Pete Murray

Pete Murray is coming to Melbourne on November 13 to headline the opening night of the Australian Worldwide Music Expo (AWME) at the Playhouse.

On the back of his national Feeler 10 Year Anniversary Tour that has just wrapped up around Australia, Pete will return to join a range of artists in Melbourne to celebrate some of the finest roots music from around the globe.

AWME attracts more than 500 national and international music industry delegates. The expo creates opportunities for artists to network and showcase their music, and to build stronger relationships between international music industry members and artists.

The Feeler tour saw Pete playing 25 shows across Australia, selling-out iconic theatres such as the Forum Theatre in Melbourne. Pete has also returned from a series of headline shows in the UK, Netherlands and Canada.

Pete Murray has sold more than a million records, and with three number-one albums under his belt, this upcoming performance will demonstrate his remarkable talent.

Accompanying Murray will be Victorian singer/songwriter Benny Walker.

This rising star has performed at some of Australia’s most loved festivals, including Moomba, St Kilda Festival, and Blue Mountains Music Festival.

Benny describes his performances alongside Pete Murray as the biggest buzz, saying that in his early musical days while working in a bank, Pete was definitely an influence.

“I would sit in this office out the back of the bank counting money, and I had a little CD player in there. That was around the time Pete’s See The Sun record came out and I pretty much had it on repeat for months,” Benny said.

As well as Murray, some other influences of Benny’s include Ryan Adams, Ray la Montagne and Neil Young as well as a love for blues music.

“I just love music. I listen to any genre as long as it moves me in some way,” Benny said, adding that the music could be emotional or simply made him want to strut.

It is clear that Walker has a passion for folk, blues, summer vibes and deep grooves. He often incorporates influences from his indigenous background, which tell stories of the people and the land.

“I subconsciously feel a real connection to the land. I definitely think about the earth as something we should protect,” Benny said.

Walker’s soulful performances won him the award for the Best New Talent at the Victorian Indigenous Performing Arts Awards in 2012.

Other performances will be held over the four-day AWME expo include gigs by Ash Grunwald, Bonjah, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ms Murphy and many more, at music venues all around Melbourne.