The inspirational band First Year on Earth has been traveling the South, spreading their feel-good message on the importance of living one’s life to the fullest potential. Now they are planning to release their first album First Year on Earth on June 25.
The three person band is made up of Australian singer Ryan Murphy, drummer Jimmy Milner, and bass player Kris Afflerbaugh. Murphy combines his knowledge of songwriting with Milner’s and Afflerbaugh’s background in jazz and country music.
Murphy brought the band together after witnessing the tragic death of his friend Lee Hudswell. After seeing how fast life can be taken away from someone, Murphy decided to uproot his life and chase his dreams.
He created a blog called Last Year on Earth that aimed to inspire people to live the life they wanted. His adventures where documented from moving to NYC to running a marathon.
After his time in New York, Murphy moved to Austin, Texas where he met his fellow band members. One of the items on his bucket list was to write an album, which he can now check off.
First Year on Earth is about starting over and about experiencing new things, while not changing who you are. This important message can be seen in First Year’s song “Georgia.”
“Georgia” sounds like one of the songs people listen to when they are driving during a beautiful sunny day, windows down, and wind blowing through their hair. The sweet mix of gentle harmonious voices and country riffs from the string instruments will make the listener instantly happy. The lyrics talk about Murphy’s decision to move on, from the death of his friend, his home, and the city in order to achieve happiness.
“Best is Yet to Come” and “I Want To (I Do)” talk of the struggles of life. Not everything is always perfect or works out in the end. “Best is Yet to Come” starts out slow, with the simple strum of a guitar and Murphy’s organic voice. Then the song bursts into a flurry of passionate emotions as Murphy expresses the struggles he faces.
“I Want To (I Do)" picks up the jazz genre with gentle notes from the keyboard. It shows how people are imperfect and mistakes are made, but it is important to never live in regret and to not let the fear of making mistakes control one’s existence.
First Year on Earth plays nice tunes and teaches important lesson. Emotions are evident in each lyric and Murphy’s story can be interpreted in every song. The album will enlighten people and will show how precious life can be.
Check out their website and blog to learn more about First Year on Earth.