Tuesday 15th February, 2022
This might be the first rock and roll track in history to feature a penchant for homemade cooking, with the opening line of the chorus well and truly revealing the hurt the young narrator has endured: ‘I like your homemade pizza.’
As Jake Murdoch says about the lyric of his new single Free Spirited Baby, ‘It is about a girl who is a free spirit who has lots of boyfriends and who left me. They include a number of questions about why she left me, and the chorus includes all the things I like about her.’ Who is Jake Murdoch?
He is a Brisbane based wunderkind musician, a singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who’s just released a blazing indie blues slash rock and roll song that, despite its subject matter—we’re talking heartbreak here—reveals an approach that utilises a healthy amount of playfulness. The new single also displays a few of Jake’s other talents, which include lead guitar, rhythm guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, piano, drums, harmonicas, tambourine, stompbox, ukulele, cajon, banjo and lead and backing vocals—so the youngster is no slouch when it comes to picking up an instrument.
With mentors that include Vicky O’Keefe (daughter of Johnny O’Keefe), Robbie James (Gangajang/Yothu Yindi), Gina Jeffreys and Nashville producer Michael Flanders, Jake’s mixed bag of tricks comes in handy on this tune, treating a raw rock record with a purist’s sensibility and a refreshingly unprocessed veneer.
Jake’s musical inspirations include The Traveling Wilburys, Prince, Andrew Farriss (INXS), Keith Urban, Wolfe Brothers, Dire Straits, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Status Quo, and Neil Diamond, this list revealing the stylistic territory, Jake explores. When asked about his ambitions, Jake says, ‘I love recording. I love the creative process, and I learn a lot from my producers working on my tracks. I absorb it all.
I want to keep live music going and bring happiness to people.’ 2022 looks set to be a big year for the emerging young music star with appearances at major musical events lined up, including Kenmore Park Music Muster, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Ekka, Gympie Music Muster and RedFest. Free Spirited Baby is a taken from Jake’s debut EP, Jakeycakes—released when he was 11 years old.
