New Face, Old Soul
BY JIN MOON
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ALEXI MURDOCH |
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Alexi Murdoch's voice is like an old soul, drifting on quiet folk lyrics and melodies with a wisdom beyond his years. He's been compared to other well-respected singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Nick Drake, John Martyn and David Gray, but this native Scot is determined to break on his own.
He came to the States and attended Duke University, though he never finished high school. After college he traveled to Los Angeles where he became close with a circle of aspiring musicians just like him. He began to play gigs around town and recorded his demo, Four Songs.
It didn't take long for radio DJ Nic Harcourt of KCRW's “Morning Becomes Eclectic” to discover him. Harcourt began playing Murdoch's songs on the radio every day for a solid month. The buzz around town was growing, especially when Murdoch's song, “Orange Sky,” was featured on the soundtrack of hit television shows like Fox's “The OC” and WB's “Dawson's Creek.”
Along the way, Murdoch made a promise to himself to fully devote his efforts to creating quality music without the worry and distraction of fame, financial success or even record deals. In so doing, he left a big promotion agency and recently turned down a deal with a major label. Murdoch just wants to focus on making music his own way -- without pressures for high sales from outside influences.
The result is astounding. Murdoch deftly crafts intimate stories in his music, pulling in listeners with his gentle and confiding vocals. Independently releasing his demo, Four Songs, as an EP in August 2003, Murdoch continues to reach an ever-growing number of people. His EP was the top seller of 2003 alongside of Jack Johnson on CDBaby.com, an online indie record store, an impressive feat for a still relatively new independent artist like Murdoch. He has also performed at ASCAP showcases at SXSW and the Sundance Film Festival Music Café. With such a rapidly increasing fan base, this Scottish talent seems destined for widespread success, whether he likes it or not.
For more information on Alexi Murdoch, visit his official website at aleximurdoch.com.
