Thanks for tuning into the Fuzz this week. The Bunker is calm and headed out into open water. We’ve been really getting into a few new songs lately and we’re quite excited to share them with you when we reach port. This week, we’d like to introduce another member of the band. Check out the interview with our very own, J.P. Murphy. J.P. Murphy Singin’ & Strummin’ Aka: Super Intendant God Botherer When did you start singing or playing an instrument? I started playing the trumpet in the St. Bridget’s elementary school band. I had a few years of recorder here and there and in high school I was in choir class for two years singing the tenor parts. My first guitar was a Christmas gift when I was seventeen, a Samick acoustic. I started writing poetry when I was twelve. The guitar gave me another avenue to explore. Who are your favorite bands, musicians or artists? Hmm…Wolf Parade, Spoon, Goodspeed You Black Emperor!, Beck, Sponge, Leonard Cohen, Lead Belly, Erik Satie, Aaron Copland, Neil Young, Arcade Fire, Wilco, Modest Mouse, Pavement and Weezer. Who are your biggest musical influences? Bob Dylan for getting me into the acoustic guitar in the first place. My mom who was always playing piano and guitar when I was growing up. And Langston Hughes for making words musical. Who are your favorite local bands? The Replacements, Semisonic, 12 Rods, Night Moves, Charlie Parr, and of course all of our buddies, Wailing Loons, Anarchists Are Better Lovers, Loons in the Attic, Fletcher Magellan, One Ukulele, The Mumblin’ Owls, Vs Hair Vs Hair, and the Broke Bikes (Broken Bicycles). What is your favorite piece of gear? I’d have to say my 1965 Gibson J-45. My mom played piano growing up and when she went to college she couldn’t bring her piano. So her dad bought her this guitar to take to her dorm. It’s a passed-down, family guitar and I love playing it. What genre is King Fish Crow? Alternative How cool is the Bunker? (laughs) It’s a great location and the vibes are good. We are quickly approaching the ten year mark for occupancy. A bunch of bands have come through. Is that amazing? I’m not sure. But the space has absorbed a lot of sound. What has been your most memorable King Fish Crow show? Both Wild Springs Festivals were great. It’s growing every year and playing outside, in that setting, is kind of a treat. I also really enjoyed playing at Reverie for our Album release. It was cool to be on a bill with great bands we had never played with before. And other than breaking a string, I think we played real well that night. What is your favorite King Fish crow song to play live? People love Train Song, so I love playing it for them. But I’d have to say my favorite song is always our newest song. What is your favorite color? Blue. Hot Sauce? Yes…but how hot are we talking? Do I need a gallon of milk? What city do you live in? Circle Pines What is your hometown? Dinkytown/Brooklyn Center What do you do during the day? I work with adults with special needs. Once a week, I lead a music group that is open to all of the clients of the Non Profit I work for. So that is always a highlight of my workweek. What is your favorite movie? I’ll give you three. Cool Hand Luke, Memphis Belle, The Untouchables. What is your favorite Holiday? Thanksgiving. I love the fall and the idea of a cornucopia. It’s good to see family too. What would you bring for your desert island playlist? 1. Lonesome Crowded West – Modest Mouse 2. Doolittle – The Pixies 3. Funeral – Arcade Fire 4. The Soft Bulletin – The Flaming Lips 5. Struttin’ – The Meters Those are my picks, but that is harder than it looks. What is your favorite pastime or hobby? I love camping, canoeing and hiking and generally getting outside and exploring. Ventures with Tami and Rayna are always the best, I suppose watching T.V. shows with those two isn’t so bad either. Do you have any pets? Yes. Two orange tabby cats. Bentley is our big boy and he’s typically a lazy cat. Wrigley is feisty and lovable. What is your favorite beer? Any Lagunitas is great. But Two Hearted is a good go to. What is your preferred method of travel? I love road trips. I grew up driving to Florida and back with three sisters and a brother, all to see family down there. I really like watching the landscape change on a long road trip. What is the most important thing to know about you? Persistent. Definitely more tortoise than hare. Also, I’m a Taurus, so I’m stubborn. What is your biggest pet peeve? People just talking/no follow through…and maybe Facebook. (laughs) Playing live or recording in a studio? Which do you prefer? I like the both for different reasons. In the studio, we’re looking for archetypes, album versions. We’re trying to lay down what we do in the best way we know how, at the time. Maybe we let some out of town guy track saxophone, but that’s what we’re thinking about for a recording and it’s a different mindset because it isn’t going to go down like that at every show. And playing live is feeling your bandmates and the crowd and delivering the goods in the moment. And it’s fantastic to be in that moment. If King Fish Crow booked a show on the moon that was to be broadcast to Earth and the entire galaxy, would you make the proper preparations and ultimate voyage? Of Course, though I imagine we’d have to play in some sort of bubble, which we’d probably call, MoonBunker1. “In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” – William Blake