Today we’d like to introduce you to Bri Murphy.
Hi Bri, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in northwestern Wisconsin to a Tennesseean mom and a New Yorker dad.
They were both musicians, so it was never, “Are you going to play an instrument?” It was, “What instrument are you going to play?” And my first one was violin at age 4. I wrote my first short songs and poems around that age, too; I have a vivid memory of rewriting the lyrics to the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields” when I was in kindergarten.
I went to college thinking I was heading to law school, but I *really* caught the songwriting bug my junior year and decided to ditch plans for law school and move to Nashville when I graduated.
I ended up floundering around town for a year before I went back to school and got my Master’s in Music (in classical violin performance) from Belmont University. Belmont opened a lot of doors for me, and shortly after graduating, I found myself on the road full-time playing fiddle and singing BGVs in bar bands.
In 2016, I decided to get off the road and buckle down to finally pursue a solo project. Since then, I’ve put out two records and several singles. I’ve got a new record in the works called “Wild and Sweet” that will be out in the late spring of 2022.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road.
My biggest challenge came towards the end of 2015. I was raped by a relatively well-known figure in the Nashville music industry. It took me a long time to truly process the trauma I experienced from that incident, and sometimes it still sneaks in around the edges in unexpected ways.
But thank God for songwriting, because it got me through that time (along with so many others). I also faced my reality head-on and started advocacy work for sexual assault survivors.
In early 2019, I testified in front of the State Legislature in support of a bill that would have increased legal rights for independent contractors who experience sexual assault.
The bill was tabled, but I drew a lot of strength from being able to tell my story and stand in my truth.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve always been a writer, and I think that shows in my lyrics. I came to Nashville in 2011 with a strong sense of lyricism, but a pretty weak sense of melody and prosody.
Of course, Nashville is one of the best cities to learn the full craft of songwriting, and I feel like I’ve really come into my own over the past few years. I draw inspiration from everyone from John Prine to the Beatles to Dolly to Bruce Hornsby.
I think my endless exposure to all kinds of music growing up has made me a deeply creative person, and I’m grateful for that upbringing. I’m pretty fearless when it comes to putting my art out there for the world to see. Not everyone will dig it, but if I’ve touched a few hearts, I feel like I’ve done my job.
I release an almost-weekly video on YouTube that’s a cover series called One Take Thursday, which is a stripped-down one-and-done of a wide range of songs. My fiancé Peter usually plays with me and we film it in front of a giant wall of fake flowers, which is the main talking point of our living room.
You make strange design sacrifices when you’re a musician or singer.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Oh man, there are endless sources of inspiration for me. Some favorites:
Apps: Voice Memos, of course. Pinterest for when I need a visual creative spark. Insight Timer to keep me grounded with meditation. My guilty pleasure app is any home or room design game. I went through a big Sudoku streak for a long time; right now it’s Solitaire.
Books: Joan Didion, Toni Morrison, and Patti Smith are three of my favorite writers. John Lewis’s “March” trilogy is phenomenal. I have a huge list of books that I love, and I send out a weekly newsletter that has book recommendations each week. It’s called Zoe’s Corner, named after my best friend from college, who we tragically lost to COVID very early on in the pandemic. She was a schoolteacher and an incredible light in this world.
Podcasts: The On Being podcast with Krista Tippett is a big one for me. I also love Splendid Table. I listen to #SistersInLaw every week; it’s my favorite breakdown of politics-related news (I was a political science major in college).
“Everything Happens” with Kate Bowler is a recent find that I’ve been getting into. I went through “Fierce” from Tribeca Studios last year and it left a big impression on me.
Pricing:
- Patreon membership starts at $3/month.
Contact Info:
- Email: brimurphymusic@gmail.com
- Website: www.brimurphymusic.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/brimurphymusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/brimurphymusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/brimurphymusic
- Youtube: youtube.com/c/brimurphymusic
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/bri-murphy-73284898
- Other: patreon.com/brimurphymusic
Image Credits
Jens Fricke Photography; Anna Haas Creative; Lee Butterworth Photography; Kyle May; and Betsy Heron
