Pool Of Sound - The Wicked Whispers

Formed in 2010, 'The Wicked Whispers' is a band that played Psychedelic Rock between 2010-2018 led by singer, songwriter and producer Michael Robert Murphy, with Toby Virgo, Ste Penn, Andy Smith and Nathan Sayer.
They were a 5-piece rock 'n' roll band from Liverpool with a sound rooted in the 1960s, big psychedelic vibes mixed with rhythm & blues and folk. They became one of Liverpool's most noted psychedelic acts who attracted both commercial and cult appeal. With a clear influence from 1967-1971 West Coast US and British psychedelic and pop music, the band were one of the few acts to add a modern ingredient offering fresh appeal to the genre. Mike Murphy composed and produced the early singles, EP and debut album and the songs offer a catching yet lucid form of songwriting and composure linking into what has always been the bands intention, to take you on a journey and get lost in dreams and soundscapes.

In 2011 Jade Wright interviewed them for the Liverpool Echo. " 'The Wicked Whispers' take retro to a whole new level. They've already recruited Arthur Brown to join them for their Butterflies Ball and at the Grasshopper's Feast at Static last year, they were selected by the BBC to do workshops at Abbey Road and now they're putting their debut EP out only on 10" vinyl – limited to just 300 copies. As well as their retro influences, it seems Michael, with Toby Virgo on bass and vocals, Andy Smith on guitar, Ste Penn on organ and Peter Shilton ( replacing Nathan ) on drums, do have a few new-ish bands on their authentic 60s stereos."

Jason Barnard, Electone Records for 'The Srange Brew', reviewed their album, 'Maps of the Mystic'. "Liverpool's 'The Wicked Whispers' stake their claim to be hottest band in Britain with their new release. They've been tantalizing listeners over the past three years and their debut long player is well worth the wait. There's something effortlessly cool about the group however they have the songs and the sound to match." The album opens with the innovatively named 'Chronological Astronaut' and from here 'The Wicked Whispers' begin their guided tour through their vision of modern day life, whilst wearing orange spiral glasses. A heavy brass section leads this tune, which is incredibly in keeping with the 60s' intent it was clearly written to possess. Unlike the typical attempt to have that mid-century sound, 'The Wicked Whispers' have taken a very precise approach which is only shown by a band who knows exactly what they are. It is well crafted, giving the listener a summary of what is to follow. In an ever growing market of new Psychedelic bands becoming increasingly popular, it has surfaced at a very exciting time for the genre. These guys have been name dropped by some of the country’s most loved music critics, and all of them are saying the same thing: you need to give this a listen. It also received plaudits from the likes of Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Mark Radcliffe (Radio 2), Tom Robinson (6Music) as well as Shindig! and Clash magazines. Debut limited 10" vinyl single 'The Dark Delights Of...' plus limited 7" singles 'Dandelion Eyes' and 'Voodoo Moon' have all long since sold out but are all available to grab digitally.

In 2016 they released a sonic boom of a double 'A' side single. It landed digitally on the 12th of August 2016 and also released on the 16th of Sept on a 300 limited edition 7” coloured vinyl, 'If I Set You Free' c/w 'Zodiac Girl', on Electone Records which is a full on pop/psych explosion. From the introductory drum beat and guitar slice, 'If I Set You Free' sends the listener into a magical musical stratosphere that instantly gets the listener tapping their feet. If you thought the bands previous material was all too much like 'Byrds' meets 'The Doors' hybrid, this double 'A' side is something of a tour de force, bringing the listener to their psych knees and bringing in a maturity of musical depth that propelled 'The Beatles' into unknown territory when they released 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. This release is something fresh and new from another of England's finest writers, lead frontman Michael Murphy, with the backing of a fine rhythm section of Toby Virgo on vocals and bass, Nathan Sayer on drums, Andrew Smith on guitar and Steven Penn on organ.

In April 2018 they announced on their Facebook page, "After much deliberation we sadly have decided to call time on 'The Wicked Whispers' for the forseeable future. Alongside this we thought it was the right time to announce our final release, an EP entitled 'Phantom' which will be released digitally this Friday the 13th April 2018....the most important thing we accomplished here is the 5 friendships that remain. Toby, Andrew, Steven, Nathan and Michael. 'The Wicked Whispers'.

Michael Robert Murphy

Michael Robert Murphy, after the band ended, took some time out and then launched a solo career, dropping a lo-fi EP called 'Metamorph' in late 2020. He has been a frontman, singer and songwriter in bands since he was 18. He says, "We got taught about 'The Beatles' in school and I was hooked from there. Also, I used to love pulling out my mum's Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and classical records, so music become an expressive form from an early age." He started a label to run things and learnt everything he could about the business and built a strong network. Since then, he's been in the Studio with 'The Coral's' James Skelly to record some singles. The first, 'Puzzles' was released on the 15th of April 2021 which, he says, " is one further step forward, bringing James Skelly in, who really gave the track an edge with some amazing hooks."

see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/10/pool-of-sound-stone.html