With the hotly anticipated release of their debut mini-album Factory 13, out on Speech Fewapy Records on January 30 2006, Birmingham-based Murdoch are four fresh young pups set to raise the pulse-rates of dance floors across the land with their delicious blend of raucous punk with itching pop sensibilities. But in case you blinked and missed them…Murdoch are, Jamie Berry, 23 (singer/rhythm guitar), Nick Berry, 21, little brother of Jamie (bass, backing vocals), James ‘Jim’ Minhas, 23 (lead guitar) and Dan Webb, 23 (drums). Originally from Telford, the quintet formed back in 2000 and decided to up-root to Birmingham three years later in search of brighter lights and better venues. Rumour has it Murdoch owes everything to a busted limb. “Well, I’d broken my leg and wrote a whole bunch of songs on an acoustic guitar,” says Jamie. “Then I sent off demos to various people when I was 17 and lied in the covering letter that I was in a band called Murdoch, because I thought, ‘Oh you know, I’ll just find a bunch of people who’ll want to be in a band when someone’s interested.’” So where did the others spring from? “Well obviously Nick’s my brother, so it wasn’t too hard roping him in. Dan’s my best-mate from school, one day I saw him tapping his fingers on the table and asked him to be our drummer, and I met Jim through my guitar teacher. Together we all just clicked.” Hmm, Murdoch, eh? Do some of you have a soft spot for that seminal TV drama the A-TEAM? Come on, ’fess up, there’s no shame in admitting it. “Uh, no,” says Jamie. “We’re actually named after the writer Iris Murdoch.” Which, we’d all agree, is much more charming. And what about the tunes? At the end of 2003 the band recorded demos ‘City Pop’ and ‘Checkpoint Charlie’. Indie label Solar Creations then decided to put Murdoch on one of their compilation CDs, and now the band are set to release their new mini-album, recorded with producer Matt Ollivier, who’s also worked with the Manic Street Preachers and Doves. The result? In just two short weeks Murdoch recorded their debut, Factory 13. A mini-album of five terrifically danceable indie-pop songs, tinged with raw punk vocals fuelled with all the angst and valour of the Buzzc0ks and Britpop guitar swoons reminiscent of early Ash. With songs exploring growing up in a small town like Telford (‘Factory 13’), wide-boys looking for love (‘Last Song At The Disco’) and girls messing with your head (‘Janey Say No’). Hold on, who’s that fifth bloke on the cover of Factory 13? That’s Paul Pugh. He used to play the guitar with the band, but decided to leave Murdoch to follow other interests, while the others got to grips with their home-grown record label. Speech Fewapy Records and other miscellaneous pursuits. Set up in 2003 and far from being the most politically correct name the band could come up with, Speech Fewapy isn’t Murdoch’s only extra-curricular activity. The band also host the club night ‘Still No Word From Gaz’ at Birmingham’s Sunflower Lounge, so-called because Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes was invited to DJ but never turned up. Word has it Gaz has since found out about the night and “p1ssed himself laughing”. With dates lined up for November and well into next year to coincide with the release of Factory 13, now is the time for Birmingham’s brightest hopes to step forward. For more information visit www.murdochmusic.com and www.myspace.com/murdoch Ash Dosanjh, NME

influences: Ash, Weezer, Supergrass, Pixies, The Buzzcoks, Clash, Ramones