Following the coast

AUSTRALIAN musician Pete Murray is hitting the road with his eighth studio album, announcing a 15-date Longing Summer tour.

His upcoming shows will take him through coastal towns across summer, including stops at Kingscliff Beach Hotel on January 3 and Hotel Brunswick on February 13.

“I played a summer tour last year and it was one of the most fun tours I have done,” he said.

“Everyone is on holidays and in such a great mood that it makes it so much fun to play them.

“I can’t wait to do another summer run, but this time I’ll have a bunch of fresh new songs from my new album Longing to throw into the mix.”

Released in October, Longing is Murray’s first independent release in almost two decades and only his second album released outside the major label system.

The record has been 10 years in the making, bringing together songs written across different periods that never previously made it onto an album.

“I feel it’s a really strong album because it’s 10 years’ worth of work and that’s a life lived,” Murray said.

The album explores themes of reflection, resilience and optimism, with Murray describing it as a body of work shaped by time and experience rather than trends.

Murray first emerged on the Australian music scene in 2001 with his debut full-length album The Game.

He went on to cement his place in the industry with Feeler in 2003.

Since then, he has recorded more than 1.2 million album sales, achieved three ARIA chart-topping albums and received 17 ARIA Award nominations.

Those accolades have been earned while continuing to tour consistently and release new material for more than two decades.

For tickets and more information, head to petemurray.com