Paul Murphy's new album sees him step out from shadow of Wintersleep and pandemic

When Halifax musician Paul Murphy released his last album in 2021, COVID-19 restrictions meant he only played a few shows.

Known for his work as the frontman for Juno-winning rock group Wintersleep, which built a following through playing live shows, being unable to tour the record was challenging.

"It kind of feels like it doesn't even exist a little bit because you're not doing that other other side of the equation where you're performing and the songs are kind of changing and becoming something else," he said.

Murphy's latest album for his side project, Postdata, won't have those same problems. Run Wild is being released Sept. 22 and the plan is to tour Canada for a month, including a show in Halifax.

"It's a lifeline to play live," said Murphy. "It's a big reason why you want to be a musician."

While Wintersleep is more of a traditional rock experience, Postdata is more intimate. Murphy said part of the motivation behind the project is to collaborate with others.

That was evident in 2021's Twin Flames, which was co-produced with U.K.-based Ali Chant. Murphy would record parts and send them to Chant, who has worked with artists including Soccer Mommy and P.J. Harvey. The pair would go back and forth a few times making changes and would soon arrive at a finished product.

Murphy said this process gave him a newfound confidence for his new album. It was recorded last September in Kingston, Ont., with famed producer Joe Chiccarelli, who is known for his work with The White Stripes, Beck and The Strokes.

Murphy didn't have to spend as much time in the studio because songs were closer to a finished state than that of a traditional demo.

Rather than doing take after take in the studio, the finished product sounds more spontaneous.

"Sometimes if you're just working on a song forever and ever, by the time you record it, sometimes it feels a little bit dead … it shouldn't feel super safe when you're doing it," said Murphy.

That's evident on Moons, a song where Murphy admits there's a part where he starts a new guitar riff and abandons it, realizing it doesn't fit.

"It has a cool energy to it because … there's some points where it's like, if I really thought about that, I would have cut this part shorter or I would have done this other thing," he said.

ABBA-like inspiration

The album is a mix of indie rock and folk, with some eclectic touches, including an upbeat string arrangement that channels ABBA on the song Dead Man.

Murphy said one of the challenges of the Postdata project is differentiating the experience from that of a Wintersleep show — and what people may be expecting the band to sound like.

"You're the same person that's singing," he said.

For most of the upcoming live shows, Murphy will be backed by Keith Doiron on bass and Jordan Murphy (no relation) on drums, who are both from the Halifax band Walrus.

Murphy said Wintersleep will be getting together soon to go over new material that's in the works.

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