Amelia Rahayu Murray (born 1993)[1][2] is a New Zealand singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.[3][4] She is best known for her musical project Fazerdaze.
Fazerdaze
Murray performing in Singapore at the Trifecta Music Festival in 2023
Murray first gained acclaim in 2014 for Fazerdaze's self-titled debut EP. She gained further recognition in 2017 after releasing her debut album, Morningside. Its single, "Lucky Girl", became a viral hit. Following a period of burnout and personal challenges, she took a break from the music industry for several years and returned in late 2022 with Fazerdaze's second EP, Break!. Her second album, Soft Power was released on 15 November 2024 and received critical acclaim.
Fazerdaze's music is best known for its intimate, introspective lyrics and dreamy echo-laden production.[3][5][6][7] Some of the genres associated with the project are dream pop, shoegaze and alternative rock.
Early life
Murray was born in 1993 to an English-born New Zealander father and an Indonesian mother.[8] She is the youngest of three siblings,[1] and was raised in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington.[3][9] Her interest in playing music began when she played her father's guitar at age 13. During her time at Onslow College, a Wellington high school with a vibrant music scene, she formed a band with her friends called The Tangle. The band eventually dissolved after they graduated from high school.[10] Murray then made the decision to pursue music as her career and moved to Auckland to study music at University of Auckland.[11]
Career
Fazerdaze EP: 2014–2016
While attending university, Murray began the Fazerdaze project after several failed attempts at forming bands. Soon after, she recorded her self-titled debut EP by herself in her bedroom studio in Auckland.[3][4][12][13] She self-released the EP in October 2014 and received positive reviews.[10][12] The EP's genre is described as bedroom pop.[12] Upon the EP's release, Murray began playing at local shows by herself with backing tracks.[8] Eventually, she met fellow New Zealand musicians and expanded Fazerdaze's live act into a full band with auxiliary members accompanying her.[3][8] Fazerdaze began touring overseas, and opened for other artists' shows, such as Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Connan Mockasin.[8][14]
Morningside: 2017–2018
Murray performing at a live concert in France in May 2017
In May 2017, Murray released Fazerdaze's debut album, Morningside. The album was named after the Auckland neighborhood of the same name where she used to live.[nb 1][6][16][17]Morningside became a hit album with its viral single "Lucky Girl".[8][16] The single's music video was shot and directed by Samuel Kristofski. Murray edited the music video.[11][18] Like her previous release, the album is also dubbed as a bedroom pop record.[19] After touring extensively and internationally for the album, Murray experienced burnout and she encountered problems with unhealthy professional and personal relationships.[1][3][20]
Break!: 2022–2023
Murray went on a hiatus from the music industry for several years, and she returned in 2022 with Fazerdaze's second EP, Break!, which was released on 14 October.[3][4][20] The EP was well received by music critics.[21][22] Murray stated that her hiatus has been instrumental in helping her return to music, and she ended up finishing the EP during a three-month long lockdown in New Zealand.[4] Musically, Break! is quite different from her previous work and it includes elements of dance pop and electronica.[21] Fazerdaze appeared in a single by New Zealand rock band Voom, titled "Magic" in November 2022.[23][24] The band's lead singer, Buzz Moller had contributed his songwriting in Break!.[23] In early 2023, Fazerdaze released "Flood Into" as a standalone single, which had previously been available exclusively on the vinyl version of Break!.[25][26] In September 2023, Fazerdaze released "Bigger", the lead single of her second album, Soft Power, ahead of her late 2023 tour in Australia, the UK, and Europe.[27][28][29]
Soft Power: 2024–current
In May 2024, Fazerdaze was announced as the support act for Australian psychedelic rock band, Pond on their 2024 North American tour which was held from November until early December.[30] On 10 September 2024, Murray announced the release date of Fazerdaze's sophomore album, Soft Power. Along with the announcement, she released "Cherry Pie", the second single from the album.[31] The song became her first No. 1 hit on the NZ Hot Singles chart.[32][33] In the following month, she released the third single from the album, titled "A Thousand Years" on 9 October 2024.[34] Just before the album's release, Murray and her bandmate, Dave Rowlands,[35] commenced on the tour with Pond on 12 November 2024.[36] On 15 November 2024, Soft Power was released and received critical acclaim.[37][38][39][40] Fazerdaze released the album's fourth and last single, "So Easy" on the same day with a music video on YouTube.[41]
Artistry
Murray mostly prefers making music by herself.[11] Some of the musical genres linked to Fazerdaze are dream pop, bedroom pop, indie pop, alternative rock, indie rock and shoegaze.[3][42][16][26] Some of Murray's musical influences include 1990s rock bands, such as Blur and Nirvana.[3]
Members
Studio
Amelia Murray – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, production (2014–present)
Live
Per Andy Hazel;[43] also adapted from Break! and Soft Power liner notes.[44][45]
Amelia Murray – lead vocals and guitar (2014–present)
Dave Rowlands – guitar (2022–present)
Kathleen Tomacruz – bass guitar (2022–present)
Oliver O'Loughlin – drums (2017–2018; 2022–present)[8][18]
Carla Camilleri – keyboards (2022–present)
Former live members
According to Gareth Shute and David Farrier.[8][18]
