The Murphy Brothers

There is something about brothers and rock music.

The Everly Brothers, Bee Gees, AC/DC's Malcolm and Angus Young, the Finn brothers of Crowded House and Split Enz, The Allman Brothers Band, and the list goes on. Perhaps it's the competitive nature of brotherhood that drives these siblings to great heights of creativity and success. The same can be said for The Murphy Brothers.

Growing up in regional Western Australia might not seem the most ideal start to a rock and roll career, but for brothers Chris, Kieran and Courtney Murphy, long hours jamming and rehearsing in the back of an empty shop, writing and recording and then touring were all part of a formative process that led two of those brothers to national recognition through successful careers launched via Channel Ten's Australian Idol.

The Idol experience, whilst providing invaluable exposure and industry experience, was also fractious; by its nature, a spotlight for solo performance, the subsequent touring commitments, management contracts and opportunities led to the brothers working together only sporadically for almost five years. Continued involvement and support of each other's solo work led to the brothers formulating an idea that would see them reform in the purest version of their band, nearly 20 years after those first teenage jam sessions.

Many people mistakenly believe Courtney to be the oldest of the three because his appearance on Australian Idol came first, in 2004 when he was 24. The youngest brother, Courtney tentatively stepped out of the shadow of older brother Chris to prove a formidable vocal talent and an immensely likeable personality through appearances on ABC's "Spicks and Specks" and Channel Ten's "Rove Live".

"Courtney has been for me, one of the shining highlights of Australian Idol folklore. His distinctive gravel tones, his passion for music, and his desire to tell a story makes him a truly compelling performer" - Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson.

As one of the final three on ‘Australian Idol’ in 2004, still the highest rating season of the popular Network Ten program, Courtney, along with fellow finalists Anthony Callea, Ricki-Lee Coulter and Casey Donovan, quickly became one of the most recognisable new artists in Australia. His extraordinary voice and dynamic performances garnered him praise from the viewing public who embraced his soulful interpretations of popular hits and hidden gems, as well as his happy-go-lucky persona and quirky sense of humour.

Following the sell-out Idol tour of 2005, he rapidly became one of the hardest working and most sought after new artists in the industry, regularly headlining at festivals and corporate events throughout Australia, joining the cast of “Grease: The Arena Spectacular” later that year. Performing alongside John Farnham, Craig McLachlan and Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Courtney’s performance was hailed by critics, “…blazing his sweet, deep voice…” (The Age) and demonstrated a natural acting ability to widespread audience
acclaim.

The live performance schedule has included sell-out shows with Rogue Traders, Jimmy Barnes, Ross Wilson, Marcia Hines, Glenn Shorrock, Daryl Braithwaite, Human Nature, Taxiride, End of Fashion and Youth Group.

As Australia-wide demand for his performances continued through 2005 and 2006, Chris and Kieran continued steady work with their band Murphy's Lore until Chris decided to join the fray mid-2006, also reaching the top echelon of Idol and going onto cement his popularity through extensive live performance and charity work as well as becoming a semi-regular radio personality on 96fm in Perth.

Chris Murphy is best known to the nation for his electrifying performance of 'Evie (part 1)' on the program, which Marcia Hines noted was "One of the most exciting performances we've ever seen on that stage".

Chris, both solo and with his band embarked on tour supports for legendary Australian acts such as Jimmy Barnes, Diesel, Daryl Braithwaite, Mental As Anything, James Reyne, The Black Sorrows, Jon Stevens, Adam Brand & James Blundell as well as Gerry & The Pacemakers and most recently touring the country supporting Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famers, Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

Reteaming with steadfast drummer and middle brother Kieran in 2011, the Murphy Brothers began writing songs for an upcoming recording project that will be their first collaborative output since 2002. Slightly more reserved than his famous siblings, Kieran has made his mark as a drummer and percussionist, both in musical projects with his brothers, as well as striking out on his own recently with the rockabilly side project "The Rough Housers'. To date, Kieran has performed on all studio releases by Murphy's Lore, Courtney Murphy and Chris Murphy and can count on one hand the number of Murphy's Lore shows he's missed in the last 16 years; he remains the longest continuously serving member of the group!

Kieran's reputation as a drummer and percussionist as well