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PRETTY LITTLE DEMONS @AMOEBA RECORDS
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Photos and words by Leslie Kalohi
The cool demeanor of Lydia Night and the effervescent nature of...Photos and words by Leslie Kalohi
The cool demeanor of Lydia Night and the effervescent nature of Marlhy Murphy make up the rock duo known as Pretty Little Demons. Although the pre-teens have only been playing together as PLD since last August, the members have been honing their craft for years. The two-piece is gaining buzz as the youngest group asked to perform at the SXSW Music Festival coming up later this month.
Fans of all ages and sizes showed up in full-force at Amoeba Records to catch the girls before they head to their showcases in Austin. Trading off between lead vocals, the harmonies of Night and Murphy proved to have enough bite for older fans, while retaining a fun “bop” to keep the little ones engaged as well.
Fellow fans/mentors Brett Anderson (Donna A. of The Donnas) and Exene Cervenka (of X) joined in for a couple of songs. The band left the crowd with a cover of Hole’s “Violet” before leaving the stage. Next stop is Texas, then the world.
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Meet Dallas' Marlhy Murphy, the Youngest Performer in SXSW History
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SXSW is bringing in their youngest performer ever; her name is Marlhy Murphy and she happens to be f...SXSW is bringing in their youngest performer ever; her name is Marlhy Murphy and she happens to be from the great city of Dallas. See her in action on Sonicbids. Murphy and bandmate Lydia Night came together to form their band Pretty Little Demons and will be playing this year at SXSW. "We both went to School of Rock in Burbank so we met there and made a friendship," Murphy says. "Later in the summer she sent me a Facebook message to meet up when I came back to L.A. So we met up to eat cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory and hung out. Then we were like 'We should make a band!' So we had a vision of two-piece girl band to do covers, and now we are here writing our own songs."
Murphy has been playing the drums for four years now, and was immediately spotted by her teachers as a natural rockstar. "When I was five and a half I got Rock Band on the Wii and I was scoring 90 to 100 percent on drums," Murphy says. "One day I got a postcard in the mail for School of Rock and decided to go to a class. I learned my first AC/DC song in 45 minutes, which was pretty awesome, and my teachers were telling my mom 'Hurry hurry you have to come see this, it's amazing!'"
Since then, Murphy has become a member of three other bands, and has opened for several popular artists such as the Polyphonic Spree and local favorite Sarah Jaffe. "It was really interesting opening for Sarah Jaffe," Murphy says. "I was at the front of the stage just standing there watching her play. I was next to my bassist and told him 'This is so awesome! I can't believe we got to open for this!' She was so nice too, and told us we did an awesome job."
Her biggest idol, however, is someone even older: John Bonham. "I have a Zeppelin cover band, The Zeppos, and have always loved his music," she says. "There is a T-shirt shop down the street from my place, and just the other day I got a customized Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and now I'm about to make my bedroom Led Zeppelin."
Murphy says she is beyond flattered by the opportunity to be included in this year's lineup for SXSW. "I'm so excited," Murphy says. "It feels like a really big honor to be playing somewhere with incredible bands like Polyphonic Spree and Airborne Toxic Event. I'm so excited to be at a gig where bands like them will be too."
As excited as she is to show off her mad drumming skills, Murphy hopes to see some former instructors jam out as well. "I'll definitely want to see Somebody's Darling, because I know some of them and I definitely want to see Polyphonic Spree play again," Murphy says. "I also want to see the Blackstone Rangers play, because some of them are from School of Rock. Nate Wedan from Somebody's Darling was my drum teacher in School of Rock, and Michael Talley is a keyboard teacher there too."
Murphy seems to be big on paying it forward when it comes to the School of Rock, and enjoys helping them out in any way she can. "Me and The Zeppos will perform for some of the School of Rock camps to show our support and let others see how much fun it can be," Murphy says.
"I think it's learning the different types of music you can play on the drums," Murphy says. "There's Latin, jazz and all these different types of music, so that is definitely one of my favorite parts. Also I really like getting to meet new people and doing different gigs in different areas, and going to new places to I've never been before."
Murphy has already began to make an impressive career for herself at such a young age as not only a drummer, but an actress as well. She spends half of the year in L.A. auditioning, and even managed to land a spot on a Target commercial last June. With such a busy schedule, I had to ask, how does this girl get any school done? "I do homeschooling, so I have a flexible schedule and it helps with my switch between Dallas and L.A.," Murphy explains. "I work on my computer and communicate with teachers online, and basically have 24 hours to do my work."
My conversation with Marlhy was pleasant: She has charisma and talent well beyond her years. She explained to me that when she grows up she hopes to be a drumming actor, pursuing both of her dreams to form one fantastic career.
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Dallas’ Marlhy Murphy is young – a wee 10-years-old – and she’s playing SXSW
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Dallas’ Marlhy Murphy is pretty ambitious for a 10-year-old. She plays drums, as well as bass, keybo...Dallas’ Marlhy Murphy is pretty ambitious for a 10-year-old. She plays drums, as well as bass, keyboards and guitar. She also sings. The diminutive Murphy is in three bands – Pretty Little Demons, a two-piece cranking out mostly originals out of a Santa Monica, California base; Zeppos, a Led Zeppelin cover band that has Murphy playing drums and singing lead vocals; and We’re Not Dudes, a four-piece, all-girl band that has opened for local luminaries the Polyphonic Spree, Sarah Jaffe and Daniel Hart.
Murphy will be performing three times at the upcoming South by Southwest Music Festival with Pretty Little Demons. By then Pretty Little Demons would have released its first EP, Flowers, which comes out Feb. 14. The most high-profile SXSW gig happens on Saturday, March 16 at the Palm Door, which is the day when downtown Austin is an almost un-navigable mob of people.
Oh and Murphy is an actress, too. She splits her year between Los Angeles and Dallas. Like I said, talk about ambition. She is home-schooled by mom Wendy Murphy. Hey, I’m wondering how she has any time for hitting the books. Her schedule has me tired already.
Anyway, take a look at the Pretty Little Demons clip for “Daisy.” Those girls rock. Pretty cool.
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10-year-old kid musician from Dallas will play SXSW in Austin
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DALLAS — Marlhy Murphy, one of Dallas’ most ambitious little musicians, is on the roster for Austin'...DALLAS — Marlhy Murphy, one of Dallas’ most ambitious little musicians, is on the roster for Austin's SXSW music festival in March.
Murphy’s newest band, Pretty Little Demons, was created in July out of Los Angeles. The 10-year old drummer is also part of the Dallas-based all-girl cover band called We’re Not Dudes (which has opened for Denton's Sarah Jaffe) and the Led Zeppelin cover band Zeppos.
Wendy Murphy, Marlhy’s mom, says Marlhy has "broken the [age] barrier" for the upcoming festival. She is not the youngest performer at SXSW, but she's certainly much younger than most. “We submitted their first EP that was recorded last summer and got in! We were so surprised,” she said.
Pretty Little Demons came about after Marlhy met Lydia Night, a 12-year-old musician with similar ambitions, in Los Angeles. Marlhy is also working on an acting career and travels back and forth from Dallas to LA on a regular basis. In order to keep up with their busy schedule, Wendy home-schools Marlhy.
Pretty Little Demons — “Daisy”
Posted by prettylittledemons on YouTube.
Marlhy and Lydia quickly wrote their first EP and recorded it in Joshua Tree, California. Their first single, "Daisy," starts off with a slowed, contemplative tone and spikes up to a rambunctious, beat-heavy chorus that shows their youthful zeal and humor. Both of the tiny rock stars sing and play almost every instrument on the record, including the bass, guitar, piano, and drums. Lydia and Marlhy came up with the band’s quirky name Pretty Little Demons by brainstorming paradoxes. They want to be a contradiction.
“They’re both interesting kids: They’re both intense and focused on the music,” said Wendy. “It’s great to see that as an adult. You normally only see that kind of focus when adults are working at it as a career.”
So far, Pretty Little Demons has booked three SXSW showcases. Wendy says their biggest set is scheduled for the evening of Saturday, March 16 -- one of the biggest dates for SXSW -- when they play with two other miniature bands.
They release their EP, Flowers, on February 14.
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Lake Highlands’ native Marlhy Murphy will be youngest performer at Austin’s SXSW
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Little Marlhy Murphy, whom I most recently saw about three years ago playing Tiny Tim at the Dallas ...Little Marlhy Murphy, whom I most recently saw about three years ago playing Tiny Tim at the Dallas Theater Center‘s production of “A Christmas Carol”, is blossoming into a mini rock star.
Yes, her age is now in the double digits — 10.
This prepubescent status hasn’t stalled progress when it comes to performing. To date, her resume (courtesy of a recent press release) includes:
Opening with her band We’re Not Dudes for The Polyphonic Spree and Sarah Jaffe … Traveling with her Led Zeppelin cover band to open up new School of Rock locations … Performing with industry legends such as Todd Lewis of the Toadies. She’s the drummer in a national Target ad, a regular performer on the AOL/Emmy award winning YouTube series, Kid’s React and a regular presence in local Dallas theater. She’s been featured in Tom Tom Magazine, and many news stories including Dallas Morning News, WB33 and the Advocate. (Hey, thanks for noticing!)
Marlhy’s newest band, Pretty Little Demons, is a two-piece ensemble that will release its first EP, made with the help of Kickstarter, Thursday.
And if you are headed to South by Southwest in Austin next month, Look for the Little Demons in the line up.
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PRETTY LITTLE DEMONS AT AMOEBA, SUNDAY MARCH 3RD 2013
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Maybe that’s the future, maybe kids are gonna take over everything, after all, they are already bett...Maybe that’s the future, maybe kids are gonna take over everything, after all, they are already better at computers, electronics than most of us, so why not at music? There were a lot of little kids at Amoeba last sunday, obviously toddlers had invaded the place, and a cute 5-year-old was moving in rhythm in front of me the whole time, even grabbing the setlist as if he was able to read! One sure is certain, The Pretty Little Demons took the place by storm, the crowd was totally impressive and what else could I add when you will know that the two young girls got the help of The Donnas’ Brett Anderson and X’s Exene Cervenka during the same show, and have been invited at SXSW?
Lydia Night, the singer/guitarist/bassist of the band is 12, and she started playing at an even younger age after seeing the Donnas live, as she explained in an interview: ‘I saw that girl musicians could rock and I wanted to do the same thing. My first performance with my old band was at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica when I was 7. We played three songs I had written and it lasted three minutes and 39 seconds.’
My old band? She has to be kidding! She met her bandmate Marlhy Murphy at band camp, and Marlhy is only 10 but she sings, plays drums, bass, and keys, and the two girls already have a debut EP out, called ‘Flowers’! They celebrated this release at Amoeba on Sunday afternoon, and even did a signing after their performance like baby rock stars… what kind I say, this was way too much for me. Oh but there’s more, they raised money on Kickstarter, the Amanda Palmer way (whom they admire) and recorded seven songs in three days, playing all the instruments, and of course, writing their own songs: ‘Young bands aren’t introduced to the writing side of things’, noticed Lydia Night in an interview, ‘I was lucky because my first guitar teacher had me writing songs at 6, so it became natural to me. It never crossed my mind to play only covers.’ Jesus! At their age I was just playing with my dolls and color pencils, and I had probably no idea of what a ‘cover’ was. And when they cover songs, they pick Tom Waits (‘I Don’t Wanna Grow Up’), Hole (‘Violet’) that they actually performed at Amoeba, just following a cover of X’s ‘Your Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not’ with Exene Cervenka! Not exactly your average ten-year-old’s Disney-princess-dream!
The two little demons were actually very good, showing a real confidence and a true stage presence, talking to the crowd – especially the tiny charismatic Marlhy, who was almost invisible behind her big drum set – as if they had done it for years and years. They advertised their website, their upcoming shows at SXSW, their EP, they were in rock 'n' roll fire … and I have checked, these girls have everything covered, iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, the EP is on Spotify…
Their vocals were very expressive, sung with humor and a natural that only kids can have, the songs had hooks, choruses and harmonies, and some of them even rocked, period. If these girls are really doing all this on their own, it’s quite impressive to say the least! One last thing, Marlhy Murphy’s biggest idol is John Bonham, and she also has a Led Zeppelin cover band, The Zeppos,… a side project as it is called!
Setlist
Jackie and Jill
Mean Girls Stink
Bag of Rocks
Dreaming (with Brett Anderson of The Donnas)
Before
Daisy
The Country Song
Clueless
Your Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not (X cover with exene Cervenka)
Encore
Violet
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Interview with Lydia Night & Marlhy Murphy Of Pretty Little Demons
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PVzine: I don’t want to come across as judging you by your ages at all, but it is truly remarkable w...PVzine: I don’t want to come across as judging you by your ages at all, but it is truly remarkable what you’ve been able to accomplish and to be so ahead of the game, both of you can hold your own with the best of them. Who are Pretty Little Demons and how did this project get started?
L&M: We are Lydia and Marlhy and we met at School of Rock Burbank during a spring break camp.
Marlhy: While I was in Dallas, Lydia contacted me on FB and asked if we could start a band together. When i went to LA we ate Cheesecake and watched ?It Might Get Loud? together and we had a vision of our Rock and Roll Band. We would play until we bled like Jack White for our rock and roll dreams.
PVzine: How do you juggle your musical careers with school and things? Are you home-schooled?
Lydia: I'm not home schooled but spend most of my free time writing music, taking lessons or practicing. School always come first. However my school doesn't have much homework so it's not that bad.
Marlhy: I am home schooled which can help because I have full schedule and because I split my time be-tween L.A. and Dallas.
PVzine: Both of you have previous experience in other bands, correct?
Lydia: Yes. I was in a band but we were moving in different directions. I'm also a member of the Dead Man's Bones choir still.
Marlhy: Yes. I'm in two other bands in Dallas, an all girls band called We're Not Dudes and we've opened for Polyphonic Spree and Sarah Jaffe. I also sing and play drums in a Led Zeppelin cover band called
Zeppos.
PVzine: When did both of you learn to play instruments?
Marlhy: I first learned drums at 5 on Rock Band and started lessons at 6. I also play bass, piano and just started guitar as well.
(continued…)
Lydia: I got a guitar on my 6th birthday and started lessons the next day. I've been playing bass the two years and play piano and ukulele.
PVzine: How often did you have to practice?
Lydia: I got really serious two years ago and have been practicing at least an hour a day on guitar or bass.
Marlhy: I normally try to practice everyday and how long depends on what I'm working on.
PVzine: What are some of the first songs you learned to play?
Marlhy: My first song was ?Back in Black? and the next one was ?Misty Mountain Hop.
Lydia: My first song was ?Smoke on the Water? and my first bass song was ?I Wanna Be Sedated?.
PVzine: What was the first song you wrote together?
L&M: We're actually writing the first one from scratch together right now! It's called ?Heartbeat? and can't wait to play it live.
PVzine: Was it difficult to write and compose your own songs in the beginning?
Lydia: No.
Marlhy: Not Really.
PVzine: Has it progressively become easier? Are the things that make you angry make you want to write the most, like on ?Jackie and Jill?? Is it important to you or just easier to be honest in your music and lyrics?
Lydia: My outlet when I'm angry is definitely writing however it doesn't make it easier. I think it's really
important to be honest in my songs because I don't like when people write or sing about things that have no meaning to them.
Marlhy: I agree with Lydia. In the songs I write it's from my life experience so they're honest.
PVzine: Who are your greatest influences and earliest musical memories? What did they teach you?
Marlhy: Two Words. John Bonham.
Lydia: I really love Amanda Palmer, The Smiths, Led Zep, Hole, Middle Brother.... I could go on for hours.
Marlhy: Oh, I also like Edward Sharpe and Bloc Party! Make that 6 words.
PVzine: The covers you did of the Ramones’ ?I Don’t Want To Grow Up? and Hole’s ?Violet? are VERY impressive. You’re careful to protect the integrity of the song and yet they both blend perfectly with who you are and express your own voice within them. What made you choose these two songs to cover? Do you think it’s important to stay as true to the original as possible? Or is it more fun to express what the song means to you?
Lydia: Actually IDWTGU is a Tom Waits song but we pulled ideas from both versions. We both love that song and seemed like a perfect fit. I saw a Hole documentary last year that made me a fan. I've actually
covered 3 Hole songs so far.
Marlhy: I liked IDWTGU but we found a way to make it our own. It depends on the song if we think we should make it our own or not. We stayed pretty true to the original on Violet. PVzine: I love your use of ?Flowers? on your first EP and first album. I won’t spoil it for new listeners, but it is very cheeky and playful. It also gives an allure to your album, because you have to listen to the whole al-bum all the way through to get the joke. Whose idea was that?
L&M: We think it's important that a record works from beginning to end and isn't just a single with other stuff thrown in. ?Flowers? seemed like a great title because of ?Daisy? and ?Violet? and ?Jackie & Jill? of course.
PVzine: 2013 is going to be a very exciting year for both of you indeed! Besides the release of your first full length album, you’re also performing at SXSW this March! After that, the skies the limit! Have either of you ever attended the festival before? What are you looking forward to the most at SXSW? Do you know when and where you’re playing?
L&M: We actually made an EP but can't wait to make a full length record. Neither one of us has been but are really excited. Our official showcase is Saturday night at 8p at the Palm Door. We have a couple other shows but they haven't given us all the info yet.
PVzine: What I love most about this band is that you’re two fierce girls who are unafraid, daring, playful and smart. There aren’t many female musicians really in the mainstream game right now, and it’s comforting to know you have that integrity that won’t fall victim to any bully because, frankly, you know better and you’re a step ahead of them. This is a great message to young musicians and especially young female musicians who may not think themselves capable of taking a chance to pick up an instrument and say what they feel. Is that something that is important to you, to project fearlessness, to take chances and show other girls they can do this too?
L&M: Thank you! That's so nice of you! We would love it if other girls saw us and decided to pick up an instrument!
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Issue 8: The Kids Issue
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MARLHY MURPHY
STORY AND PHOTO BY
BONNIE GRADILLAS QUIGLEY
"When she was two years old, Marlhy
wo...MARLHY MURPHY
STORY AND PHOTO BY
BONNIE GRADILLAS QUIGLEY
"When she was two years old, Marlhy
would carry two plastic Easter eggs around
the house and beat them together in
perfect rhythm." According to her mom,
Wendy, Marlhy Murphy has always been a
drummer. Her innate talent really showed,
though, when she was six, during her first
game of Rock Band, where she scored in
the 90 to 100 percentile. Soon, her parents
signed her up for "real" drum lessons, at
School of Rock Dallas. She's now nine
years old, a slip of a girl whose stature
belies her maturity and intense drive.
"She doesn't want to be good 'for a girl.'
You can see in her eyes she wants to be the
best, with no qualifiers," said Terry Longhway;
co-owner of several School of Rock
(SoR) franchises, one of them Marlhy's
Dallas location, as well as drummer for
local band The Nicholsons. "To say she is
beyond her years is such an understatement!
I've witnessed her practicing for
hours and what I love most about her is
that she doesn't take shortcuts."
Proving her precociousness, Marlhy first
rocked an iconic song by her favorite band two years ago at age seven .. .in front of
18,000 people at a Dallas Stars hockey
game.
"I will never forget it," said Dean Tarpley;
Longhway's SoR business partner. "Like
many who see her when she walks to the
drum kit, the 18,000 people there applauded
when she was shown on the jumbotron.
It was obvious they thought she was cute
and probably expected her to be a novelty
act. When she started playing Led Zeppelin's
'Immigrant Song' and her feet could
barely reach the foot pedals, the crowd
erupted." Besides playing for SoR's Advanced band,
Marlhy drums in two others, We're Not
Dudes (best name ever for an all-girls
band?) and the Zeppos (Zeppelin tribute
band), both formed with fellow SoR students.
Performing on stage, said Marlhy; is what
it's all about. "I don't know the right noun
for it, I mean adjective. Excitement. Yeah,
excitement! I work really hard, and it's
nice to get that recognition."
NAME: MARLHY
MURPHY
AGE: 9
HOMETOWN:
DALLAS, TX
LIVES IN: DALLAS, TX
BUT SPENDS PART
OF THE YEAR IN LOS
ANGELES, CA
PAST BANDS:
VARIOUS SCHOOL
OF ROCK SEASON
BANDS
CURRENT BANDS:
WE'RE NOT DUDES
AND ZEPPOS
FAVORITE SUBJECT
IN SCHOOL:
MATH AND
GEOGRAPHY
OTHER HOBBIES:
PLAYING KEYBOARD.
BASS AND SEWING
YEARS DRUMMING: 3
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Kid band We’re Not Dudes will play Polyphonic Spree’s holiday extravaganza
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Last spring we put together a fun little multimedia package about the all-girl band We’re Not Dudes,...Last spring we put together a fun little multimedia package about the all-girl band We’re Not Dudes, whose members hail from the East Dallas, Lake Highlands and Preston Hollow areas — some of them too are frequently spotted in Dallas Children’s Theater and Dallas Theater Center productions and other events about town.
This holiday season, the girls will play for what might be their biggest audience yet — the Polyphonic Spree show at Lakewood Theater.
Every year, Polyphonic Spree, a huge (both in membership and popularity) Dallas-based band led by Lakewood resident Tim Delaughter, hosts a Christmas Extravaganza in Lakewood. This year’s show is December 10 at 6 p.m. We’re Not Dudes goes on at 7:30. Get your tickets here.
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Youngbloods Pretty Little Demon at SXSW
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Not old enough to drink, but veteran enough to showcase
BY WILLIAM HARRIES GRAHAM, 4:01PM, MON. FEB...Not old enough to drink, but veteran enough to showcase
BY WILLIAM HARRIES GRAHAM, 4:01PM, MON. FEB. 18
This year, South by Southwest notches another first: the Youngbloods Showcase, an all-ages bill featuring U21 acts from around the globe on Saturday, Mar. 16, at the Palm Door, 8pm-2am.
Meet the singer for one of the showcasers, Lydia Night of Pretty Little Demons from Santa Monica, Calif. Her journey here began at age 6 when she saw the Donnas live.
“I saw that girl musicians could rock and I wanted to do the same thing,” she enthuses. “My first performance with my old band was at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica when I was 7. We played three songs I had written and it lasted three minutes and 39 seconds.”
Pretty Little Demons configures as a twopiece girl group, with Night on vocals and guitar and Marlhy Murphy on drums. They met the way a lot of young bands do these days, at band camp, and today they’re one of the few young acts playing originals, which helped land them at SXSW.
“Young bands aren’t introduced to the writing side of things,” ventures Night. “I was lucky because my first guitar teacher had me writing songs at 6, so it became natural to me. It never crossed my mind to play only covers.”
One of the singer’s musical inspirations will be at SXSW this year, Amanda Palmer.
“It’s Palmer’s stage presence. She tells a story and really connects with her lyrics.”
Pretty Little Demons has a debut EP out called Flowers, released last week on Valentine’s Day and available on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby.
“We raised the money on Kickstarter and recorded it at Hicksville Recording Studio in Joshua Tree,” explains Night. “Ethan Allen produced it and we loved him. It only took three days and we recorded seven songs. Marlhy plays drums and we took turns on the bass and keys tracks. We left off one song for a vinyl single that will come out this summer.”
Not only does Southern California roots-punk band X still inspire future generations, the quartet’s Exene Cervenka will sit in with Night and Murphy for their album release party March 3 at Amoeba Records in Hollywood.
“Exene is friends with my dad [Morgan Higby Night] and comes over to the house every Sunday to do her radio show, Exene World, on my dad’s station, Devil’s Night Radio, an internet station on iTunes. Exene is a rock & roll goddess and a huge inspiration to me. I’m so excited to sing with her at our record release show.”
Brett Anderson, singer for the Donnas, will also be singing with Pretty Little Demons at Amoeba, bringing Night’s musical inspirations together. Who know who she’ll hook up with musically at SXSW.
“I hope to meet a lot of musicians and see a lot of panels. It will be a great experience for the two of us to play that many shows in a short amount of time.”
Beyond SXSW, “We’re just going to see where music takes us. We’re trying to stay in the moment and enjoy our childhood.”
Catch Pretty Little Demons during my Proper Nang Night at Maria’s Taco Xpress on March 9, as well as the Proper Nang Day Party on March 14 at the Continental Club Gallery, and, of course, the band’s showcase March 16 at the Palm Door.
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Girl band called We’re Not Dudes opens for Sarah Jaffe on Saturday
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by Brenna Rushing
The young rockstars are preparing for their big night with Sarah Jaffe like i...
by Brenna Rushing
The young rockstars are preparing for their big night with Sarah Jaffe like it's the night before Christmas.
Young musicians everywhere are stepping out and starting early. (Justin Bieber, anyone?) We’re Not Dudes is an all-girl band from Dallas who are all under the age of 14. They're currently a cover band, but they're working on their own stuff.
They met while attending the Dallas School of Rock and haven’t looked back since. Front woman Alex Bellan, age 12, and guitarist Molly McNulty, age 13, met at a summer camp hosted by the School of Rock. Once they began to form a band, they added Marlhy Murphy, 8, the spunky drummer; she then recommended Kaia Brown, 10, for bass guitar.
When you're in the biz, apparently you have lots of rocker friends.
They’ve all been playing at least one instrument for a year, some since the second grade. Alex is the “veteran;” she’s been playing the keyboard for about 5 years and picked up singing lessons last year. When asked how they started playing music, Marlhy pointed to the video game Rock Band.
“I always played Rock Band with my family, and scored really high on the drums. A little while later, we got a postcard in the mail for School of Rock, and I’ve been going ever since,” Marlhy says. Her mom, Wendy, noticed her natural sense of rhythm and knew there was something there.
Alex started with fourth grade bands at school, and her friend introduced her to the School of Rock. But none of their budding talent could be predicted; there’s only a sprinkling of musical history in each of Molly and Marlhy's families.
This event is over
See upcoming events for Singer / Songwriter »
Sarah Jaffe / Bosque Brown / We’re Not Dudes
SAT
JAN
22ND
9PM
Lola's
2736 West Sixth Street
Fort Worth, TX
Age limit: All ages $10 - $12
However, Kaia’s mom is in the local band Luna Matto and helped connect the girls to Sarah Jaffe, whom they're opening for on Saturday in Fort Worth. Luna Matto played a video for Jaffe and they landed an opening gig for the famous local artist. The girls are big Jaffe fans; Molly has learned all of the words to “Clementine” in preparation for the big show.
The girls are currently working on original material, and they have one song so far. Their current lineup includes songs by Paramore, Journey, and My Chemical Romance. When asked if they hoped to stay together and make an album, Marlhy exclaimed, “Yeah, that sounds fun!”
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Dallas girl band We're Not Dudes
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Video Interview with the band. The caption reads: We're Not Dudes is composed of four girls ages 8 t...Video Interview with the band. The caption reads: We're Not Dudes is composed of four girls ages 8 to 13 who attend the School of Rock in East Dallas. Lake Highlands neighbor Marlhy and her bandmates are poised to open for popular singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe at Lola's on 6th Street in Fort Worth on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011. Look for a story on the mini-rockers in a future issue.
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Santa heads to the Polyphonic Spree’s holiday celebration
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We're Not Dudes will open for the Polyphonic Spree at the band's Holiday Extravaganza.
Sometimes...We're Not Dudes will open for the Polyphonic Spree at the band's Holiday Extravaganza.
Sometimes Santa has got to party. Which, I figure, is why he’s heading to the Polyphonic Spree concert with reindeer in tow. Make sure the kids are rested so you can stay as late as possible; you won’t want to miss the Dallas Zoo Animal Adventures program, the “Polyphonic Spree Xmas Set,” Syncopated Ladies and a Polyphonic Spree rock set that lasts until midnight. As excited as I am about hearing the Polyphonic Spree song “Light and Day,” which will be featured in the upcoming (can’t wait!) Lorax film, I am just as jazzed about seeing We’re Not Dudes. This local girls’ group features 9-year-old Marlhy Murphy on drums and vocals, along with 11-year-old Kaia Brown on bass and vocals, 13-year-old Alex Belland on lead vocals, bass and keys and 14-year-old Molly McNulty on lead guitar and vocals. The multitalented Marlhy also played Tiny Tim in the Dallas Theater Center’s Christmas Carol last year (this year, she’s too tall to play Tiny, so she’s in the ensemble). Want to make sure you get on Santa’s nice list while he’s there? Don’t forget to take canned food for the North Texas Food Bank and an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.
Dec. 10 at the Lakewood Theater, 1825 Abrams Road, Dallas. Doors open at 6 p.m., 7-7:20 for Dallas Zoo program, 7:30-8 for We’re Not Dudes, 8-9 for “The Polyphonic Spree Xmas Set,” 9:15-9:45 for Syncopated Ladies, 10-midnight for the Polyphonic Spree rock set. $25, free for kids 4 and younger. 214-752-4663. www.centerstageticketing.com/sites/lakewood_texas/events.php.
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Concert Review: The Polyphonic Spree Spreads Christmas Cheer at Lakewood Theater
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School Of Rock Teaches Students Music In Unique Way
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Daniel Novick
The 33 News
TV Interview -- Video
DALLAS—
School is back in North Texas, and tha...Daniel Novick
The 33 News
TV Interview -- Video
DALLAS—
School is back in North Texas, and that included the School of Rock, where instead of learning about Shakespeare, Sir Isaac Newton and George Washington, students were taught about Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Nirvana.
After their normal school day, children came to the school of rock for music lessons unlike anywhere else.
Marlhy Murphy, 9, played the drums.
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“There are tons of different drum beats you can learn, and it’s sometimes pretty cool to listen to all of those drum beats and then you can go, ‘I can play that now,’” said Murphy, who listed Led Zeppelin and The Who as two of her favorite bands. “I like ‘Fool In The Rain,’ ‘Moby Dick,’ ‘Immigrant Song,’ pretty much the hardest beats that John Bonham does.”
She played songs for The 33 News from drumming legends like Led Zeppelin’s Bonham and The Who’s Keith Moon. Murphy’s parents discovered her rhythmic talent at the age of 5 when she played the video game Rock Band on Wii.
“So they took me to the School of Rock, and I tried out with one of the teachers, and he came out screaming like a lady and going, ‘She can play a beat now, you have to come see this,’” said Murphy.
School of Rock co-owner Terry Longhway said his school was all about bringing the best out of talented children. Longhway said the school was inspired by his uninspiring lessons with his mother as a child.
“We were doing ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ on an acoustic guitar with no pick and I wanted to play an electric guitar like Eddie Van Halen or AC/DC songs,” said Longhway.
You would not find anyone at the school playing ‘When The Saints Go Marching In,’ although through all of the fun, Longhway said the students were learning music theory and so much more.
“It`s not just you practicing, say, the scales, so you can do a Metallica solo, but you`re in a Metallica song with four other kids who also love Metallica,” Longhway told The 33 News.
For Murphy, the School of Rock was a place where she found out just how far her abilities could take her.
“I just think that`s the talent I have. I mean, everyone has a talent and I think drumming and playing bass and all that is my thing,” said Murphy.
There are four School of Rock locations throughout the Metroplex.
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School of hard rock: National rockstar phenomenon comes to city
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Chris Beattie/Staff Photo - Music Director Carson Coldiron, left, rocks out with 9-year-old Marlhy M...Chris Beattie/Staff Photo - Music Director Carson Coldiron, left, rocks out with 9-year-old Marlhy Murphy on Friday morning at the recently opened School of Rock in McKinney. The national franchise now has five schools in the DFW Metroplex.
By Chris Beattie, cbeattie@acnpapers.com
Published: Sunday, January 1, 2012 5:23 PM CST
Metallica and Led Zeppelin are their curriculum. They head bang and cymbal-crash their way to success. Simply put, they rock out with the best.
And they're not even out of high school.
Thousands of kids around the country are living their rockstar dreams at School of Rock, a franchised after-school program that leaves marching band and choir concerts behind the stage.
Chris Beattie/Staff Photo - Music Director Carson Coldiron, left, rocks out with 9-year-old Marlhy Murphy on Friday morning at the recently opened School of Rock in McKinney. The national franchise now has five schools in the DFW Metroplex.
Fortunately for DFW-area musicians, the schools are popping up all over, with the latest one in McKinney. Just like its nationwide partner schools, the new location is opening with a bang of the drums.
"A lot of kids who come here may not fit in with the sports crowd," said Terry Longhway, co-owner of the DFW Schools of Rock. "They don't want to be in their school band; they want to be in a rock band."
School of Rock came to Dallas in 2008, about 10 years after Paul Green founded the youth-driven phenomenon. His school inspired the 2003 movie, "School of Rock," about a teacher who pushes his students from boring metronome exercises toward rock-n-roll.
More than 70 Schools of Rock now cover the U.S., teaching kids about music theory, discipline and, most of all, how to have fun with their musical passion.
"It's all about a culture and a place beyond just somewhere they can play," Longhway said. "They can be a part of something."
Dean Tarpley saw that "something" when he invested in Longhway's first school in Rochester, Mich., and brought four more schools to DFW in recent years through his holding company, Musicmaker Enterprises, Inc. The McKinney school, which opened a couple of weeks ago, continues a mission that only great rock music could inspire.
"When I went to see that first school, I couldn't fathom anyone pulling off Zeppelin, especially kids," said Tarpley, whose own kid soon attended School of Rock. "Watching these kids at that first show, I remember my jaw dropping to the floor. I'm amazed to this day by the 6- and 7-year-olds who hang with this music."
The newest facility, located off Louisiana Street near U.S. 75, is a stretched studio of practice rooms, guitar amps and rockstar renditions. Each room is themed to a certain band like Pink Floyd or Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Energized students, ranging from kindergarten through high school, fill the resounding walls, guitars slung to their shoulder and fake tattoos down their arms. Some study math and science -- their "day school" -- between private lessons and rehearsals.
Carson Coldiron, music director for McKinney School of Rock, was drawn to the youthful passion the first time he stepped foot in the Southlake school, another of the five area locations. A fellow member of his band, The Virgin Wolves, taught at the school and asked him to fill in a few times.
Students with desire, dedication and downright talent grabbed him with one guitar strum.
"It's unbelievable how much a full rehearsal will inspire kids to learn challenging music," said Coldiron, who immediately wanted his own School of Rock. "When they get on stage and are banging their heads, their parents and friends are all there, they just become rock stars."
Learning guitar or piano alone just isn't as fun as doing it with 20 others in front of a pulsating crowd at Lollapalooza or Edgefest, two of the nation's biggest rock festivals every year. About 40 percent of School of Rock students come in with minimal to no experience, Longhway said. Some got a guitar for Christmas and want to mimic Jimi Hendrix by New Year's.
At School of Rock, they often can do it in a few months.
"You have to be pretty strongly self-motivated to go home and practice when you never actually use those skills for anything," said Wendy Murphy, general manager of the Dallas and McKinney schools. "When you know that the next week you're going to be there with five other kids rocking out, then you do it a lot faster."
Murphy's 9-year-old daughter, Marlhy, has learned the drums, guitar and vocals through School of Rock. She's in her own Zeppelin cover band and another band, We're Not Dudes.
Students spend time in lessons and group rehearsals every week during four-month seasons throughout the year. They perform at School of Rock venues at the Frisco and Dallas locations as well as at concert venues and festivals all over the DFW Metroplex.
Hundreds of friends, parents and grandparents cheer on their rock stars at every show. Like Tarpley, many are wowed by the kids' renditions of their favorite childhood tunes.
"They're getting pretty darn near to that professional level," Longhway said. "I'd put them up against anyone. They're that good."
Tarpley and Longhway are committed to opening up three more area schools in coming years. There's even talk about expanding the program into an accredited post-graduate music institution, Longhway said.
For now, though, the "school" and "rock" in the name should continue reeling in both parents and their aspiring rock stars. Fueled by hard work, camaraderie and preparation, the rock-n-roll mentality reaches beyond the stage.
School doesn't have to be about tests, textbooks and A+ grades. Sometimes kids just need to rock out.
"Here, they love going to school," Longhway said. "It's super fun for the kid who just wants to play and hangout, and it's fun for the kid who wants to be the next Eddie Van Halen."
supersonic
