It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast past PEP. Welcome back gys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows that you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are still a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite shows
get made. So each episode I've been finding the guests that want to dive just that little bit deeper to the shows they're currently making, so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast however you found me. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a review or a comment on your chosen podcast platform.
On today's podcast, I have Pete Murray who has just had his very obvious reveal on The Mass Singer this week. If you had missed any of Murray's performances as Tiny, you can check them out on ten play because each song was truly quite fantastic. I loved The Beach Boys and his post Malone. Actually, who am I kidding? I loved all of his performances. Pete Murray is a very well known Australian musician who has had three albums reach
number one on the Australian charts. Murray has received seventeen Arian nominations throughout his career. So far, he has sold over one point two million albums in Australia, so having him on The Mass Singer was a huge win for Network ten. I personally am a huge fan of Pete's and it is an absolute joy to chat with him. Today. Pete will talk about his decision to join the singing show and if this is the only reality TV he
would actually do. We will talk about his song choices over the last few weeks and what he had lined up next if he'd survived. Plus, we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of The Mass Singer, which returns next Monday and Tuesday night on Network ten. And if you've fallen just that little bit behind, you can catch up on ten Playing. Anyway, let's bring Pete Murray into the podcast and guys, I really hope you
enjoy this very insightful episode of TV Relo. Hi, Pete Murray, how are you?
I'm good taking.
I would love to say that I'm really surprised, but I'm not because I picked in the very first performance. I just heard, like the tiniest little bit I saw Christic Swanseay. That voice is very familiar. I don't know if it's disappointing to you or whether it just proves that I'm a super fan.
I was surprised, but I was also glad that the guys didn't pick me. That was my goal, I did. I know, my voice is very unique and very different, so I was My concern was that I would be on the show and they would gets Pete Murray straight away. When they didn't the first night, I was like I was punching inside thee yes. You know. I did not expect that. And then two nights in a row, I was like, Wow, they still haven't got me. I was like, Wow, that's great. But look so many other fans on my socials.
Everyone was straight across it, you know. So I think Chrisy was obviously the closest one to it. You know, here's here's his husy. He was I don't think he got much an idea of much of the who's who's singing, and Abby's pretty bit younger, she might really go it there. And you know, obviously now was I don't know where the mel she s actually knew me, but I wasn't too surprised but that that she may not have picked
me above some other acts. So it was kind of worked in my favor, really, But Chrissy was on the money.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, your music to me is the soundtrack to my life. Like when I first moved out of home, your first album came out and I played that for the first few weeks, Like while I came out of home, I unpacked my boxes and it literally is the soundtrack to my life in so many ways. So like it was quite obvious to me.
And I think a lot of people as well. I think they picked it up. I can't remember the second eye or something. I think Chrissy Mason, Pete Murray vibes going on there too, but she stood didn't pick me. Then soon as she made their comment, somewhere in the crowd went yeah, come on. I was like, okay, can't down, don't don't give it away.
Can you hear the people in the audience, can you hear what this is?
Yeah, okay, I'll give you that comment very clearly when they said, oh yeah, come on, But when the judges heard I'm not too shoe or the.
Judges though, like, this is what I have to say. Because I was doing a bit of research last night. I was reading online because I wanted to see what the reactions were to you being revealed. Starting to think of this theory. Are the judges guesses and comments designed to throw the audiences off? Do you think that there's any possibility that's going on.
I don't know. I know with the clues that the producers what they're right, and they you know, they give out to the to the public and the judges that all the people in the audience as well, is designed to throw people off because it's so broad that okay, I don't get that, you know, and they're trying to work out other things. But I wondered that myself when the judges are meant to do that? But I don't think so.
I mean, the clues stuck out to me like dogs balls. I don't know if you can say dogs on a podcast, But anyway, we've done it.
Oh well we are so that's fine, you know, I mean.
The feel of being a clue was far too easy. As soon as that was said, I was like, this is crazy. What were the more obscure clues though that you might have enjoyed that the team of people behind the show putting together.
Oh, there were some song references in there. Mentioned the opportunity a couple of times. I think there was a very code on the ground or something you picked me up. There was another song reference and I think that they just they won't get in that was it something to do with gold and summary Rica. So the few things
there that were kind of interesting. Look, it is it's very broad, and it's meant to be very broad, and I think the longer on the show they start to narrow in and make it a little bit easier for the judges if they're not kidding it. So, I mean, probably my biggest concern was, you know, going out in the last night is if no one did kick me, I'll be going okay.
So do you try and throw the viewers though? Like I mean, did you try and change your voice at all to try and stay in the competition a little bit longer?
I did, Well, it doesn't matter it doesn't know about your voice. To be honest, I think what I've worked out now and look to answer question. Yes, I did try to sing a little bit lower and a bit deeper than what I normally is. I do sort of sing up a bit higher and range when I'm singing my songs, so I tried to keep things a bit lower. But it's you know, it's kind of my my tana, that's my voice, and it's hard not to sort of, like I said, people like yourself will pick it straight away.
But the thing that I found and when we it's just song choice. And I feel if you're singing songs, especially to that mainstream audience, they want songs they know and they can sing a long term. It's almost like they get into the song just as much as they get into the singer. Yeah, And I think funny when I did the songs that I chose, I love doing Walking on Sunshine because that for me. My best mate, his older sister who's sister to me, she passed away
for years ago. She's been fighting cancer for thirty five years and she had a charity called Walking on Sunshine. That was her favorite song.
Wow.
So when I joined the show, and the producer said, look, we think this would be a great opening song for you. Walking on sunshine. I was just like wow, I had like these the chills, chills, anything just.
Way, isn't it?
I mean, that's I know. And even on the night when I was singing that, I was really quite emotion and if you listen to my voice at the end, is kind of it's literally kind of breaks up a little because I'm actually sort of getting it bitterer because it was a moment for me where I'm going and he's here with me and this is, you know, a song. So that was really amazing. And I got text messages from her family going, we just heard this song. This has got of a you know, and they loved it.
They loved it so much. And then you know, even singing the God Only Knows song, that was beautiful as well. The funny thing was, wasn't it You basically going to the recording studio there and you work them with the guy there, and you sort of do all the backing tracks that you need to make the song their work, and you sing a version of it too, and the vibe was great and all the songs, he's like Pumpy,
this song's great. That sounds great. The other songs I did, were I was about to do was like every Breath you Take it by the police.
And then I would I would pay good money well and it was so good pocket I'd give it to you.
And then we had the other one, which was absolute cracker, was give me some loving by give me and I was like, I nailed these songs. And then we did I did all these songs first, and I was right, and the guys were going, you're so far ahead of everyone else that you've got on top of these songs.
And we basically did the recording of post alone song and we both did it, and the producer engineer there, he was like, this doesn't work as well, and I went, it's not working as well, and we're like, shit, what do we do? So we changed the key and it still just didn't have the same vibe as these other songs, like every Breath You Take was just like spot on perfect for me, and give Me some Love and the same thing. It just was so good. This a little bit of grit in my vocal. It just worked so well.
But this one song and we were both going, oh, and I got really nervous going, wow, I don't think I'm going to get through tonight because this song's not working as well. And when I first chose that song, I thought this would be great. It's different, it's different. I don't do this sort of thing. But really, when it comes down to the mainstream crowd, they don't probably know that song as well, and they want something they know and sing along to you. So anyway, I did this.
I did that post my own mind, and I was just nervous the whole day, going this is I'm not going to make it through because this isn't a strong one and I really wanted to do I think give Me some Love and was next, and then Every Breath Can Take, which was just a great song.
I Want to Say Something to You, which is just a very emotional trat for us all. Really, I'm on a weekend away to celebrate the life of my brother in law who passed away two years ago, and we're in a chuka and all of my partner's family here and Daniel who passed away. His favorite singer is post Malone.
So we watched the show last night. We arrived here for this day to day and that was the song that came on and I said to my partner when everyone left the room, I said, you know, oh my god, this is soon.
Wow.
It was soul, felt very powerful, but again it felt very serendipitous. And because I knew that it was your voice even when you did the Beach Boys, I thought of your dad. I thought, I wonder whether or not you were thinking about your dad while that song was happening, which again is now making me very emotional.
Question that was an emotion, such a beautiful song to sing, and you know, to see that when I was quite emotional that one too. You know, so all these songs that were working and nothing as that Postal that song. I think it's a cracking song. It's really good. Yeah, I just don't think out of all the songs that I chose, that was probably the least one that was that was working the best.
Basically, sometimes when you try and do something different like that, then it resonates like it hits. Because I mean, I hope someone sends your version of that song to post Alone so that he can hear it, and I'd love for him to be able to hand over the rights for you to record that yourself with that version, because your own spin on that was powerful.
Well, it's a great song for starters and easy. You write some amazing music, that guy. So that was nice, But look, you know, I think I felt like my time is limited on that, on that show, because even though I have a very unique voice, I'm a singer songwriter, So I write songs that work for me and work for my voice, and that's you know. I had that emotional content in the song when people love that, but
I knew. I went in there and I think it was snow Fox, and normally we're shut off from everyone else when everyone else is warming up and doing something. We can't hear anyone else, we can't see anyone else. But the guys accidentally left my ears on while snow Fox was warming up, and I was going, wow, yeah, this girl can sing, you know, going there's no way that I'm going to actually beat her. I'm not, you know, and I'm going, she's a singer. I'm a singer songwriter,
and that's the difference. I remember when when I came off the show and people go, oh, are you disappointing, I said, look, no, it was great fun, but I knew my time was limited because but I also I was told that there's a lot of good singers on this particular show, which there are happen and not that
I'm saying. You know, I can sing, but I sing my own style, and you know, to compete where guys have these massive ranges, it's very hard to go against them, of course, and because they are I consider them that they are singers. I'm a singer songwriter. So you know, a big difference set.
You know, would have been really clever was if they had allowed you to sing one of your songs, Like I thought that might have been a good idea, Like it was so beautiful, like you know, one of your original songs that's so connected to you. Because people would be like, well, we can't get peeple. They wouldn't get peaking one of the songs.
You wouldn't think that that. Yeah, who would be that fillyness in their own someone to show that it might have worked, you know, very interesting concept of trying to do.
That many incarnations around the world. I'm sure that some producer is going to come up with that idea at some point.
Surely, I'm sure they will. But look, you know, it was a really a different experience, and that's why I did the show to have this different experience. And when the first the first show they did, they offered me a spot in that. For some reason, I didn't take it because I had something on, but I love the idea. I thought it was a really cool concept. Geting dressed up in this wacky outfit that no one knows you are. You're trying to guess who the thing is. It's really
cool and it's not easy. And you hear these voices on there and you go, I know that voice, but I cannot pick the person. You know. Once you hear it from someone else, you go, oh, of course that's who that is, you know. But I didn't pick anyone that that was on there at all so so far, so I'm looking forward to seeing who who is actually behind the mask and the guys that I you know, in my group there was snow Fox and an even bouncer,
and I knew both those guys could sing. They had a really great, great range, and I knew that those two are as far as singing goes, I wasn't going to beat them on the singing. On the singing front, probably if I had got a song that was maybe a bit more emotional and works for my voice better amazed to a chance. But you know the singers, those guys are under those masks, so it's going to be
interesting contest. I think out of that group because I don't really know the other group that well, because I wasn't involved in that time.
I mean the fourth performers that I got that I that I was a lock for me as soon as I heard the first few lines the Grim Reaper. I just that's Darren Hayes.
That has to be Yeah, I agree, that's Daren Hayes. He's his voice too good.
You know these albums much like I have all of your albums. Yeah, and I know that sound. And then Courtney Actor is clearly the cowgirl kind of come on like you know, and Shana Blake. Coincidentally, it was the other person I guessed, so did you.
Well see, I didn't know that, but she could sing, and I remember doing the duel against her. I'm thinking, wow, this this girl could sing too. I'm thinking I'm off, I'm not going to beat her because she was, but she did a great job.
It was still not as good as yours.
I mean, when it's so funny because even the first night I was on there it got down to myself and Fawn, which was Sam Selly that's right. And I thought, I'm thinking, wow, am I going out the first night? And I got really nervous, thinking that's it, I'm all over, I thought, I know. So I had this really emotional thing that I thought I was going and then I stayed on for another night and went through and remember coming home at the driver and I going, wow, I
thought I was out that night. That was it? Was it. I came back and I was talking to my wife, gud, Wow, this emotional rollercoaster. You go to this like hey, yeah, you're going. You're kind of nervous. You sing the song and you're on a high, and then you're nervous again because you might be going off. The second night, I had to do the duel and I'm thinking, wow, this is like really heavy, and I thought I was going to go on again, and I stayed on another night.
At least it was like really quite exciting, and then unfortunately the next night was like I didn't quite make it so, but it was like it was good fun, you know, just just doing the songs together with everyone and and all that stuff, and it's it's a fun show, you know, I mean like so, you know, I knew that I wasn't going to win it, but the idea was trying to get as far as you could along. But you know, some pretty tough competition with some good voices at it in there.
People really love you though. I mean, I'm sure people would have asked or producers would have asked you to do some of these reality shows before. Do you turn down a lot of the opportunities to do stuff like this and maybe oh yeah, I'd say that, yeah, yeah, the show.
That well, I do things that I like, you know, I mean, I present says I'm I like keeping fit, I like doing that stuff. I liked being pushed beyond the boundaries of what your comfort zone. And that show that's full on, you know, the stuff that we did on that show, even though I kind of wasn't really I got edited out of the show because I didn't really caused much drama. But where I was still at
that stage, I hadn't failed anything. So for me, I was really pumped because I thought I was the oldest male. I didn't think I would get through all the things that were there, but I did. I kept doing it and then I dessicated my elbow, and I came back to come back to the to thee the quick off that night, came back the next day, and all the crew were so disappointed. I said, we were like right
behind you, how on this one? You know, because you're the oldest male and you hadn't failed I think myself and Yanna Pittnam and the who hadn't failed anything at that stage. So I was really pumped that I was actually doing really well. And then when this happened, it was the elbow was kind of disappointing.
They'll do it that and like, considering that I've seen that front cover of the Men's Health, I'm pretty sure that no matter how old you are, no one looks as good as that. I think that's uh a.
Idea, thank you. They're going to definitely feel way fitter now than what I was on the show when I do the show back then. So then I loved it, to be honest, I don't think my wife would let me do it again, but I loved it.
Being a very taxing I did something very similar and I I remember that there was a producer who sat me down at the end of it and she said, tell you, She said, have this conversation you know, with your partner and with your family that you know, over the next few weeks. It's quite taxing, and you might be behaving quite differently to how you normally would. And I looked at this woman like she was mad. However,
the month that followed, yeah, it was. It's unexplainable sort of how your mood and personality can be shifted by challenging yourself something in such a high pressure environment like that.
It lasts when you're getting tired and hungry and things like that. You know. Look, the getting back to original question, what would I do? There's another show that's called Hunted, and I think that would be really cool, trying to avoid being caught. Yeah, well the police they have to get you. That would be really cool. I think things like that would would interest me because there's a real challenge.
But I'm not so much into the reality shows other than you know, like says, for me, it's just that is a real gutsy show. That anyone goes on that and tries to last, that's a gutsy on's a tough one. And obviously the mustering was just just fun and different. So from you know what.
I'm glad you did it. It was so good. It was so good. Yeah, and I think you are probably one of my favorite contestants has been on the five seasons so far.
Oh thanks, Yeah, well I think a lot of people wouldn't be expecting me to go on there as well. So that was the other thing too, that you know, it's just just throw us spanning the works and have a go at it.
And you've released seven albums, garnered one point two million album sales, received seventeen Arian nominations. You know, what is it that you want to do next? At this stage? Are you are you going to I mean you're in Bayron right now. That's a great place to be writing music. Are you looking at releasing a different album? Like? How are you wanting to challenge yourself at this point in your life?
Definitely looking at doing some new music. The music that I'm writing, the Money has a hint of kind of folk country.
Wow.
I'm not a massive country fan, but this just some of the stuff as a bit of a hint of country in the way that I would say some some songs have a little bit of say that you know the band, yeah, the band flavor to it as a song like that, it's a bit you know, and some old Neil Young countries kind of flavor to it as well. So it's it's just got to hit this and so maybe you know, it might be nice to maybe even do a duet with the Country or something like that.
I don't know at this stage, but to trying to sort of not move away from it I do. I'm still doing what I do, but just adding another element into my music, which is gives a little bit of flavor. So you know, it's this demos are still coming together, of course at the moment, but it all sounds quite good. You know. I love doing songs that mean something to people and have them singing along, whether they're singing with a smile on their face or with a tear in
their eye, you know, it affects them someway. So but I love to sing along.
You've been affecting your audiences for such a long time. You know that that's such a powerful gift. You might be remissive me to then let that question go, because talking about Country, talk to me about being able to collaborate with someone else. Is there is there an artist that you think, God, I'd love to collaborate with.
You know, I'm a big fan of Casey.
Mustache, obsessed with her. I'm hadsted.
She's got such a good voice and her first album which kills me, it's so good. Do some with her, I mean, that's obviously I need some friends of friends to try to reach out there. But she's great.
God, she's so beautiful as well. I saw her that the Palais in down and St. Kilda. I went and saw her and she was fun phenomenal, but you know it was it was funny. I came across her as an artist on SNL. You know, she was just doing two performances which you should go and check out Pete. It's on YouTube if you haven't already seen it. In the two performances does slow Burn, which obviously was a big part of you know her, you know, kicking off as well as it has. But she's an amazing She's
an amazing artist. Just before where you go, something I want to ask you is something to ask everyone who joins the Bloe Past, and that is what is something from behind the scenes of your experience on the masking it. You know, something that may be funny that happened to you whilst in the production of it, maybe something we didn't see as an audience.
I was doing the practicing for the duel where and I had to sort of, you know, to try and everyone's as a dance ball movement, which was really hard to do in this in this this big costume. It's so big the monster. But as I was dancing around jumping my my mask almost came off. I just caught it and sort of popped it back on again, so I had to kind of hold it so that the guys, you know, that actually happened to someone a couple of
episodes ago, a couple of shows ago. I think where it came off might have an actual.
Yeah, yeah, definitely that it was somebody. I think he was dressed as a like a night or something.
I can't remember what it was, but yeah, his head just came off with this. It nearly happened to me too, but I just caught it. And it's just such a big head. And to try with his arms trying to reach up and grab this massive so hard. So that was quite funny at time.
Pete, look ye sorry, keep going.
Yeah, no, I was always kind of like with all the dances in the guys around I was always given him high fives and stuff as well, so it was kind of like for me, was this this lovely moment of acknowledging everyone who's around there playing their part in your show as well, which is just really beautiful.
Well, Pete, honestly, this is like a bucket list for me to be able to talk to you. I'll be getting off this phone call with you now and playing all of your albums at the moment. We've been playing them this morning, so we're through Feeler, See the Sun, and we're in Summer at Eureka, which we're now calling Summer at Chuca. So we're going to be going through all of your albums and celebrating you and thank you so much for being so generous with your time and
talking to me today. It's been really lovely.
I promised Dan. Well, look, one thing I do want to do is to record some of my old songs again. You sure, so let's trying, So that'll be us to do, and you know, just do the I guess the modern day versions of those songs what I do now live, You know, the live show is way more dynamic than than than the old recording, so it's kind of like, here's this is what I do. It's where I'm at right now. So I'd be nice to do that. But if we do, I'll get some get some songs over to you, and.
That would be amazing. I mentioned the gravitas of who you are now and the stories that you've collected along the way, and what that would do to some of those old songs would be amazing. I have to let you go because you're very crazy man today, but enjoy chaading to the media, and thanks again for taking part of the Mark Singer. It was a true joy to watch you talking there, buddy,