After a successful acting career, LA-based artist Marlhy Murphy is now pursuing a music career under the pseudonym Marlhy. Unafraid and always forthright, the multi-instrumentalist is back with her latest single, “Young And Naive”, a tongue-in-cheek anthem that challenges stereotypes about today’s youth. The track showcases Marlhy’s signature blend of honesty, vulnerability, and musical prowess, solidifying her status as a forward-thinking artist in today’s music scene. We caught up with her to find out more about her artistry and what has been inspiring her.
– What led you to pursue a music career?
“Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents named me after Bob Marley so I think it has always been subconsciously there. I really fell in love with music when I was 5 and first discovered the drums. My parents had gotten the Wii game “Rock Band” and I was immediately hooked on the drums. They signed me up for lessons, and as I grew up I knew that music was my main focus and what I was truly passionate about. I started bands, moved to LA, and have had a culmination of opportunities and projects that have all led me to where I am today, and I’m so thankful for it.”
– What inspired you to write “Young And Naive”? Were there specific experiences or observations that motivated the song?
“I’m very much a control freak to my own detriment. Going into my 20s, I was freaking out because I felt like I needed to have everything planned out and that all decisions I make now completely alter the course of the rest of my life (obviously a little much). I’ve always taken my career and any decision seriously, and then I read somewhere that our brains don’t fully develop until we’re 25. What? I’ve been approaching every decision in my life and career like it’s the most monumental choice, but I don’t even have a full brain yet? What do I do with that information? I found it all kinda funny because I just started hearing voices that said “Well, you’re not even 25 yet with a full brain so what do you really know?” I realized I had been so career-focused (because I love it so much) and I wondered what it would be like just to embrace being young and pretending to be oblivious to the world around me. I was talking to Michael Kamerman, one of my favorite people to write with, about this and we decided to write a song about it!”
“I’m very much a control freak to my own detriment. Going into my 20s, I was freaking out because I felt like I needed to have everything planned out and that all decisions I make now completely alter the course of the rest of my life (obviously a little much). I’ve always taken my career and any decision seriously, and then I read somewhere that our brains don’t fully develop until we’re 25. What? I’ve been approaching every decision in my life and career like it’s the most monumental choice, but I don’t even have a full brain yet? What do I do with that information? I found it all kinda funny because I just started hearing voices that said “Well, you’re not even 25 yet with a full brain so what do you really know?” I realized I had been so career-focused (because I love it so much) and I wondered what it would be like just to embrace being young and pretending to be oblivious to the world around me. I was talking to Michael Kamerman, one of my favorite people to write with, about this and we decided to write a song about it!”
– You mentioned that many people assume youth to be ignorant or inexperienced. How do you hope this song will challenge those stereotypes?
“I hope that this song shows the full scope of my generation, rather than just focusing on stereotypes. The song jokingly sings from the perspective of being just “young and naive” but there’s knowledge and strength hidden in it to show the full scope in a way. While it feeds into some of the assumptions of ignorance and inexperience with some of the lyrics, the chorus always comes back to the idea that “I still know what’s best for me”. This was a really big point that we talked about in the writing session for this song, because it’s about saying there’s more to us than that. Your perspective and assumptions don’t determine who I am as a person, that’s for me to figure out on my own.”
“I hope that this song shows the full scope of my generation, rather than just focusing on stereotypes. The song jokingly sings from the perspective of being just “young and naive” but there’s knowledge and strength hidden in it to show the full scope in a way. While it feeds into some of the assumptions of ignorance and inexperience with some of the lyrics, the chorus always comes back to the idea that “I still know what’s best for me”. This was a really big point that we talked about in the writing session for this song, because it’s about saying there’s more to us than that. Your perspective and assumptions don’t determine who I am as a person, that’s for me to figure out on my own.”
– The kazoo is a unique addition to “Young And Naive”. Can you tell us more about why you chose to incorporate it into the track?
“I LOVE the kazoo and I can’t even describe how happy I am that it’s in the song. The kazoo sort of became an unintentional personality trait for me after I had started using it to play a “guess that song” game on my Twitch channel. I did it so much that some of my followers began joking about how my next single should have kazoo in it, and I ended up taking it seriously. It was always something I wanted to incorporate sometime, and I feel like this was the perfect song for it. The song is sort of theatrical with the setting and lyrics, and I thought that the kazoo was a funny way to emphasize that naive trait since it’s such a goofy instrument. I didn’t actively write this song with a kazoo in mind, but Michael had one at his studio, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity (I bought him a new kazoo since I put my germs on the old one). I hyped it up a ton on my Twitch channel so of course I had to include a kazoo intro in the music video, where my friends and I tried to replicate the intro scene of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” music video from Queen, except with kazoos. It was VERY noisy and we hadn’t agreed what we would play so it was so difficult to keep a straight face.”
“I LOVE the kazoo and I can’t even describe how happy I am that it’s in the song. The kazoo sort of became an unintentional personality trait for me after I had started using it to play a “guess that song” game on my Twitch channel. I did it so much that some of my followers began joking about how my next single should have kazoo in it, and I ended up taking it seriously. It was always something I wanted to incorporate sometime, and I feel like this was the perfect song for it. The song is sort of theatrical with the setting and lyrics, and I thought that the kazoo was a funny way to emphasize that naive trait since it’s such a goofy instrument. I didn’t actively write this song with a kazoo in mind, but Michael had one at his studio, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity (I bought him a new kazoo since I put my germs on the old one). I hyped it up a ton on my Twitch channel so of course I had to include a kazoo intro in the music video, where my friends and I tried to replicate the intro scene of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” music video from Queen, except with kazoos. It was VERY noisy and we hadn’t agreed what we would play so it was so difficult to keep a straight face.”
– Could you walk us through your typical creative process when writing and producing a song?
“It changes sometimes depending on the song. Usually, I go into the studio with an idea in mind or something that pissed me off or kept me awake that I want to talk about. I like starting with more minimal ideas production-wise, like a chord progression on guitar, because I think building the production out too much from the beginning can sometimes box you in as a writer. Having as little rhythm as possible allows your brain to experiment with different patterns and ideas more from my experience. I’m a melodies first kinda person, so I like figuring out all melodies, and fully writing the chorus before working on the other sections. I think it’s easier to work backwards from the chorus because you know what the destination is and the main idea, so you just need to tell the story that leads up to it. However, sometimes it’s fun just to start from the beginning with no main idea in mind and see where you end up conceptually by the time you reach the chorus. After writing the song vocally and recording a demo, I figure out the live drums for it and go into the studio to record. This is also the time that I record the final vocals, when I feel more comfortable with the song and have backgrounds and additional layer ideas in mind. The producer on the song gets to work on it a little more with any new ideas from the new vocals and live drums, and then the mixing and mastering people work their magic and it’s the
song you hear today!”
“It changes sometimes depending on the song. Usually, I go into the studio with an idea in mind or something that pissed me off or kept me awake that I want to talk about. I like starting with more minimal ideas production-wise, like a chord progression on guitar, because I think building the production out too much from the beginning can sometimes box you in as a writer. Having as little rhythm as possible allows your brain to experiment with different patterns and ideas more from my experience. I’m a melodies first kinda person, so I like figuring out all melodies, and fully writing the chorus before working on the other sections. I think it’s easier to work backwards from the chorus because you know what the destination is and the main idea, so you just need to tell the story that leads up to it. However, sometimes it’s fun just to start from the beginning with no main idea in mind and see where you end up conceptually by the time you reach the chorus. After writing the song vocally and recording a demo, I figure out the live drums for it and go into the studio to record. This is also the time that I record the final vocals, when I feel more comfortable with the song and have backgrounds and additional layer ideas in mind. The producer on the song gets to work on it a little more with any new ideas from the new vocals and live drums, and then the mixing and mastering people work their magic and it’s the
song you hear today!”
– What’s coming next for you?
“I really want to do an album. I’ve released an EP in the past called Ghost that went through the stages in a relationship, and I really love doing projects centered around the theme. I have an idea for a themed album starting with “Young and Naive” that I think could be really cool, so I’m working towards that this year! Release wise, I have another song coming out April 19th called “Debbie Downer” that shows more of the realistic and darker side of “Young and Naive”. I also have a collaboration coming out in May that I’m really excited about and should hopefully be able to announce soon!”