The Murlocs

The Murlocs have been making music together since the end of their high school years. They began their career with a pair of rough-edged EPs in 2012, their self-titled debut and Tee Pee. They knuckled down a little more for their debut full-length, 2014’s Loopholes. 2016’s Young Blindness drew The Murlocs’ mysterious garage-blues hybrid into tighter focus. While Old Locomotive was recorded as a four-piece the final and current lineup was formed before they were done. Indeed, The Murlocs’ golden age was about to begin. 2019’s Manic Candid Episode rang the changes, relocating them from bedrooms and garages to a proper studio with decent gear. The band had planned to make a “a heavy record” for their next LP, but pulled a 180 before the work began. The resulting Bittersweet Demons would be Kenny-Smith’s most confessional album yet, a series of portraits of those close to him and those he’d lost. 2021’s Rapscallion chronicles the story of a wastrel cutting loose the bonds of the small town he grew up in, hitching to the big city to find adventure and love. The latest album, 2023’s Calm Ya Farm, is a full band collaboration, with songs penned by all members. The family vibe of the album suits a group where the indelible identities of the individual musicians within it define the character of the band itself.