Fazerdaze

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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.

Contents

Fazerdaze
1 fazerdaze singapore 2023.jpg
Murray performing in Singapore at the Trifecta Music Festival in 2023
Background information
Birth nameAmelia Rahayu Murray
Born1993 (age 31)
Wellington, New Zealand
Genres Dream pop, shoegaze, indie pop, indie rock
Years active2014–2017, 2022–present
Labels Flying Nun, section1, Buttrfly Records
Website fazerdaze.com

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 FAZERDAZE - Paris, France.jpg
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

Live

Per Andy Hazel; [43] also adapted from Break! and Soft Power liner notes. [44] [45]

Former live members

According to Gareth Shute and David Farrier. [8] [18]

  • Gareth Thomas – bass guitar (2014–2015)
  • Andrea Holmes – drums (2014–2015)
  • Mark Perkins – guitar, keyboards (2015–2018)
  • Elliot Francis – drums (2015–2018)
  • Benjamin Locke – bass guitar (2015–2018)
  • Guy Cowan (2017–2018)
  • Benjamin Tindall (2017–2018)

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
NZ Top 20 [46] NZ Top 40 [46]
Morningside623
Soft Power
  • Released: 15 November 2024
  • Label: Buttrfly Records (AU/NZ), section1 (ROW)
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming [48]
212

Extended plays

TitleEP detailsPeak chart positions
NZ Top 20 [46] NZ Top 40 [46]
Fazerdaze EP——
Break!
  • Released: 14 October 2022
  • Label: section1, Flying Nun
  • Format: LP, digital download, streaming [48]
624

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ Top 20 [49] NZ Top 40 [49]
"Little Uneasy"2015——Morningside [50]
"Lucky Girl"2017——
"Take It Slow"——
"Come Apart"20226—Break! [51]
"Break!"12—
"Flood Into"202318—
"Bigger" [28] 11—Soft Power [52]
"Cherry Pie" [53] 2024137
"A Thousand Years" [54] ——
"So Easy" [41] 7—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Collaborations

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References

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  2. ↑ "Fazerdaze Biography". Apple Music. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Thomas, Fred. "Fazerdaze Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lochrie, Connor (14 October 2022). "Fazerdaze Releases Long-Awaited EP 'Break!'". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Renshaw, David (12 April 2017). "Fazerdaze's Morningside Is A Coming Of Age Album For Introverts". The Fader . Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Fazerdaze's Sparkling Guitar Pop Finds the Balance Between Darkness and Light". Bandcamp Daily. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  7. ↑ Hill, Marty (14 June 2017). "Fazerdaze: Experiential Learning". Under the Radar. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Fazerdaze". www.audioculture.co.nz. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
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  10. 1 2 Adriana (23 July 2015). "Introducing: Fazerdaze". HVNGRY. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Chatterjee, Uppy (3 July 2017). "Why Fazerdaze is DIY and going her own way". Red Bull. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Wylie, Lachlan (16 November 2014). "Fazerdaze - Fazerdaze EP". Happy Mag. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Fazerdaze EP". Fazerdaze. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
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  16. 1 2 3 Schulz, Chris (4 May 2017). "Fazerdaze quietly sneaks out of her bedroom with debut album Morningside". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  17. ↑ Fazerdaze - The Morningside Interview | DIFFUS, 4 May 2017, retrieved 9 May 2023
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  19. ↑ Glickman, David. "Fazerdaze: Morningside". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
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  21. 1 2 Anderson, Jake (12 October 2022). "ALBUM REVIEW: Fazerdaze – Break! EP" . Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  22. ↑ James, Luke (23 October 2022). "Review | Fazerdaze - Break! EP". Clunk Magazine. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  23. 1 2 3 "Voom + Fazerdaze Share Single / Video 'Magic'". UnderTheRadarNZ. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  24. 1 2 "VOOM is back! & releases 'MAGIC (FT. FAZERDAZE)'". THE LABEL NZ. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  25. ↑ Moir, Tammy (10 March 2023). "Fazerdaze releases 'Flood Into' a journey of love, loss and personal reclamation". Happy Mag. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  26. 1 2 Lochrie, Conor (9 March 2023). "Fazerdaze Recognises Lost Love on Shoegaze Anthem 'Flood Into'". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  27. ↑ Carter, Daisy (2 November 2023). "Fazerdaze: "I feel a lot less worried about what people think now"". DIY. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  28. 1 2 Lochrie, Conor (14 September 2023). "Fazerdaze Deftly Explores the Pressures of Being a Musician on 'Bigger'". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  29. ↑ Kendall, Arun (13 September 2023). "Track: Everything is 'Bigger' for Fazerdaze as she releases ethereal new single ahead of Australian and European tour". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  30. ↑ Pearis, Bill. "Pond announce tour with Fazerdaze, share "So Lo"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  31. ↑ Lochrie, Conor (10 September 2024). "Fazerdaze Announces Long-Awaited Second Album 'Soft Power'". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  32. ↑ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  33. ↑ "NZ Charts". www.instagram.com. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
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  35. ↑ Wexler, Rachael (4 December 2024). "The Vic Theater Gets 'Stung!' by Pond | The Loyola Phoenix" . Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  36. ↑ "Fazerdaze Concert & Tour History (Updated for 2024) | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  37. ↑ "Fazerdaze 'Soft Power': Album Review". Rolling Stone Australia. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  38. ↑ Kendall, Arun (14 November 2024). "Album Review: Fazerdaze wields her 'Soft Power' with aplomb in a majestic new album". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  39. ↑ jaredeichmann (14 November 2024). "Album Review: Fazerdaze – Soft Power". The Indy Review. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  40. ↑ Pywell, Matty. "Fazerdaze, "Soft Power"". FLOOD. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  41. 1 2 "Fazerdaze Drops Music Video For Final Single "So Easy" From Sophomore Album "Soft Power"". Groovest. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  42. ↑ Stubbs, Warwick (5 May 2017). "Fazerdaze - Morningside - Albums - Reviews - Soundblab". Soundblab. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  43. ↑ Hazel, Andy. "Live Review: Fazerdaze, Sweet Whirl, Garage Sale @ The Gasometer". The Music. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  44. ↑ Fazerdaze (2022). Break!. Liner notes. section1. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  45. ↑ Fazerdaze (2024). Soft Power. Liner notes. Buttrfly Records. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  46. 1 2 3 4 Fazerdaze album charts history. Official Aotearoa Music Charts.
  47. ↑ "Morningside". Fazerdaze. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  48. 1 2 "Fazerdaze". Fazerdaze. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  49. 1 2 Fazerdaze single charts history. Official Aotearoa Music Charts. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  50. ↑ "Fazerdaze - Morningside". Flying Nun. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  51. ↑ Store, Partisan Records, Fazerdaze - Break!. Partisan Records Store. , retrieved 9 May 2023
  52. ↑ Pedder, Alan (10 September 2024). "Fazerdaze previews new album 'Soft Power' with lead single "Cherry Pie"". The Needle Drop. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  53. ↑ "Hot 20 NZ Singles". The Official NZ Music Charts. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  54. ↑ Lochrie, Conor (10 October 2024). "Fazerdaze Ponders Power Dynamics on 'A Thousand Years". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  55. ↑ "B5 Aporia feat. Fazerdaze - First Nail In The Coffin, by Aporia". Dub Disco. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  56. ↑ "Window Eyes (Feat. Fazerdaze)". EYEDRESS. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  57. ↑ Maloney, Austin. "Sparrows - 'Gold In The Tide (feat. Fazerdaze)'". NBHAP. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  58. ↑ "Life Boat EP". The Phoenix Foundation. Retrieved 5 December 2024.

Notes

  1. ↑ Murray currently resides in Christchurch. [15]
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