The Murlocs are an Australian rock band from Melbourne. They are composed of Ambrose Kenny-Smith on vocals and harmonica, Cal Shortal on guitar, Cook Craig on bass guitar, Tim Karmouche on keyboards, and Matt Blach on drums. They were formed in 2011 by Ambrose Kenny-Smith, and they have released six studio albums since then. They are signed to Flightless Records, and many of the band members are a part of other bands signed to Flightless, including King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and ORB. Their sound is a mix of rock and R&B, with the distorted harmonica of Kenny-Smith providing the band with a distinctive sound.
The Murlocs | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
|
| Website | unclemurl |
History
editThe Murlocs were formed in 2010 in Ocean Grove, Geelong, Australia.[1] According to Ambrose Kenny-Smith, their name was derived from the mythology of the oracle. In Kenny-Smith's words, "A murloc ... is a mythical creature that fiends for the oracle".[2] They released their first EP, their self-titled project The Murlocs, in March 2012. This was followed closely by another EP, Tee Pee, in August 2012. Their first full studio album, Loopholes, was released in 2014 under the Flightless Records label. Halfway through the recording of the album, the laptop containing the tracks was stolen, and the band had to re-record most of it.[3][4] In 2015, The Murlocs joined King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard for all three stops of the inaugural Gizzfest festival tour.[5] They would play at the annual festival every year until 2018, when the festival went on hiatus.
Their second album, Young Blindness, was released in March 2016. The album's second single, "Rolling On", was released in September 2015. "Rolling On" was a breakthrough for The Murlocs, and the song continues to be one of their most popular to date.[6] Young Blindness was followed in 2017 by The Murlocs' third album, Old Locomotive, which included the singles "Noble Soldier" and "Oblivion". Old Locomotive gave the band its first chart appearance when it debuted at #15 on the ARIA album charts.[7] In another first, the band toured Europe for the first time in late 2017.[8]
The band's fourth studio album, Manic Candid Episode, was released in March 2019. Kenny-Smith described this album as "...definitely the most lush thing we have done".[9] The album's earned the band its second chart appearance when it reached #16 on the ARIA album charts.[10] In support of the album, the band began their first headlining tour of the United States in April 2019.[11] Ohtis accompanied them for this tour as the opening act.
On 20 April 2021, they announced their fifth studio album Bittersweet Demons, due 25 June 2021, and released the first single "Francesca". About the single, Kenny-Smith said that “it's probably the most positive, feel-good song we’ve ever done. It's also the closest we’ve ever come to having an 80s phase.”[12] In a YouTube Q&A, the Kenny-Smith stated that Bittersweet Demons is "very personal to me as every song is based upon different places I grew up and certain family members and friends that are close".[13] Drummer Matt Blach also said that they "...have experimented a lot more with this album than others."[13]
Also on 20 April, they released vinyl re-pressings of Loopholes and the Tee Pee and Self Titled EPs, the latter of which had never been released on vinyl before.
On 12 July 2022, the band announced their sixth album, Rapscallion, which was released on 16 September of the same year.
Members
editCurrent
- Ambrose Kenny-Smith – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, keyboards, guitar (2011–present)
- Cal Shortal – guitar, backing vocals (2011–present)
- Matt Blach – drums, backing vocals (2011–present)
- Cook Craig – bass, guitar (2013–present)
- Tim Karmouche – keyboards, guitar, vocals (2016–present)
Former
- Jamie Harmer – guitar, backing vocals (2011–2013)
- Andrew Crossley – bass guitar (2011–2013)
- Lalic Milinkovic – guitar, backing vocals (2015–2016)
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [14] | ||
| Loopholes |
|
— |
| Young Blindness |
|
— |
| Old Locomotive |
|
15 |
| Manic Candid Episode |
|
16 |
| Bittersweet Demons |
|
6 |
| Rapscallion |
|
82 |
| Calm Ya Farm |
|
67 |
Live albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Live At the Teragram Ballroom |
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Murlocs |
|
| Tee Pee |
|
Music videos
edit| Title | Year | Album | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Tee Pee" | 2012 | Tee Pee EP | Danny Wild |
| "Bogan Grove" | 2013 | Jason Galea and Greg Holden | |
| "Rattle The Chain" | Loopholes | Jason Galea | |
| "Space Cadet" | |||
| "Paranoid Joy" | 2014 | ||
| "Loopholes" | |||
| "Adolescence" | 2015 | Young Blindness | |
| "Rolling On" | Danny Wild | ||
| "Compensation" | 2016 | Jason Galea | |
| "Young Blindness" | Dr D Foothead | ||
| "Unknown Disease" | Alex McLaren and Sean McAnulty | ||
| "Wolf Creep" | Alex McLaren and Jason Galea | ||
| "Noble Soldier" | 2017 | Old Locomotive | Alex McLaren |
| "Oblivion" | |||
| "Snake In The Grass" | Alex McLaren and Sean McAnulty | ||
| "Comfort Zone" | 2019 | Manic Candid Episode | John Angus Stewart |
| "Withstand" | Alex McLaren | ||
| "What if?" | John Angus Stewart | ||
| "Francesca" | 2021 | Bittersweet Demons | Alex McLaren |
| "Eating At You" | John Angus Stewart | ||
| "Bittersweet Demons" | Guy Tyzack | ||
| "Skyrocket" | Jake Armstrong | ||
| "Virgin Criminal" | 2022 | Rapscallion | Guy Tyzack |
| "Compos Mentis" | |||
| "Bellarine Ballerina" | |||
| "Living Under A Rock" (Live at the Forum) |
— | Jason Kendirian | |
| "Initiative" | 2023 | Calm Ya Farm | Guy Tyzack |
| "Undone And Unashamed" | Jack Rule and Matt Wallace | ||
| "Queen Pinky" | Hayden Somerville |
Awards and nominations
editMusic Victoria Awards
editThe Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music Victoria Awards of 2015 | The Murlocs | Best Regional Act | Nominated | [15][16] |
| Music Victoria Awards of 2016 | The Murlocs | Best Regional Act | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "The Murlocs - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)". Retrieved 2021-04-20 – via YouTube.
- ^ Hergett, Rachel. "A dozen questions with The Murlocs". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "Why The Murlocs' Ambrose Kenny-Smith Never Wants To Hear 'Loopholes' Again". Speakertv.com. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
- ^ "The Murlocs". Unclemurl.com. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
- ^ "King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard present: Gizzfest • Howl & Echoes". Howl & Echoes. 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
- ^ "The Murlocs". Open.spotify.com. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "÷ returns to #1 spot for 18th week". ARIA Charts. 2017-08-05. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
- ^ "The Murlocs To Tour New Album This August". The Music. 2017-05-19. Archived from the original on 2023-04-19. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "A Manic Candid Episode with Ambrose Kenny Smith from The Murlocs". Savage Thrills. 2019-03-18. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
- ^ "Dean Lewis scores first #1 album with A Place We Knew". ARIA Charts. 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
- ^ News-Gazette, The. "Interview With Ambrose Kenny-Smith of The Murlocs". The News-Gazette. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
- ^ Schube, Will (2021-04-19). "Aussie Rockers The Murlocs Preview New Album 'Bittersweet Demons'". Udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
- ^ a b "The Murlocs - Francesca (Official Video)". Retrieved 2021-04-20 – via YouTube.
- ^ Peaks in Australia:
- All except noted: "The Murlocs discography". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- Rapscallion: "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 26 September 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1699. Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 September 2022. p. 6.
- Calm Ya Farm: "Farnsie makes it 20". Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Previous Nominess". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.