the Murlocs
{{short description|Australian band}}
{{redirect|Murlocs|the fictional species|List of piscine and amphibian humanoids}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = The Murlocs
| image = The Murlocs at the Scala, London.jpg
| caption = The Murlocs performing in London, 2019
| origin = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| genre = {{Hlist|Psychedelic rock|garage rock|R&B|}}
| years_active = 2010–present
| label = {{Hlist|Flightless|ATO|p(doom)}}
| website = {{URL|https://unclemurl.com/}}
| current_members = * Ambrose Kenny-Smith
- Cal Shortal
- Cook Craig
- Tim Karmouche
- Matt Blach
}}
The Murlocs are an Australian rock band from Melbourne. They are composed of Ambrose Kenny-Smith on vocals and harmonica, Cal Shortal on guitar, Cook Craig on bass guitar, Tim Karmouche on keyboards, and Matt Blach on drums. They were formed in 2011 by Ambrose Kenny-Smith, and they have released seven studio albums since then. They are signed to Flightless Records, and many of the band members are a part of other bands signed to Flightless, including King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and ORB. Their sound is a mix of rock and R&B, with the distorted harmonica of Kenny-Smith providing the band with a distinctive sound.
History
The Murlocs were formed in 2010 in Ocean Grove, Geelong, Australia.{{Cite web|via=YouTube|title=The Murlocs - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifvCzU4_7Lc|language=en|access-date=2021-04-20}} According to Ambrose Kenny-Smith, their name was derived from the mythology of the oracle. In Kenny-Smith's words, "A murloc ... a creature in world of warcraft".{{Cite web|title=A dozen questions with The Murlocs|url=https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ruckus/music/a-dozen-questions-with-the-murlocs/article_450f0b0c-dd97-552e-959c-2192bacb7fb2.html|last=Hergett|first=Rachel|website=Bozeman Daily Chronicle|language=en|access-date=2023-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128160114/https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ruckus/music/a-dozen-questions-with-the-murlocs/article_450f0b0c-dd97-552e-959c-2192bacb7fb2.html|archive-date=2020-11-28|url-status=live}} They released their first EP, their self-titled project The Murlocs, in March 2012. This was followed closely by another EP, Tee Pee, in August 2012. Their first full studio album, Loopholes, was released in 2014 under the Flightless Records label. Halfway through the recording of the album, the laptop containing the tracks was stolen, and the band had to re-record most of it.{{Cite web|date=2014-04-14|title=Why The Murlocs' Ambrose Kenny-Smith Never Wants To Hear 'Loopholes' Again|url=https://www.speakertv.com/news/latest-news/murlocs-ambrose-kenny-smith-never-wants-hear-loopholes/|access-date=2021-02-11|website=Speakertv.com|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=The Murlocs|url=https://unclemurl.com/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=Unclemurl.com}} In 2015, The Murlocs joined King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard for all three stops of the inaugural Gizzfest festival tour.{{Cite web|title=King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard present: Gizzfest • Howl & Echoes|url=http://howlandechoes.com/2015/04/king-gizzard-the-lizard-wizard-present-gizzfest/|date=2015-04-16|website=Howl & Echoes|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-18}} They would play at the annual festival every year until 2018, when the festival went on hiatus.
Their second album, Young Blindness, was released in March 2016. The album's second single, "Rolling On", was released in September 2015. "Rolling On" was a breakthrough for The Murlocs, and the song continues to be one of their most popular to date.{{Cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/artist/0rH93aHDYyJfMAcPB9OKus|title=The Murlocs|website=Open.spotify.com|access-date=29 June 2023}} Young Blindness was followed in 2017 by The Murlocs' third album, Old Locomotive, which included the singles "Noble Soldier" and "Oblivion". Old Locomotive gave the band its first chart appearance when it debuted at #15 on the ARIA album charts.{{Cite web|title=÷ returns to #1 spot for 18th week|url=https://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/2017/divide-returns-to-1-spot-for-18th-week|last=|first=|date=2017-08-05|website=ARIA Charts|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-18}} In another first, the band toured Europe for the first time in late 2017.{{Cite web |url=https://themusic.com.au/news/the-murlocs-to-tour-new-album-this-august/AgkVFBcWGRg/19-05-17 |title=The Murlocs To Tour New Album This August |date=2017-05-19 |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=The Music |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419053424/https://themusic.com.au/news/the-murlocs-to-tour-new-album-this-august/AgkVFBcWGRg/19-05-17 |archive-date=2023-04-19 |url-status=live}}
The band's fourth studio album, Manic Candid Episode, was released in March 2019. Kenny-Smith described this album as "...definitely the most lush thing we have done".{{Cite web|title=A Manic Candid Episode with Ambrose Kenny Smith from The Murlocs.|url=https://savagethrills.com/music/the-murlocs-manic-candid-episode-album-interview-2019/|date=2019-03-18|website=Savage Thrills|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-17}} The album's earned the band its second chart appearance when it reached #16 on the ARIA album charts.{{Cite web|title=Dean Lewis scores first #1 album with A Place We Knew|url=https://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/2019/dean-lewis-scores-first-1-album-with-a-place-we-kn|last=|first=|date=2019-03-30|website=ARIA Charts|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-18}} In support of the album, the band began their first headlining tour of the United States in April 2019.{{Cite web|title=Interview With Ambrose Kenny-Smith of The Murlocs|url=https://www.news-gazette.com/blogs/interview-with-ambrose-kenny-smith-of-the-murlocs/article_6ad39263-616b-51a4-994b-e5fe8cd26b80.html|last=News-Gazette|first=The|website=The News-Gazette|language=en|access-date=2020-05-17}} Ohtis accompanied them for this tour as the opening act.
On 20 April 2021, they announced their fifth studio album Bittersweet Demons, due 25 June 2021, and released the first single "Francesca". About the single, Kenny-Smith said that “it's probably the most positive, feel-good song we’ve ever done. It's also the closest we’ve ever come to having an 80s phase.”{{Cite web|last=Schube|first=Will|date=2021-04-19|title=Aussie Rockers The Murlocs Preview New Album 'Bittersweet Demons'|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/murlocs-bittersweet-demons-francesca/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=Udiscovermusic.com|language=en-US}} In a YouTube Q&A, the Kenny-Smith stated that Bittersweet Demons is "very personal to me as every song is based upon different places I grew up and certain family members and friends that are close".{{Cite web|via=YouTube|title=The Murlocs - Francesca (Official Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQe1lgwpyxQ|language=en|access-date=2021-04-20}} Drummer Matt Blach also said that they "...have experimented a lot more with this album than others."
Also on 20 April, they released vinyl re-pressings of Loopholes and the Tee Pee and Self Titled EPs, the latter of which had never been released on vinyl before.
On 12 July 2022, the band announced their sixth album, Rapscallion, which was released on 16 September 2022.
On 22 March 2023, the band announced their seventh studio album, "Calm Ya Farm", which was released on 19 May 2023.
On 28 May 2024, the band announced the live album "Live at The Teragram Ballroom", which was released on 7 June 2024.
Members
Current
- Ambrose Kenny-Smith – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, keyboards, guitar (2011–present)
- Cal Shortal – guitar, backing vocals (2011–present)
- Matt Blach – drums, backing vocals (2011–present)
- Cook Craig – bass, guitar (2013–present)
- Tim Karmouche – keyboards, guitar, vocals (2016–present)
Former
- Jamie Harmer – guitar, backing vocals (2011–2013)
- Andrew Crossley – bass guitar (2011–2013)
- Lalic Milinkovic – guitar, backing vocals (2015–2016)
Discography
= Studio albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:11em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | AUS Peaks in Australia:
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Loopholes
|
| — |
| scope="row"| Young Blindness
|
| — |
| scope="row"| Old Locomotive
|
| 15 |
| scope="row"| Manic Candid Episode
|
| 16 |
| scope="row"| Bittersweet Demons
|
| 6 |
| scope="row"| Rapscallion
|
| 82 |
| scope="row"| Calm Ya Farm
|
| 67 |
= Live albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of live albums, with selected details ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:11em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | AUS |
|---|
| scope="row"| Live At the Teragram Ballroom
|
| |
= Extended plays =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of extended plays, with selected details ! Title ! Details |
| scope="row"| The Murlocs
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Tee Pee
|
|
=Music videos=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of music videos, showing year released and director ! scope="col" style="width:14em;" | Title ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Album ! scope="col"| Director(s) |
| scope="row"| "Tee Pee"
| 2012 | rowspan="2"| Tee Pee EP | Danny Wild |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Bogan Grove"
| rowspan="3"| 2013 | Jason Galea and Greg Holden |
| scope="row"| "Rattle The Chain"
| rowspan="4"| Loopholes | rowspan="5"| Jason Galea |
| scope="row"| "Space Cadet" |
| scope="row"| "Paranoid Joy"
| rowspan="2"| 2014 |
| scope="row"| "Loopholes" |
| scope="row"| "Adolescence"
| rowspan="2"| 2015 | rowspan="6"| Young Blindness |
| scope="row"| "Rolling On"
| Danny Wild |
| scope="row"| "Compensation"
| rowspan="4"| 2016 | Jason Galea |
| scope="row"| "Young Blindness"
| Dr D Foothead |
| scope="row"| "Unknown Disease"
| Alex McLaren and Sean McAnulty |
| scope="row"| "Wolf Creep"
| Alex McLaren and Jason Galea |
| scope="row"| "Noble Soldier"
| rowspan="3"| 2017 | rowspan="3"| Old Locomotive | rowspan="2"| Alex McLaren |
| scope="row"| "Oblivion" |
| scope="row"| "Snake In The Grass"
| Alex McLaren and Sean McAnulty |
| scope="row"| "Comfort Zone"
| rowspan="3"| 2019 | rowspan="3"| Manic Candid Episode | John Angus Stewart |
| scope="row"| "Withstand"
| Alex McLaren |
| scope="row"| "What if?"
| John Angus Stewart |
| scope="row"| "Francesca"
| rowspan="4"| 2021 | rowspan="4"| Bittersweet Demons | Alex McLaren |
| scope="row"| "Eating At You"
| John Angus Stewart |
| scope="row"| "Bittersweet Demons"
| Guy Tyzack |
| scope="row"| "Skyrocket"
| Jake Armstrong |
| scope="row"| "Virgin Criminal"
| rowspan="4"| 2022 | rowspan="3"| Rapscallion | rowspan="3"| Guy Tyzack |
| scope="row"| "Compos Mentis" |
| scope="row"| "Bellarine Ballerina" |
| scope="row"| "Living Under A Rock" (Live at the Forum) | {{n/a}} | Jason Kendirian |
| scope="row"| "Initiative"
| rowspan="3"| 2023 | rowspan="3"| Calm Ya Farm | Guy Tyzack |
| scope="row"| "Undone And Unashamed"
| Jack Rule and Matt Wallace |
| scope="row"| "Queen Pinky"
| Hayden Somerville |
Awards and nominations
{{awards table}}
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| Music Victoria Awards of 2015
| The Murlocs
| Best Regional Act
| {{nom}}
|rowspan="2"| {{Cite web|url= https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-nominees|title= Previous Nominess| website=Music Victoria|access-date=13 August 2020}}{{cite web|url= https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|title=Previous Winners| website=Music Victoria|access-date=13 August 2020}}
|-
| Music Victoria Awards of 2016
| The Murlocs
| Best Regional Act
| {{nom}}
|-
{{end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murlocs, The}}
Category:Australian garage rock groups
Category:Australian musical quintets
Category:Australian psychedelic rock music groups
Category:Musical groups established in 2010
Category:Musical groups from Melbourne