Acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter and founding member of the Warumpi Band, Neil Murray reflects on his 30-plus year career with his new retrospective album 'Hindsight'.
The two-CD, 32-track collection spans all the work Neil has produced as a solo artist.
All tracks have been personally selected by Neil, who says the new collection gives listeners a broad scope of his immense catalogue. “The release is especially good for people who haven't encountered my stuff before,” Neil says.
“Because they come over to the merch desk [at live shows] and there's a bunch of albums there and they say 'which is your best?'" he laughs.
“I say they should get them all, but if they can't do that then here's a sample of songs from each album and if they like it they can go back.”
Both new and old fans of Neil will have a chance to see him perform live in a solo show as part of the Australian Music Week showcase where he says his goal will be to break into the Canadian live touring circuit.
“I think I've only got about half an hour, which is about six songs so I'll be trying to present the stronger songs that will work in a solo configuration that I feel will represent what I do.
“My motivation for being involved with Australian Music Week is to try and get to Canada because it's one place that I really think my stuff would go over [well].”
“I've had a long-time ambition to play in Canada and I need to make the contacts to set it up, so I'm happy to go and do some shows over there and maybe make it a regular thing.
“I feel there's a lot in common between Canada and Australia, and I feel that my material would be well-received there.”
A well-respected member of the Australian songwriting community for his work with the Warumpi Band, Neil says that he places a high value on the art of telling a story through song. “I'm probably old-school,” he says.
“I still regard original albums as books, the songs all hang together and that's how they're designed.
“The real, hardcore fans will just buy albums but other people who just want a taste will probably be interested in something like 'Hindsight'.”
One of the most iconic songs written by Neil is 'My Island Home', originally composed in 1986 (released 1987) for Warumpi Band singer George Burarrwanga about his home on Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land.
The song was then covered by Christine Anu in 1995, turning it into a smash-hit and earning Neil an APRA Song Of The Year Award.
Though not included in his catalogue of original songs (or the 'Hindsight' track listing), Neil says he still plays the song at some of his live shows. “I never wrote the song for myself to sing, so I have done it but it's not mandatory that it's in the set,” he says.
“I don't have it on 'Hindsight' [because] I didn't have a decent-enough recording of me doing it. I originally wrote it for the lead singer of the Warumpi Band to sing and then later on Christine Anu covered it and had mainstream success with it.
“So by default people now want to hear the writer of the song sing it, so I do oblige.”
