Foxing’s Conor Murphy has announced a new album as Smidley, his first under the moniker since the St. Louis band announced an indefinite hiatus last year. Murphy Horse is set for release on September 25 through Royal Mountain. Lead single ‘Capstone’ finds Murphy dueting with Lucy Dacus; “Loving you has been the capstone of my life,” goes the comforting chorus, which could have easily been lifted from her latest album Forever Is a Feeling. Check it out via the self-directed video below.
In addition to Dacus, Murphy Horse also features Shinra Knives, Japanese Breakfast’s Adam Schatz, and Manchester Orchestra’s Brooks Tipton. Joe Reinhart (Dr. Dog, Joyce Manor, Beach Bunny) and Ryan Schwabe (BNYX, Algernon Cadwallader, Tobi Lou) mixed and mastered the record, respectively.
“As Foxing hunched under the emotional ceiling they’d hit,” according to a press release, “Smidley became more and more of an outlet for Murphy and Foxing bassist Brett Torrence, now on guitar, and would soon be rounded out with bassist Mitch Renfrew and drummer Jack Middeke.” Murphy himself said, “The way I write songs…Smidley is either a reaction to Foxing or something I learned from it.”
About the album as a whole, Murphy added: “These songs summarize a year of confusion and doubt where the only thing I was actually sure of is that I married the love of my life. Those two ideas were the basis for every song here.”
Murphy Horse Cover Artwork:
Murphy Horse Tracklist:
1. Corpse Flower [feat. Shinra Knives]
2. Capstone [feat. Lucy Dacus]
3. Murphy Horse
4. Love In Every Direction
5. Today Was a Wash
6. Friendly’s
7. People Like You
8. Robin Egg
9. Nearer To You
10. Old Things Never Die
