James Murray - Drakus

James Murray is a musician from New York. He has written music, produced recordings and performed guitar, trumpet, banjo, bass and keyboards with many bands since the 1990s and has been a member of Diamond Jig since 2012. He has most recently completed his first solo record, Drakus.

With Drakus, James plays the role of a bard, weaving a tale about a Dragon who has terrorized the kingdom of Glavestoun once every century for two thousand years. Themes of the album include cycles of generations through history, finding one’s purpose and overcoming depression and alienation. It has been a work in progress since 1994.

Composed with a four sided LP in mind, Drakus was inspired by the double album rock operas of the 60s and 70s like The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Tommy and The Wall. James grew up listening to progressive rock and was heavily influenced by bands like Focus, Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Tool and Opeth.

But prog is not the only style of music James loves. He has played with punk, reggae, ska, hip hop, jam band and jazz ensembles in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina and Florida. Still, prog lends itself to an eclectic mix of styles, and James Murray’s music is no exception to that rule.