murky. Talks “Pretty Pills”, Growing Up In LA, Upcoming Music & More

modrNation: Where are you originally from?

murky.: I’m originally from LA, now I’m staying near the Beverly Hills area.

modrNation: Take me through the origin story, how did you get started making music and what was it like growing up there?

murky.: I started making music when I was eighteen, I went to Calabasas High School but dropped out when I was sixteen. When I dropped out I wasn’t playing baseball anymore so I picked up music, my best friend was the only person I knew making music so I moved out to Santa Barbara with him, he was going to college out there and I was just making music. My friend, Ford Jones, does all the production and I do all the writing. He actually just had a kid so this is my first time working with other people, but Ford did the next three singles I have planned as well as an entire project so anything coming out soon is still him.

modrNation: So you have the next few singles and a project lined up, what’s your process like when organizing and planning a release?

murky.: My manager and I worked on a nice path of stepping stones to get the most out of everything. I released music a while ago without a plan and it didn’t do anything so this time around I’m much more organized. We’re doing a track each month with videos and all that, the next one is on October 7th, then another November and the project most likely in December. 

modrNation: Where would you say your inspiration typically comes from?

murky.: I think I go into a full coma when I write so I honestly have no clue, all my inspiration when I write has been from this one girl who I liked in high school and she’s obviously not with me anymore but a lot of my new inspiration comes from my current girlfriend. Music is my only way out of not having a nine to five so I kind of just put headphones on and write. Whatever comes to mind is what I’ll write, it could be sad shit or happy, it’s just whatever mood I’m in that day.

modrNation: You just put out your impressive debut single “Pretty Pills”, what’s the meaning behind that track?

murky.: “Pretty Pills” came together the second Ford sent me the beat. I immediately had the chorus in my head and the verses came quickly after. We were in the kitchen at his wife’s old apartment spitting out ideas, the chorus came quick and the rest was just about growing up, finding love, falling apart, and basically just finding out who I am throughout all that shit.

modrNation: What was the creative process like while making it?

murky.: It was beautiful, we were literally just in that kitchen with a shit mic, they were outside watching TV and I was just in there recording. Every time I make something I know is cool I have a mini freak out, so I called Ford and we both started freaking out. We’ve had this song for like a year and a half, but we recently got it mixed and mastered and it sounded twenty times better.

modrNation: Were your expectations this high when you’d released it?

murky.: Honestly I just put it out, I didn’t even know the Spotify playlist was happening, I was at work as a grip on a TV shoot and my manager texted me saying we had almost two thousand views in a few hours and I had no idea how until I saw Fresh Finds. My old song wasn’t even close to as many streams as this one, I had expectations for this track but nothing this crazy.

modrNation: What would you say is the importance of finding your own identity and individuality as an artist in a time where new artists are popping up every day?

murky.: A lot of people stick to one trait, but I like to bounce around and be in different niches. When I drop an album it’ll be a bunch of completely different songs because I don’t want to stay in one box. I came up listening to rap, but I’m not a huge fan of today's rap so I don’t make that type of music but I found a different genre I really love. Maybe one day I’ll do a rap album I don’t know, I’ll do anything besides box myself in.

modrNation: What are you most excited about now heading into the future?

murky.: Performing at festivals, that’ll be the sickest thing in the world. Also just doing it for a living, being able to wake up and know music is my job and be able to put 150% into this, not having to work another job and struggle to make music later because I’m so tired.