About Caleb J. Murphy

Caleb J. Murphy is a singer/songwriter from the Appalachian foothills in overcast Western Pennsylvania. Self-described as a musical late-bloomer who makes bittersweet folk music, Murphy pulls from songwriters across multiple generations, like Paul Simon, Henry Jamison, Nick Drake, Coldplay, and Iron & Wine.

Murphy was raised in the Evangelical Christian world, the son of a pastor, and an eventual worship leader himself. It wasn’t until his late 20s that he started to question and doubt what he had believed his whole life. After moving to Austin, Texas, with his two kids and then-wife, he went through what some call a “deconstruction” of his faith. In a tumultuous 2 years, he gradually let go of his childhood beliefs, watched his son nearly pass away, and experienced his marriage ending. 

In the midst of this, he released Where Color Survives, an album about his crumbling religious beliefs. It’s a raw and honest expression of his doubts, questions, and slowly forming new beliefs. 

The following year, he released PHENOMENA, an album that came out one song at a time, each track about a truth of life everyone can relate to. This project showed he adopted a more open-minded worldview after releasing the hold his former beliefs had on him. The opening track, “Wonder of It All,” is now his most-streamed track with over 100k plays. 

He followed this up with What Has Weathered Me, a 6-song EP about what he learned from what had worn him down. This EP included “Burnt My Bible,” a song about holding on to the good things he learned from his religious upbringing. 

At the end of 2022, he started releasing one song at a time, a project that would become his 2023 release, an album called Sleeperland. This album revealed that he started to wake up to his own life, determined to be present. Almost immediately after sending the songs to get mastered in May 2023, he moved from Austin to Richmond, Virginia, where he now lives with his kids.

Coming off Sleeperland, the best-performing album of his career, Murphy started recording a new project. But he wanted to try a new creative process. 

Inspired by Theo Katzman’s live-tracked album Be the Wheel, Murphy limited himself to three full-song takes per instrument, including vocals. This lead to a much more raw and authentic record, standing on the foundation of his often bittersweet, story-driven songs.

Starting in mid-March, Murphy will be releasing his new album one song at a time, every two weeks. The full album will be released later this year. To stream the whole album immediately, you can join his Patreon.

Join the Aching Hearts Club

That's what I call my mailing list. It's a gathering place for people who like the bittersweet folk music I make. If you're a fan, come on in.