An Armchair Critic Interview with Mick Murphy!

Recently Mick spoke with Jonathan Taylor from An Armchair Critic.
Click HERE to visit his online music blog and check out his new interview below!

    [Photo by Kayla Wren]

"In the wake of a tour and the winding down of travel, the development of new material and the rigours of being in a strong and durable rock band, Tairrie B and Mick Murphy always find time to keep their supporters informed and included in their day to day life as My Ruin. When approaching this latest interview I wanted to do something that went beyond the format of a regular interview. I wanted to try and gain a vision of what it meant to be in a touring DIY band, and to feel the emotion that is put into that. I talked with Tairrie about how to approach this and she thought an approach used on Proust maybe an interesting way to construct an interview. So I sent the questions over and awaited the responses. When I got them back I was over the moon with the way it worked, I got a better understanding of how committed and determined both Tairrie B and Mick are to their art, and what it means to let people see you laying bear your soul. The interview is in two parts this is part one of two." 

- Jonathan Taylor 

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What quality is it you like most about your music?  It makes me feel alive. There is a lot of passion that Tairrie and I put into writing, recording and performing our music.    Your least favourite thing about working in urban environments?  Having thieves break into our vehicle.
What philosophy gives credence to your lifestyle?  Live and let live.
What song first made you think ‘Fuck yeah!’?  100,000 Years – the KISS “Alive!” version.
What was the last album you enjoyed?  The bonus live disc (featuring Randy Rhoads) that comes with the latest Ozzy – “Diary Of a Madman” Remaster.
Which female inspires you most?  My wife.
Your favourite song of the moment?  Shake the Devil - Tommy Bolin
Do you follow a routine on arrival at a hotel when touring?  Not really.
Is it a challenge being a couple while on the road?  Tairrie and I usually have a pretty good time on the road together.
What male in the music business generates the most anger from you?  There is no one in particular but modern mainstream music videos generate a lot of anger in me. What a bunch of horseshit.
What aspect of recording and producing My Ruin do you dislike the most?  I like it all.
Is it possible to enjoy a tour when relationships within the band are breaking down?  It’s difficult but possible. I’ve gotten better at dealing with that sort of stuff over the years.
What historical monuments you have seen on tour do you consider awe-inspiring?  Stonehenge!
A challenge that you hope never to endure?  I don’t want to tempt fate by answering that. We all have to deal with tough challenges in life at some time or another.
What do you consider to be your major flaw?  I can be pessimistic and cynical.
Name four people instrumental in you becoming a professional musician?  Sam M Murphy Jr (dad), Peggy Murphy (mom), Sam M Murphy III (brother) & Tairrie B Murphy (wife).
Which musician do you consider has left the greatest legacy?
Jimi Hendrix immediately comes to mind.
Do you ever envisage religion having a positive effect on My Ruin?
Catholic imagery and religious metaphors sure haven’t hurt us.
What is the least tolerable thing about interviews?
It’s annoying when the interviewer obviously knows nothing about your band or history.
On what occasion do you lie?  When I don’t care. I find it very hard to lie to people that I care about.
Other than your chosen medium of music what other genres do you enjoy listening to?  My ipod is usually on shuffle playing classic rock/metal, instrumental fusion, early alt/punk/hardcore/thrash, stoner/doom/underground rock, & old school rap.
What is your perfect tour breakfast?  Eggs over medium, bacon, hash browns, toast & hot coffee with a splash of cream.
Does home ever become tedious for a member of a band that clearly thrives on live performance?  I like our home but adjusting after a tour can take a couple weeks.
Having a touring band must make it hard to replicate the personal feeling you put into the recorded tracks, is it hard to let go? Yes and no. It’s true that nobody really ever plays the material exactly the way I recorded it but that’s ok unless what they are playing contradicts the song or blatantly changes the feel of something.
What is your current state of mind?  I’m feeling pretty damn good lately.    =MM=

[Photo by Al Pulford]