David Murphy is a musician and producer based in Cork, Ireland known best for his work with the pedal steel guitar and takes the instrument outside the confines of its traditional roots with frequent ventures into a range of genres, spanning Americana and Traditional Irish to ambient, experimental music and film soundtracks.
Alongside his solo work, he is also known as a frequent collaborator with artists such as The Lost Brothers, Arborist and The Delines, accompanying M.Ward or Jolie Holland or contributing sonic soundscapes to the writings of modern literary greats like Patrick McCabe and Willy Vlautin. His critically acclaimed debut album ‘Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar’ (Rollercoaster Records) takes the pedal steel from the well-worn roads of the dusty American south to a new place in contemporary Irish music, resulting in numerous Album of The Year shortlists for 2024. This all-instrumental record 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 continues Murphy’s quest to expand the vocabulary of the instrument, taking it deeper into a world much closer to home and, for the very first time, present it in a modern Irish framework.
Murphy’s live show presents these ancient Irish harp tunes and historic airs voiced by the mysterious and emotive sound of the pedal steel guitar and accompanied with his band Ether Ensemble: all-star musicians from across contemporary, modern-classical and traditional/folk worlds. Here the pedal steel ably takes its place alongside cello, violin, piano, harp and lush electronic textures and synths. Murphy and his band conjure a palette of sparse, dreamlike, atmospheric soundscapes and stirring, cinematic takes of these culturally significant compositions and melodies from Ireland’s great harpists, composers, and song collectors. Recent appearances include Kilkenny Arts Festival, Electric Picnic, Another Love Story, Cork Opera House, Galway and Doolin Folk Festivals, National Concert Hall (Dublin), Celtic Connections (Glasgow), Sounds From A Safe Harbour (Cork), Other Voices (Dingle/Wales), Quiet Lights Festival and national television appearances at TG4’s Fleadh Cheoil and RTE’s Other Voices.
Photography: Celeste Burdon
2024 sees Murphy take his first steps out of the shadows as a solo artist with the release of his own full-length studio album 'Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar' on the Rollercoaster Records label. This continues his quest to expand the vocabulary of the instrument and take it in new and exciting directions.
Murphy’s all-instrumental debut album recasts ancient Irish harp tunes and historic airs by O’Carolan, O’Riada et al into the 21st century, voiced by the mysterious, emotive and swelling sound of the pedal steel guitar. Supported by an all-star cast of musicians from across contemporary, modern-classical and folk worlds, the pedal steel ably takes its place within an ensemble featuring cello, violin, piano, harp, uilleann pipes and lush electronic textures and synths. Across 40 minutes, the album conjures a palette of sparse, dreamlike, atmospheric soundscapes and stirring, cinematic takes of these culturally significant compositions and melodies from Ireland’s great harpists, composers and song collectors.
This record promises to be a must-listen for fans of pedal steel guitar, atmospheric soundtracks, traditional Irish music, contemporary experimental, ambient and modern-classical music. It features a masterful cast of supporting musicians including Peter Broderick (Efterklang, Erased Tapes), Steve Wickham (The Waterboys, Sinead O'Connor, U2), Laura McFadden (Arborist), Aisling Urwin (Woven Kin), Alannah Thornburgh, Rory McCarthy (Notify), Mark McCausland (The Lost Brothers), Anthony Ruby, Cory Gray (The Delines, The Decemberists) and Graham Heaney (Saint Sister) amongst others.
On his vision for the album, Murphy says:
"The pedal steel guitar has unique timbre, tuning and tonal capabilities. It offers rich sustain, swelling glissando and the ability to bend expressive and mournful notes that merge seamlessly and elastically into changing chords. Its unmistakable, crying sound is identified on hundreds of acclaimed records in folk and country genres. In the 21st century, it has continued its evolution into electronica, ambient and experimental music realms. With this record, my objective was to take the instrument away from its excursions across well-worn roads through the dusty American south and southwest and deeper into a world much closer to home and, for the very first time, present it in a modern Irish framework."
Released on 19th April 2024 on the Rollercoaster Records label and presented visually with stunning artwork by Craig Carry, it is available on 180-gram Vinyl, CD and Digital from all major platforms and retailers.
Order now via Bandcamp.
Funded by Cork City Council Arts Office
“Irish traditional rendered ghostly by washes of pedal steel and almost subliminal piano... widescreen and structured, like an early Celtic Ólafur Arnalds... 8/10”
“a sonic experiment of narcotic enchantment... blossoming with old world charm in luminous modernity
* * * * * ALBUM OF THE MONTH”
“an intriguing proposition... very moving, at times oddly Balearic, the Hawaiian roots of his warm pitch-shifting instrument spangling through”
“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”
“Murphy adds tear-stained tones of pedal steel guitar.”
“... mournful pedal steel”
“David Murphy adds a note of melancholy on steel guitar”
“Pedal steel that keens with love and longing and speaks of wide-screen vistas.”
“... an exemplary pedal steel player”
“Murphy’s dreamy and quite stunning pedal steel again takes pride of place.”
“David Murphy’s guitar playing seems to arch off into the heavens and waft with each note he teases stretching and curling out more and more around Nic Amhlaoibh’s ancient voice and O’Connor’s rumbling synth”
“The unmistakable sounds of David Murphy’s pedal steel guitar gently weep throughout much of the album and elevates the music above the ordinary.”
“A brave and pioneering undertaking... a landmark in ambient Irish traditional music”
“sensational... deliciously sun-drenched and weary”