In the early 1980s, by way of meeting in high school woodshop class, the Scott Murphy Band was formed by Scott Murphy and Bobby "Murphy" Livernois. After years of trying to find success, the band never had their breakthrough on the music scene and eventually dissolved by the end of the decade.
Despite the lack of success, their musical pedigree was solidified through their countless hours of rehearsal, which often included Bob’s brother John "Jimmie Murphy" Livernois on drums and neighborhood friend Billy “Pogo Murphy" Brinker on the cowbell tree. In fact, these two were important ingredients to the birth of the Scott Murphy sound. Even with this level of dedication and determination, their success was limited, and as they each grew older, their lives went in different directions, including letters, linguistics, lawn mowers, and law enforcement.
After 30 years apart, the Scott Murphy Band band is now back together having rediscovered their roots, while at the same time, managing other parts of their lives. Like a mosquito to a porch light, Scott and Bobby are attracted to playing music. The two of them have decided to return to making music once again. The band is small but mighty, currently composed only of the two founding members, Scott and Bobby. Scott spends most of his free time writing songs and strumming his Epiphone EJ-100 mini jumbo guitar while Bobby plays drums, piano, and bass guitar.
Bobby has spent nearly 25 years learning music production software in his free time, and helps with the production of music. Although Bobby knows more about production and sound, Scott does his fair share of assisting, especially as he leads the creative songwriting process.
The Scott Murphy Band has every intention of keeping rock n' roll alive. Their sound is composed of electric guitars, bold lyrics, anchored by cavernous DW drums, arguably the industry’s finest percussion instruments. The Scott Murphy sound can be lyrically compared to Springsteen and Dylan, while musically, there are hints and traces of Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Bob Seger along with a hint of Willie and Conway.
Bobby previously was in the Detroit Power Pop trio The Shy for 25 years. During that time, he immersed himself in writing, singing, performing, and production. Scott, on the other hand, focused his career on songwriting, which is reflected in the infectious arrangements of this music.
What makes the Scott Murphy Band unique from others is their value of friendship. After years apart, they have rekindled their bond of music and friendship. They have been friends for nearly 40 years, which contributes to the glue that exists in their sound.
One of the stand-out strengths of The Scott Murphy Band is their ability to write songs. Above all, the lyrics Scott composes have a way of capturing nostalgia and livelihood. Additionally, the songs have an energy that is hard to come by and sticking to the roots of rock n' roll is considerably one of their greatest strengths.
Speaking of nostalgia, the name Scott Murphy is actually derived from the classic movie “The Blue Brothers” released in 1980 just as Bobby and Scott entered high school. One of the key members of the band that backed Jake and Elwood Blues was Matt “Guitar” Murphy, a noted blues artist in the 1960s-80s. Legend has it that Scott and Matt also hold their guitars in a very similar way, and as a result, Scott Peltz became Scott Murphy, and the rest is history.
The release of this new album provided Scott and Bob an opportunity to collaborate with other Detroit area artists who helped bring this project to life. The players include:
Tom Bieniewicz (Jes Gru, August Red) - Vocals
Larry Decker (The Shy) - Vocals
Bobby George (Stonebridge, Teen Angels, Mitch Ryder, and The George Brothers) - Vocals and Guitar
Nick Guevara (Paco and The Guacs) - Vocals
Allison Harris - Violin
Shelby Smith - Vocals
Lori Smith - Vocals
