Jake Murdoch is seriously 13 going onto 31. This prodigious Gold Coast lad has been gaining a lot of attention across the nation and among the stars of Australian music.
Starting his musical career on the drums at the tender age of five in a band with his toddler brother - who Jake kicked out for having a tantrum - Jake can now play 16 instruments. Jake loves his strings and so the 17th is looking to be the fiddle, perhaps followed by the mandola.
Just as impressive is Jake’s ability in songwriting, taking home a few awards and catching the attention of such acts as country star Tania Kernaghan and Yothu Yindi.
“I started off songwriting because although I enjoyed singing other musicians' songs, a lot of people watching me perform asked if I had originals. I then felt the confidence to begin the singer/songwriter direction,” says Jake.
“At age 10 I had my first song written for me, ‘Ghost On The Breeze’. On that track I sang the lead and backing vocals and played all of the instruments except drums. The next song ‘You Better Hurry’ I co-wrote. By the third song called ‘Going Slow’ I was songwriting all by myself.
“‘Going Slow’ really gave me confidence in songwriting, especially as Robbie James from the band GANGgajang and Yothu Yindi collaborated with me. Robbie played the Hammond organ and drums and it was Robbie who taught me how to do harmonies.
“Robbie then sent the track to his friend Grammy Award winner William Bowden at King Willy Sound for mastering which was amazing. Then I wrote the rest of my EP on my own. This year I also co-wrote with the 2022 Toyota Starmaker winner Max Jackson on ‘Making It Easy’.”
Impressive. One of the highlights of Jake’s already illustrious career is working with Andrew Farriss, of INXS fame. In October Jake was invited to Andrew and his wife's home for three days to spend time songwriting.
“In that time Andrew and I wrote and recorded our first song,” says Jake.
“It was the most incredible time in my life ever! We had so many other fun times as well doing four-wheel driving, campfire nights, playing cards and eating meals all together with Andrew's family and friends at his dinner table. It was so amazing!
“INXS is probably my biggest influence and what made me start doing music. My brother and I had a band called ‘Fresh OJ’ and the first songs we did were INXS songs.
“Andrew is an absolute legend and to watch him at work and collaborate with him has been such a privilege. I was so honoured during the Andrew Farriss and Andrew Swift Tour to be invited on stage at Oodies Cafe to sing and play with Andrew Farriss and his band, Ashleigh Leef, and Travis New.
“Andrew is exactly how I aspire to be as he is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. This is why I also like Prince and Mark Ronson too.”
Jake finds influence in other greats such as Keith Urban, Casey Barnes, The Wolfe Brothers and Bruno Mars.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jake even does singing and songwriting in other languages. When asked about the inspiration for this, Jake says he “took on multilingual music because I wanted people from other countries to be able to sing along to parts of the songs and plus I actually like singing in different languages.”
With a sharp mind and a bucketload of talent, Jake also has a heart of gold. As a Youth Ambassador to Guide Dogs Australia, 10% of his EP sales goes towards helping train Guide Dog puppies. Take my money, kid!
Jake’s latest, the ‘Bee-side’ music video was filmed by Scott Whatman from The Recording Room in Burleigh. Jake plays the acoustic, electric and bass guitars on the track. Guest performer Russell ‘Rusty’ Smith plays didgeridoo.
“I wanted a bee sound for parts of the song and Scott and Rusty really brought it with the didgeridoo. We had a lot of fun filming the music video too at a really nice farm up on Tamborine Mountain”
Jake says that, “’Bee-side’ is about how everyone wants these nice things like peaches, blueberries and coffee but don't think too much about how they only have these things because of the bees as they pollinate our food crops. The song is about appreciating the bees more and realising the importance of bees on our planet. It also talks about the impact of global warming, toxic pesticides, and viruses on not just the environment but also to the bees’ environment. Global warming is also disrupting the bees’ routine as well.”
Looking ahead at 2023, we chat about Jake’s goals and dreams. He is looking forward to the release of his song with Andrew Farriss more than anything. He aspires to continue on his pathway of songwriting. And it should come as no surprise that Jake is aiming big to try and make a difference in Sustainable Development Goals.
I’m thinking that whatever Jake puts his mind and heart into in the future will lead him to great places. He’s one to watch out for!
'Bee-side' is out now via all the usual channels. You can find more of Jake’s sensational work at jakemurdochmusic.com
