AFTER a six-year hiatus, Pete Murray is back with a new album, a national tour and a hit single remixed by PNAU.

The singer-songwriter says he has been busy running a health and fitness business in Byron Bay for the past few years, but always kept his hand in.

“I was still writing and recording slowly, but I wasn’t in a rush to do it,” Murray says.

• Singer-songwriter Pete Murray. Photos supplied

Drum loops

“I took the time off to work on the new album but also to be a dad.”

The music industry has become even more reliant on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter during Murray’s absence, and the 48-year-old admits he’s a bit sceptical about it all.

“I’m not a massive fan of social media,” he says.

“I’ve come back and I don’t have many followers because I got into it really late.”

Young artists may have huge followings online, but that doesn’t mean they sell out tours, Murray says.

“I’m kind of getting my head around that. You may have direct contact with your fans which is really great—but is it real?”

“Are they gonna buy your music or is it just because of what you look like?”

Murray says his latest album Camacho, which features drum loops and more studio production than his previous releases, has been well received by fans.

“This new album was really about trying to find grooves, loops and beats.”

“Getting away from what I’ve done before.”

When the Voice asked about his collaboration with electronic dance act PNAU, he laughed, “Yeah, it’s odd, isn’t it…”

“I always wanted Heartbeats to have a little dance groove to it and I thought the guys from PNAU would be perfect to do a remix if they were interested.”

“I had to go ‘look, it can’t be too PNAU, it’s gotta be me’.”

“Don’t take away from what I’ve done and make it too weird or people would just be like whoa, what are you doing?

“I think these days you’ve gotta do something like that—make things a bit different.

Murray will perform intimate club shows with an acoustic three-piece on his “stripped back” national tour, employing three-part harmonies, loops and stomps.

He will play the Rosemount Hotel in North Perth on June 30.

by ALICE ANGELONI