We met Bri at Summer NAMM 2016 and caught up with her after she had several shows with her WiC Wireless System. We can’t wait to see her live.

Tell us about yourself and what you’ve been working on.

I’ve been making music for as long as I can remember. I started on violin when I was four and picked up several other instruments on the way to Nashville, where I moved in 2011 after graduating from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Political Science. Since moving to Nashville I’ve toured the U.S., Canada, and Japan on fiddle/utility/BGVs and shared the stage with artists from Chris Stapleton to Tanya Tucker to Vince Gill. I took a break from the road last year to start work on my solo project, and I’m excited to announce my debut solo EP, “Throw Down My Heart,” which is coming out on October 11th! I’ve partnered with Pledge Music for a preorder campaign – you can order it here: www.pledgemusic.com/brimurphy. You can check my website for upcoming tour dates!

What got you into music and what was the first concert you attended?

Both my parents are musicians – they met at the University of Kentucky, where they were both working on degrees in piano performance. It was never really, “Are you going to play an instrument?” It was, “What instrument do you want to play?” – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The first concert I attended was the Chippewa Valley Symphony as just a baby. My dad played French horn with them for several years.

Tell us about the first gig you ever played.

I’m not sure I even remember the first gig I ever played! One of the first times I played and actually got paid for it was for my figure skating coach’s wedding. I was probably 11 or 12 and I played solo violin music while she walked down the aisle. I remember wearing a light purple dress with white flowers on it.

What is your most memorable performance?

I’ve played for crowds of thousands and crowds of my parents, but my most memorable performance will always be my graduate recital on violin at Belmont University. My mom played piano with me, and we spent hours and hours practicing together. Sharing the stage with her and getting to play difficult works of Bartok and Shostakovich with her was an incredible moment and one I wouldn’t trade for all the other shows in the world.

What are you listening to now?

I’m all over the place when it comes to what I listen to. The other day I was driving back from my parents’ house east of Nashville and I put on a Spotify “Hits from the 2000s” playlist (heyyy JT) – I guess I was feeling nostalgic for high school? Day-to-day right now, I’m listening to Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Kree Harrison, and I’m really digging Derik Hultquist’s new record. And Miranda Lambert’s killer new single, “Vice”. I’ve definitely had that on repeat a time or two in the past week. If I need to relax I put on some Chopin Nocturnes or Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. My go-to heartbreak music is pretty much anything of John Mayer’s. I love listening to Tower of Power when I’m cleaning the house. And one of my favorite records of all time is Mingus/Roach/Ellington’s “Money Jungle”. So good.

What is your deserted island album?

Do I have to pick one? Maybe Nickel Creek’s “A Dotted Line”. Or Edgar Meyer’s self-titled album. Or Jason Mraz’s “We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.” Or Isbell’s “Southeastern”.

What is your favorite food and drink?

Mangoes! And rooibos tea. Probably iced, if I’m on an island.

Who is one person you would like to meet (alive or dead, musician or not)?

I would love to have coffee with Georgia O’Keefe. I feel like it would inspire me to write about a thousand songs.

Who would you cast to play you in a movie?

Natalie Portman.

Besides music, what are you into?

I love running and yoga – I’m actually moonlight as a yoga instructor. Or I guess it’s really more like daylighting, since music is more a moonlight thing. I also love to cook. And I love animals – I have a dog named JoJo and a crazy calico cat named Nellie Bly.

An interview is not an interview without talking about gear. So let’s talk gear. Must have, best for studio, a must for tour?

The PRA WiC is a must have, obviously! Seriously, I love going wireless for live shows and the WiC is the only system I’ve found that I’ll use because the sound is actually good. Beyond that, I don’t know what I’d do without my Fishman Loudbox. I play a lot of acoustic instruments – one of my favorites is probably my New Wave octave mandolin – it’s so dang pretty and it sounds like gold dust.

Speaking of tour… any previous tour stories you want to share?

Oh goodness. So many tour stories. I have a couple favorites. A few years ago I was playing fiddle for my buddy Eric Burgett at a theater in Indiana. We opened for Chris Stapleton, who opened for Charlie Worsham, and there were maybe thirty people in the audience. Another favorite tour story was a festival gig I played with Mustang Sally – we were the opening act for a crowd of about 30,000. The energy was incredible.

Tell us about your experience with PRA Audio and WiC Wireless System.

I’m so happy to be working with the great folks at PRA Audio. The WiC Wireless System gives me the freedom on stage – and off! – to give a more interactive and high energy performance than I would be able to give otherwise. The best part is I don’t have to compromise my sound quality to go wireless with the WiC!

Keep up with Bri here: