Written By Wolves

Michael Murphy, a talented singer & songwriter (from Auckland, New Zealand) who fronts the rock band Written By Wolves, has won the July SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for his performance of the band’s song “Lights.” This song was independently released by Written By Wolves in March (2016).
“Lights” is a modern, electronic rock/pop cut which is driven by a high-energy arrangement and has a standout chorus. “Lights” was written by Murphy with his bandmates David Wong, Bahador Borhani and Karl Woodhams. The song provides a fine showcase for Murphy’s strong, expressive lead & background vocals. The recording of “Lights” was expertly produced by the group members, with their friend Rich Bryan handling engineering, mixing and mastering duties.
Murphy grew up in the town of Taupo (in New Zealand), where he was inspired by listening to a wide range of artists such as the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Incubus and Led Zeppelin. He started singing at a young age, and he was signed to BMG Records in 2004 at the age of 17. “Singing has been my profession for 12 years now,” said Murphy.
Notably, Murphy’s first single debuted at #1 and his debut album earned him gold status in New Zealand. Later on, he formed a rock band called 5Star Fallout and spent the next four years touring New Zealand, America and England. Murphy has also enjoyed success in the musical theatre industry, playing the role of Roger in the musical Rent in Auckland, and playing the role of Kenickie in Grease in Christchurch.It was in 2015 that his band Written By Wolves was formed. “All of the members are guys I’ve been friends with for a long time,” explained Murphy. “Towards the end of 2014 the bands we had been playing in had broken up, and we were all looking for something new. The four of us got together and realized we were all on the same page with what we wanted to create.”
So far, the band has released four tracks which they’ve written: “Not Afraid To Die,” “Explode,” “Pretty Lies” and “Lights.” They have also created an excellent video of “Lights,” which they directed themselves, and was shot by their friend, Florian Wedowski.
Currently, Written By Wolves has been busy in the studio, writing and recording new songs. The band is also looking forward to touring outside of New Zealand, and releasing their next single, which is called “Genius.” - Singer Universe

It is amazing what you come across by listening to bands on YouTube. You go to hear a track and end up clicking on another link and by doing so discover a wealth of music you probably would never have heard, if not for being open minded and taking the plunge. One such band that has come to light are Written by Wolves their sound is varied and addictive even in their more quieter moments such as ‘Lights’ and even more so on tracks ‘Pretty Lies’, ‘Not afraid to die’ and ‘Explode’ where the rhythms turn malignant and powerful with sumptuous inviting tonal splendour!
Pretty Lies – This will probably be my favourite track of all time by Written by Wolves. The vibrancy that exudes through the track is just phenomenal. It’s a track that just keeps on giving and rewarding in large copious amounts. The smooth but strong vocals courtesy of Michael Murphy are more than impressive, and will in time I am sure, make history. Backed up with a powerful sound that offers serious excitement and compelling stamina that is boisterous and holding a sensational appetite. In all this quartet have all the winning qualities to succeed – no doubt about it!
Explode – This is another catchy number but don’t be fooled it still has enough bite to compel and fuels with an intense virulence. Similar to ‘Pretty Lies’ in the fact it holds a raunchy tribal beat and lyrics that shine with professionalism and maturity, it packs a severe left hook and comes out with winning traits that again compel and excite with every riff and beat, and once inside your head will never leave!
Lights – This is a track that kind of introduces you to the band in a light hearted fashion. Seeing them on swegwheels (electric balancing skateboards, complete with lights) as they navigate their way through Auckland to places we in Britain can only dream about, to a song that epitomises the band as being diverse, capturing a more mainstream angle, it simply flirts with adventure.
Not Afraid To Die – Back to their rock edge is the track ‘Not afraid to die’. This track was written about a cowboy in a Wild West shoot-out, and again traps the moment with absolute clarity! Its bristling rhythmic body literally pulsates into a magnitude of relentlessness with a vocal range that is equally pulverising.
Elastic Heart (Cover) – On seeking out the original which I can safely say is not my cup of tea, sung or should I say wailed out of tune by Canadian singer Sia, I was quite surprised as to why the band would want to cover this, however, looking past the mainstream rumpus, I realise that the band have once again shown expert diversity and demonstrated another string to their lethal bow.
If these five tracks are to go by then the album that is now in the making should be absolutely off the scale! - RAMZine

By HAZEL REID.

Written By Wolves are your new Kiwi music obsession. The four-piece band hailing from Auckland consists of Michael, Karl, Davie and Bahador. All four had been involved in a variety of different projects until they joined forces last year to form the group.

I caught up with lead singer Michael Murphy to talk inspirations, cool videos and New Zealand Music Month.



The Written by Wolves members have been involved in the music industry for a little while in different groups. Describe to us the new sound WBW has bought to the table…

WBW was basically born because the four of us were itching to write music that was different to anything that we had done before. We’ve all been ’round for a while now, so figured it was time to push ourselves creatively and see what we could come up with. We are all big fans of Hans Zimmer and the work he has done on movies like The Dark Knight and Man of Steel, so we have tried to keep in mind the idea of creating a ‘soundscape’. We have affectionately nick named our sound ‘Cinematic Rock’ and have attempted to fuse our favourite elements of rock, electronic, alternative and pop music together to hopefully create a sound that is almost cinematic to the listener.



You filmed your latest music video for Lights on glide boards around Auckland City. Who comes up with your music video ideas?

So far all of our videos have been dreamed up, shot, lit, edited – you name it, by us. We have managed to call in a few favours from a few friends to handle the camera or help us get the lighting cues just right, which is amazing. We are so lucky to have epic friends that are willing to help. But on the whole it has been the four of us getting super DIY and doing everything we can with our shoestring budgets! That has meant we have had to get pretty creative with our ideas to make the next video different to the last and still fit within our near non-existent budgets – this is getting harder and harder to do.



Where do you find the inspiration for your songs?

Lyrically, I generally write about events or feelings or things that are happening in my life. However, Not Afraid To Die is basically about a cowboy in a wild west shoot out and I’ve never been in one of those, so I’m not sure where that came from…



What’s your favourite song to perform live?

It changes from gig to gig, but Not Afraid To Die is right up there. Besides getting to pretend I am a cowboy, hearing people singing that one back at me on stage is one of the greatest feelings there is. To Tell You The Truth is another favourite (there is a live video on YouTube) and our next single Genius always gets me going as well!



Who are your musical influences?

I grew up with The Beatles, Elvis and Led Zeppelin. My teenage years were filled with Incubus, Blink 182, 2Pac, Rage Against The Machine, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Slipknot. Right now my favourite band is Bring Me The Horizon. I’ve seen the Foo Fighters play more times than I can count and if I met Dave Grohl I would struggle not to just hug him. I saw Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga play together in Vegas last year and that was incredible. I think both Bruce Springsteen and Queen in 2014 were the greatest gigs I have ever been to… I think Sia is a bit of a genius and wish I could have been a member of Guns ‘n’ Roses in the ’80s… What I’m trying to say is music is awesome and you can be influenced by anything in the right mood.



It’s NZ Music Month; what do you love most about New Zealand music?

I think in New Zealand we have really high standards for ourselves. There is some incredible talent in this country, but it seems on a whole as Kiwis we are willing to work our asses off to be the best we can be. I toured through the US a few years ago with my last band 5Star Fallout and it really made us realise how high a standard of bands and musos we have in this country.



Who’s your favourite Kiwi artist?

That’s a tough one – there are so many incredible NZ artists right now! Our friends Silence The City are pretty awesome. We just played with this incredible band called Night Gaunts that are definitely worth a look if you haven’t heard of them. And also make sure you at least once in your life go and see Tami Nielson live. I had a dream the other night that Lorde got in touch and wanted to collaborate with us, so I am just going to throw that one out into the universe as well…



Best piece of life advice you’ve ever received?

I think it was the modern day prophet Van Wilder that said “don’t take life too seriously, you’ll never get out alive…”



Speaking of life advice, is there any advice you’d give to young people wanting to get into the industry?

Don’t forget that music is fun and you do it because you love it. Sometimes things can become a bit of a grind and you often feel like you are working your ass off and getting nowhere. But if you remember that you love it and that is why you do it, then it is all worth it.



Any plans on releasing an album? A national tour?

We definitely have plans to tour and release an album this year. I can’t tell you when, where, what or how, as I don’t know that myself right now, but the wheels are definitely turning! - Tearaway Magazine

Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre supports children and young people with a wide range of special needs with one-on-one and small group music therapy sessions. They're a proud legacy charity of ours here at One Percent Collective and they've got something pretty cool to share...


"On Wednesday March 9, we rocked out at the Kings Arms in the heart of Auckland City to the band Written By Wolves, supported by Midweek Tonic and with our very own music therapist Yair Katz. They all put on a spectacular performance in support of our work. The occasion was to launch our first in a series of Music Makes a Tee t-shirts designed to raise funds for the Centre, and was inspired by what we are all about here, music.

Written By Wolves kindly offered not only their generous support again but also the lyrics to their unreleased song ‘Lights’. This was used as the basis for an online design competition, with the brief being to come up with a design that celebrates and promotes the way music is used at the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre and the inspiration of the lyrics of ‘Lights’. The winning design would then be printed on to t-shirts to sell and raise money for the Centre.

The results were outstanding, and came down to two standout designs. The overall winner Asela de Silva, a New Zealand illustrator based in Melbourne and runner up Rehua Wilson, an illustrative artist and practicing architectural graduate based in Wellington, both delivering two exquisite designs that truly encompass the ethos of ‘Lights’, love, affection and courage.

Asela's design features comic-book style children in wolf hoods and with fire in their hands to represent courage and the light inside everyone. Rehua's design explores the alternative expressions of identity, influenced by Maori narratives, exhibiting togetherness in the work

T-shirts are now available for sale at our Centre in Grey Lynn or online at www.rmtc.org.nz/t-shirts. Every t-shirt comes with a free iTunes download of the single Lights." - One Percent Collective

“I’ll be the loaded gun
The only one that I will ever need
And when my time is done
The battle’s won
Will you remember me?
We’ll write it cross the sky
Won’t look back and say goodbye
This is a battle cry
I’m not afraid to die”

Not Afraid To Die – Written By Wolves

Bear with me here because I am about to say something I’ve said many times before. But this time I think I’m right - more right than I’ve ever been before.

People, the next big thing in New Zealand rock music has been found.

It started with my bestie Zee suggesting we go to a gig at the Kings Arms last week. It was a free gig and as Zee was trying Austere August and the Kings Arms is my favourite venue for gigs it was perfect for us. I hadn’t placed much expectation on the gig as it was one of the first for Written By Wolves. And the lead singer was Michael Murphy. Yes, that Michael Murphy. Michael Murphy of the hit TV show NZ Idol. Michael Murphy who performs covers at Christmas in the Park every year. And now, Michael Murphy trying to bring himself back by forming and fronting Written By Wolves.

Well, forget your preconceptions about this man because Written By Wolves aren’t trying to make it, they’re going to make it. Never before have I seen a band that captivated me within seconds. I couldn’t tell it was their first major gig because this was a slick performance, from vocals to guitars to mixing to the all important on stage banter between songs. Written By Wolves are backed by many years experience in the music industry; Michael Murphy has been on the scene for more than ten years and the other three got starts in bands such as Shotgun Alley, False Start and Hurricane Kids. They know how to play, how to entertain, and how to write songs that will propel their name.


Watch this space. Written By Wolves will be the reinvention story of the year. These guys have taken everything they know about music, they’ve grown up from their past music industry selves and they are ready to deliver some killer tracks. I’ll see you at the next gig. - Musical Musings Of Mine

Written By Wolves, are a progressive, new, Cinematic-Rock band hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. The band was formed in late 2014, by friends Davie Wong (Shotgun Alley, False Start), Bahador Borhani (Shotgun Alley), Karl Woodhams (Shotgun Alley, Hurricane Kids) and Michael Murphy (5Star Fallout) out of a shared desire to create rock music that was different, exciting and would push the boundaries of what was expected of the genre.

The band have fused together their favourite elements of Rock, Alternative, Electronic and Pop music to create a sound all of their own that is explosive, fresh and provides an almost cinematic experience to the listener. Their debut show, in August 2015, saw Auckland’s beloved King’s Arms Tavern full to capacity with eager concert goers, that all left with a feeling that they had just witnessed the start of something very special.

Combined, the members of Written By Wolves have released, 6 full length albums, 2 EP’s, over 20 music videos, toured the U.S.A twice and New Zealand over 20 times. They are a band of young, but experienced musicians with passion, drive, talent, an amazing live show and most importantly, quality songs…

‘Let the Wolves come out to play…’ - The Rock