PUBLICITY CONTACT: Paula Danylevich, Hype Music, paula ...

PUBLICITY CONTACT: Paula Danylevich, Hype Music, paula@hypemusiconline.com

Honesty is such a rarity these days. That’s
probably the reason mankind has always
maintained some sort of adage asserting its
importance. Yet few recognize its most essential
recipient; one’s self. Thankfully, this
is the driving force behind Toronto-based
singer/songwriter Dylan Murray.
“If you are not true to yourself , you are doing
everyone else a disservice,” he beams.
Discovering an adoration for crafting sinewy
melodies and dominant rhythms at an early
age thanks to a vast and vehemently musical
family, Murray’s passionate intensity
and subtle gracefulness were quickly fostered
into an unequalled style showcased
on inimitable debut full-length Inspiration.
The inaugural release and initial signing by
esteemed chanteuse Nelly Furtado’s fresh
Nelstar Records, Inspiration finds Dylan and
Furtado intensifying an already-profound
working relationship that has seen them
tour the likes of Canada and Europe together.
Moreover, it results in the stunning,
powerful duet “Be OK,” one of the album’s
strongest focal points. Still, Murray admits
that he wasn’t entirely dedicated until a few
critical moments steered him in the proper
direction.
“Throughout my life, I’ve always felt like the
stream that has veered off and come back,”
he reflects, “It wasn’t until I left school that
I entirely committed to music. It was during
a poverty awareness trip in Jamaica. Here
I was meeting people who were happy, yet
didn’t have much materialistically. It inspired
me that there was nothing stopping
me from pursuing my dreams.”
Following his conscience, Murray’s goal of
uniting the diverse worlds of reggae, rock
and folk was entirely underway. Influenced
by the stark directness and unbridled honour
of musical greats including Bob Marley,
The Beatles, Sizzla Kalonji, Bob Dylan, Pearl
Jam and Counting Crows, Dylan Murray’s
inimitable truthfulness and desire to spread
joy through music—Inspiration in particular—is
the purest form of warm reciprocity.
“As a singer/songwriter, you have a built-in
diversity,” he smiles. “Any song is open to
your interpretation. When you play it alone,
it’s almost the purest form and translates
across genres. You can play folk, rock or
reggae and give it a new dynamic or diverse
perspective. People can connect with
what you’re doing because everyone knows
a singer/songwriter and can pull from that
experience to understand your perspective.”
Taken by Murray’s virility and virulence,
collaborators such as Brian West, (Nelly
Furtado, K’naan) engineer/mixer/producer
Brad Haehnel (Life of Pi soundtrack) and
John Shanks (Natasha Bedingfield, Keith
Urban) lend their own peerless abilities to
the 12 tracks that comprise Inspiration.
Pared down to 12 tunes from an impressive
catalogue of almost 100, Inspiration is truly
derived from sincerity and that innate need
for guilelessness in humanity.
From the relaxed shuffle of “So Far From
The Earth,” with guest vocalists Sly and
Robbie, to the uber-positive “Must Come
Pick Me Up,” and the smooth, almost jazzy
relaxedness of “Under The Wind”, Inspiration
is Murray at his purest, most unadulterated
and sublime; emanates with innate
intimacy, boundless curiosity and bold adventurousness.
To that extent, Murray exalts that by participating
in a collective consciousness
through his songwriting, he can give back
to the world in his own peerless way; share
the reward of song through honesty, selflessness
and lifelong dedication.
“Musicians experience things and put it
into words for people to comprehend,” he
relays. “That may sound too profound but
when you hear a song and you’re going
through something, you connect to it. It’s
like going out with a friend for a drink. It’s
nice to have music you can relate to. I’ll
know people will take that away as long as
I stay true to music; put my heart and soul
into it...and Inspiration is certainly the most
honest account of who I am today.”
www.iamdylanmurray.com
Twitter: @IAMDYLANMURRAY
PUBLICITY CONTACT: Paula Danylevich, Hype Music, paula@hypemusiconline.com