A Song For Eight Belles

Jessie Murphy In The Woods is a trifecta of New York City based musical talent that list Eight Belles, Big Brown and Native Dancer as influences on their Myspace page. With a sound best described as a mystical Neko Case, JMITW make beautiful folky noise under such titles as Eight Belles, When I Am A Horse Again and God Save Owen Wilson. With titles like that, there is obviously more than a bit of humour behind the well-crafted harmonies pitched forth by the classically trained trio.



Their debut album, Eight Belles, which contains a single by the same name is a nod at the ill-fated filly who tragically broke both front ankles after a gutsy second place finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby won by Big Brown. The filly was euthanized on the track in one of the most emotional Derby finishes in its 135 year history. Lead singer Jessie Murphy grew up riding horses and even owned an ex-racehorse she named Charlie Brown. "We plan to donate a portion of the proceeds from our album to thoroughbred rescue projects and in addition are planning to play benefits for horse rescue around the album's release," advised Murphy. "We are currently researching different organizations and are in conversation about which one we will feature on our website and Myspace so that our fans can learn more and donate on their own as well."

JMITW got together while pursuing their Masters in Musical Education. Vocalist Jessie Murphy reached out to class mates Marcia Webb and Amy Stratton to help provide some unorthodox instrumentation for an album Murphy was about to record with producer Roger Greenwalt. From the first rehearsal, it was clear to Murphy that she had found kindred spirits.“We just had that thing right away," stated Murphy. "A combination of the right vibe and the right sound. We all knew very quickly that we were a band.”

This search for unorthodox instrumentation should not be dismissed lightly. Murphy provides vocals and guitar to the ethereal sound of JMITW, but the addition of Webb (flute, pan pipes, clarinet, Wurlitzer electric piano, and vocals), and Stratton (horn, flute, vocals, percussion)transformed a solo act to an orchestra of audible delight. Together the group carves out statuesque pieces of art performance that are as well-written as they are performed. It's not so much the first listen that snares you with Jessie Murphy In The Woods, it is the repeated encores from your own memory that linger long after the record is shelved.

Murphy modeled the Eight Belles single on the old blues song, Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotten, (who apparently borrowed the melody for her song from a man named Railroad Bill). "It is an outcry against unethical breeding practices," declared Murphy. "In the feature that The New Yorker did on Larry Jones, Eight Belles' trainer, he concludes that it was her breeding that brought her down in the end. We see this with so many animals that are bred for particular traits without regard for ultimate consequence or the overall soundness of the animal."

Jessie Murphy In The Woods - Eight Belles




At first blush, you could wrongfully accuse the band of taking their art a little too seriously but there is a certain dark humour to the music of JMITW hidden underneath the layers of instrumentation. Their brilliant cover of Olivia Newton John's Let's Get Physical, recently posted in video format on their Myspace page, quickly buries any such assumption. Their cheekily arranged cover forces the lyrics to the forefront and are delivered with such deadpan that it is at once both comical and sexy. What starts as a barely audible whisper of the classic opening line, "I'm saying all the things that I know you'll like," climaxes to a powerful refrain of the final chorus, "I wanna get animal," delivered with intent by Murphy as her bandmates harmonize while performing arm curls. It is not the Olivia Newton-John that you've come to know, but it is a part of the Jessie Murphy In The Woods that you will remember.

Let's Get Physical! Musical Fitness with JMITW


JMITW covers, in particular the on-horseback stalking of Daniel Radcliffe woven into an homage to the Beatles No Reply, take on a life of their own but their unique pursuit of sound resonates within their own creations of which New York City Lights shines brightest. This ode to longing and loneliness is beautifully crafted and Murphy's heartfelt call for, "one companion all my life," lingers. Poetic and poignant and a reminder that behind the well-schooled instrumentation is a writer with a message longing to be heard.

Young, talented and creating music with a sound all their own, Jessie Murphy In the Woods soon might be the tallest tree in the alt-folk forest.

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You can catch Jessie Murphy In The Woods playing live under the New York City lights at Passout Records in Williamsburg on July 25th and at The American Folk Art Museum on July 31st.

Jessie Murphy In The Woods - New York City Lights