Cursed Murphy Versus the Resistance
Cursed Murphy Versus the Resistance formed in 2018 when Cursed Murphy, aka author and spoken word performer Peter Murphy, plus guitarist Dan Comerford, joined forces with four members of the German-Irish drum crew Bloco Garman – the Gangnus sisters Rebecca, Tamara and Jasmin, plus Kevin Dillon – to perform at Cursed Murphy’s Laboratory, a bizarro art happening that took place at Wexford Arts Centre.
“The first song we played together was Burn Hibernia Burn, the first track on our album,” Murphy recalls. “We had a blast, so we worked out more songs and played more shows and spent the next year developing a set. We all liked a lot of the same stuff – scuzzy punk and hardcore metal, Brazilian rhythms, German electronic music, industrial music, big beats, dystopian film soundtracks. For want of a better description, we started referring to ourselves as a mutant ninja spoken word punk rock ‘n’ roll band.”
The ensemble began recording that eponymous album at the start of 2019. Nine of the ten tracks, including the singles Foxhole Prayer, The Bells of Hell, This Cursed Earth and Climb, were produced with Johnny Fox, himself a prolific songwriter and musician. The final track on the album, We Are Dead Stars, was recorded with Cillian and Lorcan Byrne from Kilmore duo Basciville.
As for the album title, Peter says, “Tamara came up with the name The Resistance. It seemed to suit the sound and the songs. It also coincided with my reading Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art, in which he talks about the idea of resistance as a form of self-sabotage, the monkey voice that keeps us from fulfilling our own creative potential out of fear of ridicule, or failure. I think if this album has any kind of theme, it’s a refusal to roll over or give in, no matter how grim the circumstances.”
On its release, the album received universally stunning reviews from the Irish Times, RTE, Hot Press and the Sunday Times among other publications, as well as airplay from Paul McLoone, Dan Hegarty, The John Creedon Show, Late Date and Arena. The album also generated acclaim internationally, featuring on the Global Garage radio show and in the French mag Muzzart, with fan testimonials coming in from Sweden, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong and the US.
“Fiery poetry and prophesy. Fantastic album.” – Paul McCloone, Today FM.
“Love this! Soothing and dreamy until the apocalypse envelopes all at the end.” – Butch Vig, producer (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth) on This Cursed Earth
“…A firebrand recording that sounds like both an eloquent state of the world sermon and a raging industro-art rock howl of rage in these benighted times. Murphy is caught in a fire-zone between rage and vulnerability, but he ends with a defiant poem of uplift in the moving We Are Dead Stars, a parting bolt of passion and conviction that puts it simply – give out but don’t give up. Flame on, Peter Murphy.” – Alan Corr, RTE
“Songs that dart between bombastic political statements (Burn Hibernia Burn) and compelling vernacular. Combined with the cacophonic, tempestuous Jinx Lennon-esque punk vibe that dominates the tracklist, it’s an album that rewards more and more with every listen.” – Lauren Murphy, Irish Times
“Brilliant debut from avant-garde adventurers… An inspired mix of left-field electronica, punk guitar rhythms and atmospheric soundscapes, the album successfully mines similar themes of social and political upheaval. ” – Hot Press
“Cursed Murphy Versus The Resistance is not an album made to be ignored… It yells, it screams, it howls, to be heard… the album conveys many of the frustrations and loss felt by a génération perdue.” – The Last Mixed Tape
All songs are available to download on Cursed Murphy Bandcamp
