There are many reasons people form a band. For Murdock, an energetic and youthful Milwaukee rock group, it's an opportunity to relax and hang with the guys.
Since getting together in early 2005, the foursome -- composed of Guy Conn on vocals and guitars, Micah Zellmer on guitars, Nicklaus Molketin on bass and Nathan Christensen on drums -- has been making the most of its time, playing gigs throughout the state and even a friend's wedding.
"We all brought in a bunch of songs and ran with it," says Conn.
Now, in support of the self-released debut EP "Time Traveling in a Cardboard Box," the band has a Saturday, Nov. 12 date at BBC, 2022 E. North Ave.
Calling its sound "pop rock romance," Murdock dives into emotional and lyrically driven songs that pack quite a punch on "Time Traveling in a Cardboard Box." The EP's opening song, "Jam Song" reaches out with "You're my ecstasy, the only drug I need, and now love's all I got left of you, is it fleeting?" and continues strong throughout the five-song disc.
For Conn, who does much of the songwriting, being an English major at UWM sparks the songwriting flame.
"It helps me write powerful lyrics," Conn says.
Starting out as a singer/songwriter, Conn realized that his message needed a vehicle, since a broken relationship and a death in the family had driven him to express his feelings through music. Gathering up three buddies, including his roommate, Nathan, for a rock band was the obvious route to choose.
"It just seemed to click, " adds Conn.
The band has since been pulling together equipment, making the most out of its resources and bringing influences such as Death Cab for Cutie along for the ride. An amp here and a microphone stand there, and Murdock was on its way.
"It's a collaborative effort," says Conn. "It's a lot more work than I thought, but it's worth it. We all wear our influences on our sleeves."
Performing live is when the band truly gets to shine and let it all hang out.
"We're more 'rock-out' when we play live," says Conn. "We love the live performances."
Though the EP is titled "Time Traveling in a Cardboard Box," Murdock looks to break out of the box. With a few more years of experience under their young, talented belts, success is theirs for the taking.
The band's Web site is murdockmilwaukee.com.
