Warumpi Band founder Neil Murray to perform at The Victoria Bathurst

With a gig set for Friday, April 22 at The Victoria Bathurst, Murray will be in town off the back of a performance at the National Folk Festival in Canberra.

"It's probably been more than a decade since I performed in Bathurst, so I'm very excited to come back," Murray said.

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"I think I played at the jail last time I was there, but it's been a while, when you've been playing live as long as I have, things just blur together."

As a member of Warumpi Band, Murray helped penetrate mainstream Australia with the iconic anthems 'My Island Home' and 'Blackfella Whitefella'.

He is now a respected singer-songwriter, with songs such as 'Good Light in Broome', 'Whispering Casuarina' and 'Lights Of Hay' among his vast arsenal of hits.

Murray has released 10 studio albums as a solo artist, the most recent two being Blood & Longing and Tjungu (All in One, Joined Together) with Sammy Butcher [fellow Warumpi Band founder], both of which were released in 2019.

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His most recent single, 'Keep Rolling On', the namesake for his current tour, is a celebration of First Nations and their continued survival on the Australian continent.

"I wrote 'Keep Rolling On' with Yirrmal Marika, a Yolgnu man, and while it was written around six-seven years ago, it was finally recorded during the COVID lockdown, with everything recorded in isolation," Murray said.

"The music video was put together the same way, and it was an absolute coup to have Emma Donovan sing on it as one of the best known Indigenous Australian vocalists."

Murray said his time in Warumpi Band, as well as his time living in the Northern Territory, continues to energise his direction as a singer-songwriter.

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"Bathurst audiences can expect a set mostly comprised of material off Blood & Longing and Tjungu, but I'll also cherry-pick a few songs from my back catalogue as well as some from the Warumpi Band days," he said.

"I really revel performing in regional and remote areas, as there's certainly a greater sense of relaxation with these gigs, and you'll often find yourself in towns that are starved of quality entertainment; the places I visit often inspire many of the songs I write."

Murray's gig will take place at The Victoria Bathurst from 6pm, and will be supported by Bathurst's own Andy Nelson. Tickets cost $40. For more information, visit neilmurray.com.au.

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