Singer-songwriter James McMurtry from Austin, Texas will perform at Proud Larry’s on Thursday at 9 p.m. His set list will feature his 2017 single “State of the Union” and songs from his recent album “Complicated Game,” which was released in 2015.
McMurtry is currently on tour throughout the country playing previously released music.
He described his music as being from the point of view from fictional characters he created. Often, the personalities will have varying views and opinions sometimes different from his own.
“One of the problems with being a singer-songwriter is (that) people hear the story sung in your voice,” McMurtry said. “So they have to take it an extra step and say, ‘Who’s singing?’ I’ve got songs that I wrote from a female point of view, and a lot of people don’t get that.”
McMurtry’s music does not confine itself to a single title or genre but describes his music as bar band rock and roll with morals. While his recent single contains political commentary, he is not known as a political artist.
“The inspiration for (‘State of the Union’) is just the divisions in this country that I’ve seen emerging over the last 20 years kind of coming to a head now,” McMurtry said. “I got a lot of country relatives that don’t think like I do, as a lot of people do.”
McMurtry said he tries to stay away from his music becoming heavy with politics.
“There’s a thread of (politics) running through a lot of songs, but I try to not make it the focus of the song because it puts me in danger (of) writing a sermon rather than a song,” McMurtry said.
He’s experienced some miscommunication with his audience when his characters and political commentary are mixed through his lyrics. In “Cheney’s Toy,” he criticizes the Bush administration for being led by Dick Cheney subtly while Cheney would ‘stroke Bush’s ego.’
The hook of the song reads, “Another unknown soldier / Another lesson learned.”
“Everybody thought I was saying the soldiers were Cheney’s toys, which I was not,” McMurtry said. “I was saying George Bush was Cheney’s toy because I always thought that was the Cheney administration Cheney as a puppeteer and Bush as a puppet.”
Although sometimes misinterpreted, McMurtry said he wants his audience to take away what they please from his music.
“What really makes a hit song or a popular song as is the ability for the listener to hear his or herself in it,” McMurtry said. “And they’re not always going to hear what you think you wrote and that’s fine.”
His greatest inspiration for songwriting is Kris Kristofferson because of his phrasing. McMurtry mentioned Kristofferson being a Rhodes Scholar and his adventure to become a songwriter.
McMurtry shared the story of Kristofferson flying a helicopter to give his song, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” to Johnny Cash on his lawn, and the song later became a big hit.
According to McMurtry, he will release music with no set date, potentially later this year.
