Peter Shaun Murray

On almost a daily basis, Peter Shaun Murray pilots a seaplane above the scenic wonders of Queensland's beautiful Gold Coast, one of the most picturesque parts of Australia. Around noon he touches down on the sparkling waters just off MacLarens Landing at South Stradbroke Island and his passengers disembark for lunch. Pilot or not, there's no free lunch for Peter. To get his share of the massive feast on offer he takes to the stage and rattles off a few tunes, mostly his own, essentially singing for his supper.

And all this in his white pilot's uniform and bare feet. The best of both worlds? For Peter it is.

Peter Shaun Murray has two great passions, music and flight. He loves watching nervous passengers 'burst through the bubble', as he describes it – abandoning their fear of flying and simply giving in to the beauty and wonder that surrounds them. ‘The Gold Coast is such a beautiful place and to be able to show it to people from this angle is such a privilege’ he says.

John Mayer has been a big inspiration to Peter. He has never forgotten the freedom and glorious insight he experienced as he flew home one day, dodging white puffs of cloud while he listened to 'No Such Thing'. 'That song motivated me and things came together,' Peter says. 'It all just fell into place.'

And before we go any further, of course there is another Pete Murray out there in the music world. Actually, Peter Shaun Murray is glad of the fact: 'Pete Murray wrote a very inspiring song called ‘Opportunity’ and he introduced me to the capo, which made a huge and positive difference to my playing and song writing,' Peter states.

Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts. If your view of life has been a little clouded of late. If you're feeling a bit 'dusty', or if you find yourself in the dark grip of depression then for your own sakes, give 'Sing Out Loud' a spin. There's passion and honesty in Peter Shaun Murray's music. If he can change people's beliefs in a plane, he can certainly do it with his songs.

Growing up, Peter shared various flats and houses with other young people. When he took up guitar he found himself banished to a disused chook shed. After a few months he wrote a song about his housemates that was good enough to get him back inside the house. ‘I learned the hard way. You have to give people what they want, before they will listen to you’ He says.

It was during his apprenticeship as an electrician in South Australia that Peter was electrocuted and died. After being brought around by defibrillation and a cocktail of five different drugs he remembers nothing but blackness for about three weeks. Peter's first memory was trying to re-learn the guitar with heavily-bandaged fingers, due to the skin grafts.

'Life's been a struggle on occasions. But moving to the Gold Coast has been fantastic for my wife and I and it is one of the things that inspired me to start writing music again. I have played Covers for years, but I had not written another song since the first one I wrote for my housemates back in 1980.'

'Sing Out Loud' is a masterpiece. Somehow, Peter Shaun Murray has gathered all the things that motivate and inspire him – dolphins weaving through crystalline waters, the joy he experiences in helping other overcome their innermost fears, the sense of snapping the chains and flying free – and melted it all down into his music. 'Sing Out Loud' is alchemy. Lead into gold.

Listen to this album and your first instinct is to smile. Start with a great hook - Check. Write from the heart - Check. Connect with the listener - Check. By the time the last track 'Put it to Bed' has played itself out your smile has wafted gently down through your soul like a leaf and settled upon calm and soothing waters. Take a deep breath. Play it again.

After each flight, Peter asks all his passengers how they rate the experience.

You'll rate 'Sing Out Loud' the same as his passengers rate Peter's joy flights. Ten out of ten.