Pete Murray

Biography

Peter Kenneth Murray (born 14 October 1969) is an Australian musician. As of 2025, he has had three albums reach number 1 on the Australian (ARIA) charts: Feeler×Feeler18 July 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Feeler4:222Bail Me Out4:033So Beautiful4:404Lines3:015Freedom3:176Please3:237Fall Your Way3:448My Time4:089Tonic3:0110No More3:0911Ten ft Tall4:29 (2003), See the Sun×See the Sun25 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Opportunity3:372Class A3:053Fly With You4:214Smile3:405Better Days3:436George's Helper3:517Lost Soul2:538Remedy4:299Trust2:5210See the Sun3:2611Security3:3912This Pill3:52 (2005), and Summer at Eureka (2008), which were consecutive releases. As of 2023, Murray has received 17 ARIA nominations throughout his career, and he has sold over 1.2 million albums in Australia alone.

Early life

Peter Kenneth Murray was born in Chinchilla, on 14 October 1969. His mother is Jan and he has a sister. When Murray was 16 the family moved to Brisbane. He attended St Joseph's College, Nudgee, for his final two years of secondary schooling. At the college, Murray showed talent in rugby union, athletics, and swimming. He briefly played Brisbane club rugby for GPS and Brothers. When he was 18, his father died of a heart attack, which made him realise "how precious time was".
While on the sidelines, Murray started to learn the guitar at age 22. Eventually, he worked up the courage to take his guitar to a barbecue, singing songs by Neil Young and Crowded House. However, his main interest was traveling and pursuing a career in sports medicine. Murray played small gigs around the country with flautist Col McIntyre, eventually putting a band together (including the keyboard player Ben McCarthy, who works with him to this day).

2001–2002: The Game

In 2001, Murray released the EP D Day followed by the album, The Game×The Game2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1My Time4:092Fall Your Way3:463So Beautiful4:424Lines3:235So Why4:426Bail Me Out4:047With Only You3:048Shine2:529Young Mr. Attitude5:0510Fly With You4:2311D Day9:26 on Auxiliary Records. Murray moved to Melbourne to pursue a musical career.

2003–2004: Feeler

In early 2003, Murray signed a contract with Sony BMG and he entered the studio with producer Paul McKercher and his band (consisting of Ben McCarthy on bass guitar and keyboards, Christian Sargeant on drums, Paul Tyrell on guitar and Col McIntyre on reeds & flute) to make the Feeler album. Feeler was released on 21 July 2003 with the title track as the first single. Triple J radio started playing the track with the Nova FM and Triple M networks picking it up. With this support, Feeler entered the ARIA top 50 album charts in 2003. His reputation was building fast and he started selling out shows in smaller venues. "So Beautiful×So Beautiful16 January 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1So Beautiful4:412Decade4:253Bitter4:364To a Friend4:23" was released in January 2004, reaching the top ten. This spurred sales of the album driving it to number one on the Australian album charts in late March 2004 and six times platinum status. By 2008, the album had sold half-a-million copies.

2005–2007: See the Sun

Murray's third studio album, See the Sun×See the Sun25 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Opportunity3:372Class A3:053Fly With You4:214Smile3:405Better Days3:436George's Helper3:517Lost Soul2:538Remedy4:299Trust2:5210See the Sun3:2611Security3:3912This Pill3:52, was released in September 2005. The album spawned three official singles, "Better Days×Better Days5 September 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Better Days3:462Back On3:343Belong to Yesterday3:26", "Opportunity×Opportunity3 November 2006 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Opportunity3:372Empty2:433Unfinished4:094Sinner3:18" and "George's Helper", while a video was made for radio single "Class A". Days after its release, Murray performed at the 2005 NRL grand final. See the Sun sold 350,000 copies.

2008–2010: Summer at Eureka

His fourth studio album, Summer at Eureka×Summer at Eureka17 May 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Chance to Say Goodbye4:582Saving Grace2:573You Pick Me Up4:334Silver Cloud4:015This Game3:556Sugar4:307Miss Cold4:058Never Let the End Begin3:019Summer at Eureka3:1010King Tide3:0611Happy Ground3:51Disc 21The Making of Summer at Eureka, was released on 17 May 2008. It entered the charts at number 1 in Australia, his third consecutive chart-topping album. The first single from the album was "You Pick Me Up×You Pick Me Up2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1You Pick Me Up4:332Class B3:563You Pick Me Up (The Late Pick Up Version)4:07", which reached number 36 on the Australian charts. The second single from the album, "Saving Grace", was released in July 2008.

2011–2015: Blue Sky Blue

His fifth studio album, Blue Sky Blue×Blue Sky Blue2 September 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Blue Sky Blue4:232Always a Winner4:123Hurricane Coming4:264Free3:365Led4:386Let You Go4:467Broken4:548H.O.L.L.A.N.D.4:379Tattoo Stained3:3010Hold It All for Love4:43, was released in Australia on 2 September 2011 and peaked at number 6 in Australia and was certified gold. In 2012, many of the songs were re-recorded with a number of the songs recorded as duets. This album was titled Blue Sky Blue "The Byron Sessions" and peaked at number 17 in Australia in 2013.

2017–2018: Camacho

In June 2017, Murray released his seventh studio album Camacho×Camacho2 June 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Only One3:052Sold3:293Heartbeats4:014Give Me Your Love3:555Take Me Down3:476Camacho2:577Long Ride4:398Connected3:089Thought I Was4:4310Home3:25. The album peaked at number 3 in Australia.

2020–2022: The Night and Before I Go

On 26 June 2020, Murray released "Found My Place", his first single since Camacho. It was the lead single from his EP The Night×The Night5 March 2021 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Found My Place3:222If We Never Dance Again3:443Because Of You3:124Well Be The Fire3:055The Fall Apart2:556Waiting For This Love2:28, which was released on 5 March 2021. The EP also featured the singles "If We Never Dance Again" and "Waiting for This Love". On 17 September 2021, Pete released "Hold Me Steady", the first single from the follow-up EP, Before I Go×Before I Go1 April 2022 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Hold Me Steady2:512You Give Me Something3:523Burning Up3:124Colour2:555Kingdom3:366Hold Me Steady (Acoustic)2:51, released on 1 April 2022.

2023: Best Of

In February 2023, Murray announced the release of Best of Pete Murray. The album was released in May 2023 with a Greatest Hits Tour, commencing in July. Also in 2023, Murray was unmasked as "Tiny" on the fifth season of Network 10's The Masked Singer Australia. He was unmasked on the sixth episode after his third performance. In March 2025, Murray announced a 55-day Australian tour. In August 2025, Murray announced his seventh album Longing×Longing3 October 2025 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Longing4:542Amy3:333Place Your Bets3:354Home to Me3:065Higher3:106I Am Fire3:557Long Way to Go4:598Wouldn’t It Be Good3:389Heaven Calls4:0710Shakes3:54 will be released in October 2025.

Personal life

Murray married Amanda Coutts on 7 October 2006 in the New South Wales town of Eureka. In July 2009, Murray and Coutts had separated and shared custody of their two children. Coutts worked as a designer and renovated a set of stables into a home. In 2016, he married his partner of four years, Mira Eady. He resides in Byron Bay.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Murray has been nominated for 17 ARIA Music Awards.

APRA awards

The APRA Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) to recognise composing and song writing skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. The awards have been presented annually since 1982.

Queensland Music Awards

The Queensland Music Awards (previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating Queensland, Australia's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006.