takes of these culturally signicant composions and melodies from Ireland’s great harpists, composers, and song collectors.
"Irish tradional rendered ghostly by washes of pedal steel and almost subliminal piano... widescreen and structured, like an early Celc Ólafur Arnalds... 8/10" UNCUT
"…a sonic experiment of narcoc enchantment... blossoming with old world charm in luminous modernity." ***** SONGLINES - ALBUM OF THE MONTH
"…an intriguing proposion... very moving, at mes oddly Balearic, the Hawaiian roots of his warm pitch-shiing instrument spangling through." THE GUARDIAN
"an incredibly confident debut album. Balanced against its elegance and the dreamlike sound of his pedal steel is a quietly adventurous spirit that is beautifully judged and unpretentious - an extraordinarily great album." KLOF MAGAZINE
"A brave and pioneering undertaking... a landmark in ambient Irish traditional music" LONESOME HIGHWAY "sensational... deliciously sun-drenched and weary" BBC NIGHT TRACKS "gives a unique and new life to traditional Irish melodies, with ethereal effect " IRISH EXAMINER
