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• New album released July 2022 •

DOWNLOAD wasted potential NOW!

Read what music critics have to say!

Wasted Potential is a misnomer, as these 11 songs show Terry Murphy at his singer-songwriter peak. From the catchy title track, the laid-back Midwestern vibe of “Y Go By Café” and the old-school country kiss-off “Crazy Cost of Lumber” to the bouncy fun of “Daddy’s $$,” the gentle Latin sway of “Light on in the House” and the elegiac spirit of “Let It Fly,” Murphy delivers these songs in a neighborly voice that makes you feel like you’ve known him for years. What’s more, he has surrounded himself with musicians (many of them, like Murphy, hail from Wisconsin’s iconic Door County) who share his love of a smart tune, a clever lyric and a dedication to craft. Fiddle, mandolin, cello and pedal steel guitar add depth to many of these songs, and everything is neatly wrapped in nifty packaging — capped with cover that perfectly represents what’s inside.  

—    Michael Popke, Wisconsin-based music critic

Who is the acoustic guitar picker? Hot stuff.

Terry Murphy is essentially a folk singer. A singer-songwriter, yes, but even though he has only recorded his original songs, he shows a much of a broader view of music. He has been influenced by a huge breadth of music. There are strong elements of Blues, country, Honky-Tonk, and Rock and Roll. And it shows more on his last few albums. Terry has released 7 CDs.

The first three, “Live Like an Artist”, “Small Town Charm” and “Tennison Bay” and were folk oriented. Beautiful original songs done with sparse instrumentation. His next two albums added more instrumentation to songs that were at their core were still wonderful folk songs celebrating the good life. “Taverns and Taps” toasts the tavern culture of his home state of Wisconsin and “Kickin’ the Dream” talks of enjoying the simple life and making life your dream.

The two most recent albums “My Better Days” and his soon to be released “Wasted Potential” have shown the heavy influence of the Blues and the Bakersfield sound, respectively. As Murphy grew more comfortable with being in a studio, the arrangements became more complex with more added instrumentation of original songs. He has established relationships with musicians who have been able to produce a sound different from his previous albums.

“My Better Days” was a gear shift in several ways. It has a heavy blues influence throughout and secondly; the pandemic caused the recordings to be done in separate locations with pieces added on by musicians from various locations. Murphy said this caused his usual style of playing with other musicians to change.

Wasted Potential still has a blues feel but has a distinct Bakersfield influence. Steel guitars and a Honky-Tonk swing to many songs.

—    Jeff Peterson, Radio Host of Eclectic Collection WBSD 89.1

BEHIND THE TANK: NEW SINGLE RELEASED MAY 2023

Terry Murphy releases New Single, “Behind the Tank”

Wisconsin folk singer Terry Murphy’s new song, “Behind the Tank,” releases May 1. This ambitious retelling of a Memorial Day tradition in northeast Wisconsin comes off the stylistic fringe of Murphy’s catalog. Producer Paul Taylor was instrumental in creating something cinematic that speaks to contemporary audiences about the oft-ignored weight Memorial Day is meant to carry.

“The song is an autopsy,” says Murphy. It starts when the Legion bought a tank and drove it back to his hometown. Every Memorial Day, the tank went down Main Street followed by marching Legionnaires, who were followed by kids on their bikes chasing the tank. The energy and positivity of the extravaganza soon waned when Vietnam struck home. Johnny, the town’s poster boy for athletics and charisma, was killed in action.

Civil rights, anti-war violence on campus, and political assassinations through the lens of a drug-infused counterculture. As Murphy (#308 in the draft as a college freshman circa 1971) remembers it, “You start arguing with your father about patriotism. It’s a shit show, and there’s all these stories coming back about Vietnam. It was a very stressful time to be a kid.”

Murphy delivers his take on spoken word over a collage of sound and voice effects, a harmonica lead, and heavy drums. The result is reminiscent of false optimism, where creative evolutions in audio throughout the progression cast shadows behind every word—fear disguised as hope, demanding attention yet insisting on immediate reflection.

“Behind the Tank” is a welcomed addition to the voices sharing the Wisconsin story. Its honesty gives life to a story many of us don’t know in a way all of us can relate to.

The release comes off the coattails of Murphy’s latest album, Wasted Potential, on which “Behind the Tank” was initially going to be released. Both are available for stream and purchase at terrymurphymusic.com.

Written by Terry Murphy

Produced by Paul Taylor

— Kyle Jacobson, Drink Local

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