Dylan Murray — 10 April 2024 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour

Monochrome photo by Ross Mickel

Dylan Murray joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop,’ Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9 FM The Radiator. Catch up with them @dylanvt63

Text by Keagan Lafferty

In the summer of 2023, Dylan Murray found a quarter from Nashville that was minted the year he was born, with a guitar and fiddle on the tail side. Just before that he had been playing guitar for a group of homeless people under a bridge in Middlebury when an Amtrak passed by. The destination sign said “Nashville,” and Murray took that sign literally, saving enough money to travel to the Music City himself.

“I went down [to Nashville] with no plan,” said Murray as he joined us for Rocket Shop. “I was like, I want to play in as many places as I can. And it all worked its way out.”

During Murray’s time in Nashville, he played several iconic small venues, including Tennessee Brew Works, The Legendary Kimbro’s Pickin’ Parlor, and Fox & Locke, among others. “I left Nashville with negative $200 in my bank account and $80 in my wallet,” said Murray. Regardless, he plans to go back again and play more shows. “It was all positive. I would do it again in a heartbeat,” said Murray.

His experience in Nashville left Murray feeling awe-inspired with a desire to write more. His first song performed on Rocket Shop, “Money,” was the first song he wrote upon his return to Vermont. The song reflects upon its title; financial limitations. “[It’s] about being poor,” said Murray. The song began with a muted strumming pattern on acoustic guitar, before his vocals began. His vocals are resonant and full; deep and country-like with a slight rasp. The chorus has open strumming as he belts lyrics “I’m just barely getting by.”

Murray’s next song followed a similar theme as “Money.” “Work Boots” began with slow and melancholy guitar chords, reflecting on wealth and privilege. “[It’s] my perspective on the greater state of what it's like to be young trying to make a living around a very wealthy community,” said Murray.

Murray was moving his right leg to keep tempo as he performed, sitting on a stool with his eyes closed. He wore a hoodie with a denim vest, jeans, and a black baseball cap. His ears were pierced, and he had full facial hair colored dark brown. His vibe said slightly country, with Nike high tops rather than cowboy boots. His style showed a blend of small-Vermont-town combined with Nashville.

We discussed the similarities and differences between Nashville and Vermont, concluding that they are both “country” in distinct ways, but they differ in sense of community. “[In Nashville] people are a lot more judgmental, and it's oversaturated,” said Murray. “So it's kind of hard to stand out. There's not such a sense of community and friendliness.”

Murray also emphasized that musicians in Nashville seem to be trying to fit a certain mold in country music, while he wants to take a different approach to songwriting. “I want to sound like me. Whether people like it or not; it's not the point. It's just I want to sound like myself. I don't want to just be labeled as another John Mayer wannabe.”

Murray does in fact sound like himself; his style is distinctive and unique. However, he does have an eclectic set of influences, including Colter Waller, Tyler Childers, WuTangClan, classic rock, alternative, and new age rap.

Murray’s songwriting is genuine and honest, detailing his personal struggles. His songs usually come from a place of melancholy moods, so the lyrics follow dismal themes. “I always play whenever something is bothering me,” said Murray. “My guitar puts me in a different headspace.” His songwriting process begins with a chord progression or melody, and lyrics evolve naturally based on how he’s feeling.

As we discussed Murray’s songwriting, he pointed out his favorite original song, one where he is completely satisfied with the song’s structure and writing.. “Half Full” had impressive dynamics, with several different sections that effortlessly flowed into one another with varying strumming patterns. As he performed it on Rocket Shop, it was difficult to pay attention to anything other than the song itself, because it was captivating and constantly shifting in energy.

Murray’s musical journey has been a remarkably quick progression. He played saxophone as a kid in his school’s concert band and had been exposed to music, but he only began playing guitar, writing, and performing in February of last year. “It's kind of like a new thing to me, and it's gone very well,” said Murray.

Murray wrote one of his first songs just over one year ago, and he performed it on Rocket Shop. “Yellow” began with slow fingerpicking, and the lyrics, full of impeccable internal rhyming, were melancholy and self-pitying as he reflected on feelings of sadness and hurt. He twisted the meaning of the word yellow, which is usually associated with happiness, and turned it into something dark. “Your pain’s in a diary, I got bookcases,” sang Murray. “I’ve been feeling yellow.”

Murray’s first performance was at Village Tavern in North Ferrisburgh, Vermont. His friend’s band was playing a show and let him play a song in front of an audience of over 150 people. “It was a lot but it went well,” said Murray. “I was like, why not just keep trying?” From there, he continued to play gigs in Stowe, Middlebury, and Morrisville before going to Nashville.

Beyond Murray’s own live performances, he also hosts what he calls “the evolution of an open mic” at Lost Nation Brewing in Morrisville, Vermont. The events, created in collaboration with Phil Rosenblum, have a full stage setup with provided instruments, creating a jam-session-style open mic.

Aside from live performance, Murray is delving into recording, and recently built a DIY studio setup in his room. He is working to get his songs recorded, mixed and mastered and is taking the lead on production. He is familiar with recording from classes and friends who are audio professionals, but emphasized that he is still learning. “I've done a lot of research,” said Murray. “I know a lot of people that are kind of big into sound. So I did the best I could to emulate a professional studio in a bedroom.”

Murray has several songs near completion in the recording process, with plans to release an album next fall consisting of eight to ten original songs. The collection is going to serve as a foundation of material that he can share with people as he performs. The album is currently untitled, but his main idea is Stars and Thorns, inspired by his grandfather’s saying: “count your stars, not your thorns.”

“For a brief moment while I'm playing, everybody's having a good time,” said Murray. “[It] seems like everybody's mind is taken off of their own things. And I feel like that's a really important thing. And if that's something I can do, I want to share that.”

Dylan Murray on Instagram: @dylanvt63