Artist Profile: Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy is a more than a shaggy-haired singer-songwriter with a poster-boy smile and surfer’s physique.
Artist Profile: Sean Murphy
Singer/Songwriter Sean Murphy (Moonlight Entertainment Records)
9/9/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/smcdc.jpg" alt="Singer/Songwriter Sean Murphy (Moonlight Entertainment Records)" title="Singer/Songwriter Sean Murphy (Moonlight Entertainment Records)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1814970"/></a>
Singer/Songwriter Sean Murphy (Moonlight Entertainment Records)
LOS ANGELES—On the surface, Sean Murphy is a shaggy-haired singer-songwriter with a poster-boy smile and surfer’s muscular physique. Below the surface, he crafts lyrics about relevant causes with heartfelt sentiment. At a local Venice café were we met up on a recent Sunday afternoon, we joked that he takes you out on the waves and then goes deep.

Originally from Lanikai, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, Murphy has been making music since he was 8, when his musical dad bought him an acoustic guitar for his birthday.

“My dad was in entertainment. We had bands around performing all the time. It was a huge influence on my musical career.”

At 15, famed Hawaiian performer Henry Kapono took Murphy under his wing, opening his heart and his studio to the passionate and promising musician. It was then that Murphy recorded his first professional CD.

In 2005 Murphy was asked to perform live for the Hawaii Hurricane Katrina benefit concert, alongside legendary Grammy nominated performer and mentor Kapono. It was a breakthrough moment. The touching performance was a huge hit with broadcast and live audiences.

Now 22, Murphy has been living in LA for two years and maturing as an artist. He has continued to work on his craft, writing and performing songs that have social significance and emotional resonance for his loyal and growing fans.

Inspired by the tragedy of the Haiti earthquake, Murphy wrote a song for Haiti Benefit Track and performed at the Red Cross charity event for Haiti relief.

He recounts playing the song directly to a man who’s roof had collapsed in on him during the Haiti disaster. “There was a lot of emotion, a very emotional night,” shares Murphy, who understood the urgency to “keep it positive. We were able to help raise a substantial amount of money for the cause.”

About his process for writing songs, Murphy says, “I write my diary, then I sing it, then record it—I’m lucky to be able to do this. I care about what goes on. If I see something that touches me; I want to put it out there.”

In regards to having a following, Murphy is certainly appreciative. “I can tweet and get thousands of people; I’m lucky I have some fans and can speak to the world about things.”

Many of those fans are young teens—13 and 14. “They don’t watch the news, but music they get, they listen to it.”

Murphy commented on his experiences with the music business today, “They will try to change you” he warns, “you have to stay true to yourself’.

And what is his true self-image? What is he striving to create? “Songs that mean something” says Murphy, [songs that go] “beyond vulgar sex” so prominent in contemporary music heard by young teens.

His musical influences have been Train, Jack Johnson, and Dave Matthews, “I’ve always liked Matchbox 20,” Murphy adds.

The prolific Murphy says he doesn’t listen to too much but writes a lot—he’s got a few hundred songs under his belt so far. Originally signed with Moonlight Entertainment 2 years ago, Murphy renewed his contract 6 months ago while he is busy working on his vocals with LA’s vocal coach to the stars, Ron Anderson.

His new release, One Life, has more upbeat dance tracks, island reggae to have variety “Something for everyone to listen to.”

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