Singer-songwriter Pete Murray returns with his sixth album, ‘Camacho’, on which he diverts from his acoustic roots for a more beats-oriented direction.
One of the country’s best-loved musicians known for penning laidback acoustic hits tinged with a distinctively coastal vibe, Pete released his last album ‘Blue Sky Blue’ in 2011.
Returning with a revamped sound that embraces an electronic inflection, Pete says ‘Camacho’ is a unique album for him in that it is the only work from his discography that he’s been entirely happy with throughout production. “I feel good about ‘Camacho’,” Pete says.
“It would have taken about five or six years to finish and there’s never been a record before that I’ve done that I’ve been 100 per cent happy with all the way through, so I’m really happy about it.”
Since releasing his highly-acclaimed debut album ‘Feeler’ in 2003, Pete has maintained a steady, creative output of albums, each one producing hit singles that have made him a household name.
Although his earlier work, especially ‘Feeler’, garnered him critical acclaim and launched a national and international career, he says it took him nearly a decade for him to hear anything good about it.
That’s not the case on ‘Camacho’, as Pete says the shift from band-based recording scenarios to a more intimate one-on-one pairing with a producer cultivated the new sound he was trying to achieve. “I’ve changed it up quite a bit,” he says of the recording process.
“I’ve moved into working with a lot more loops and beats. On this one I worked with Trials, the producer from Adelaide who’s in A.B. Original. I was growing a bit-off the full-band album sound from what I’ve done in the past.
“It was just me and a producer working together most of the time in a studio; it’s a very different way for recording for me where in the past I’ve been in the studio with the whole band and you put it all down.”
Pete is heading out on an extensive national tour for the ‘Camacho’ album, which will see him play 33 shows in capital cities and regional areas. When you consider how happy Pete has been with the record, it’s no wonder he’s so keen to play it live. “I don't think I have ever been more excited about playing an album live than I am with 'Camacho',” he says.
“There isn't one song that I don't want to play off it. This is also a different flavour to what I have done before and I'm really looking forward to letting the Aussie crowds hear the difference.”
Joining Pete on tour as support is up and coming singer-songwriter Ben Wright-Smith, who has been winning hearts with his own brand of acoustic meanderings.
Pete says he’s excited to be touring with Ben and that the shows will be a real treat for the audience. “I'm looking forward to taking the very talented Ben Wright-Smith on the road with me. I have a feeling my fans will really love his music.”
Pete Murray's 30+ national tour kicks off 12 July in Lismore and runs toll 9 September in Darwin.
