There’s something about Kristina Murray’s voice that speaks to me, whenever it comes through my speakers. The country singer from Nashville – but born in Georgia – showcased her voice and songwriting already on two albums – Unravelin’ and Southern Ambrosia – and an EP, and more recently on duets with Logan Ledger and Michaela Anne, and has a new album planned for 2025. On June 7th of this year, Murray and I met up before her set at the Western As Fuck showcase in Utrecht and recorded this session, containing her stunning unreleased song Fool’s Gold and covers of Even Cowgirls Get The Blues by Rodney Crowell (and Emmylou Harris) and Walk Through This World With Me by George Jones. And her voice? Sounds even more special when you’re standing right in front of her, filming.

George Jones and Emmylou Harris are Kristina Murray’s two biggest vocal influences, she says. “I can’t overstate how much their musical legacies have inspired me through the years. I really don’t think it gets any better regarding vocal style and distinction: you know it’s George singing, you know it’s Emmylou singing. I’ve heard all of George Jones songs a million times over and still to this day, sometimes I hear a song of his and burst into tears. He’s the only artist that does this to me. When I first started performing and singing, I saw an interview with Emmylou where she talks about how ‘your personal style is a product of your own limitation’, and that has guided me all these years to ‘make my voice my own’, and to embrace the full scope of my vocal ability, what I can’t and can do.”

‘It’s like Rodney Crowell peered into my life.’

A vast majority of traditional country songs are so sad, Murray continues: “But I love Walk Through This World With Me particularly because it’s a sweet and simple love song. There is an old live TV version out there of George singing it that will fully break your heart.” Even Cowgirls Get The Blues was a song Murray started singing, thirteen or fourteen years ago when she first started performing music on stage. “Since Emmylou’s records were so influential to me (especially the Ahern Reprise/Warner Brothers records) in the beginning of my music career, I wanted to honor that by performing one of those songs. Rodney Crowell is one of my favorites and such a legendary songwriter and – even though I’m not a cowgirl! – it’s one of those songs that feels like he wrote it about me: ‘She can sing em all night too…’  Cmon, that is me! The third verse alone, it’s like he peered into my life; ‘Lonely nights are out there on the road. Motel ceiling stares you down. There must be safer ways to pay your dues.’ I mean it chokes me up.”

Murray adds a ‘fun fact’: “Rodney wrote that song after Emmylou and some of her backup singers were reading the Tom Robbins novel of the same name on the tour bus; he said all the gals were getting sassy and acting like ornery cowgirls and he was inspired to write the song. I also adore Tom Robbins so it’s really a full circle for me!”

Of course there are many artists Murray considers influences and I had a feeling asking about them would instantly provide you with a guide to country, Americana and folk music, and well, I was not wrong: “Too many to name: Lucinda Williams, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, Roger Miller, Gary Stewart, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, The Band, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Gillian Welch, Haggard, Patty Loveless, Dean Dillon, I mean the list goes on and on and on and on. Newer artists and friends and peers also have been a constant big inspiration to me: Lillie Mae, Jaime Wyatt, Leo Rondeau, JP Harris, Logan Ledger, Brent Cobb, Sierra Ferrell, Erin Rae, Brennen Leigh, Corey Parsons, Pat Reedy… again, too many to name!”

‘You’ve got to give yourself grace.’

Over the years, just ingesting music and studying music of all kinds, has allowed Kristina Murray to be more open to the kind of music she writes and creates. ‘I certainly understand my voice instrument more and how to write to its strengths. On a first record, you’re limited by where you are and your understanding of both the music you’ve studied up to that point and then the newness of the recording process. The longer I am an artist, the more I am blown away at debut records that launch artists and stand the test of time.”

One of the things that has been visible even from this side of the pond, has been the regular late night shows Murray hosts in her hometown: “Progress takes only consistent effort, right? I don’t really get nervous anymore on stage because this is my job and I know how to do it now. That confidence did take a while to develop and of course playing consistently contributed to that poise and channeling of the nerves and excitement into the performance. I also had to unlearn beating myself up about every little mistake. Even the greats make mistakes, all the time, and you’ve got to give yourself grace. It’s called live country music for a reason, haha.”

‘It honestly really doesn’t get any better than that.’

Kristina Murray also played her new song Fool’s Gold, which will be on her next record, she confirms. “It should come out sometime next year! Hopefully spring or summer 2025. The record I think is fairly dynamic so this is probably the only one of its kind on there. I wrote Fool’s Gold in basically one sitting. My boyfriend and some friends and I were supposed to go kayaking, but I woke up and it was raining, and gonna rain all day. So that’s where it started: ‘How does a woman stop it from raining all day.’

“As an artist, I’m happiest when I’m performing with my band and we’re locked in, the sound is good, I’m having a great vocal night and the crowd is into it, dancing, paying attention, enjoying themselves – it honestly really doesn’t get any better than that. That’s part of what made my recent tour in Europe so special! And recently, I’ve been feeling very happy recording and demoing new songs in collaboration: I have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to friends who are outstanding, top notch musicians, and working on new recordings and demos with them has been inspiring and opening my brain in new ways. And then of course when a song comes quick and it’s real good from the get go. Aside from that, I am happiest having good food and drinks with good friends, listening to music on the porch with my partner, kayaking on the river, watching college football, playing with dogs, and spending time with my family in Georgia.”

Photos

Keep watching

Thank you for watching and enjoying this session. You’ll probably like some other sessions from The Influences’ archive too, like these earlier ones we filmed at TakeRoot festival.