Singer, songwriter and guitarist opens up about his musical journey

Known as being a big personality both on and off stage, Kade Murphy answers a few questions about his musical journey. The 24-year-old lead singer, songwriter, composer, and rhythm guitarist for Crashing Temples and Buddahfist, has a talent for lyrical depth and poring his heart out on stage.

Q. When did you first start gravitating to music and performing?
A. If I had to trace it back, it would take me all the way back to my childhood. I come from a family of music lovers and I recall many beautiful memories with my family singing and playing the best air guitar you’ve ever witnessed. My granddad had an old, beat-up acoustic guitar and I was always so fascinated by the authentic sounds. From there, I learned guitar and loved to write poetry.

Q. How long have Crashing Temples and Buddahfist been around for?
A. Crashing Temples has only been around for a year now; I started the band when I decided to take my career more seriously. I happen to have found the right people at the right time and we took off right from the get-go.

Buddhafist is a brand new band that I was asked to be in by friend and music acquaintance, Federico Fernandez, who happens to be one of the greatest guitarists I’ve ever had the privilege to jam alongside. He had this project that he was so excited for and was looking for the right person to be the vocalist and songwriter for, which he found in me. Buddhafist is the most exciting and challenging project in my career so far and I have much faith in it.

Q. How would you describe the sound of both bands? If they differ, what draws you to those types of sounds?
A. Crashing Temples’ sound is my most personal project – the lyrics and sound I captured for this band represent the darkest time in my life. In every song there is an essence of sadness in the lyrics, but the music has a drive and a motivational rhythm that makes people want to laugh and cry simultaneously. Crashing Temples represents my heartbreak, my joy, my love and my passion for life and all its wonders.

Buddhafist’s sound, to me, represents a different side of me. It is a lot more upbeat, heavy and technical. I lose myself in the energy to the sound because it has so much power in every song. It represents my rage, matched by inspiration for people to lose their minds and come together harmoniously. Catchy hooks, irresistible movement and very meaningful words for people to relate to. I believe that Buddhafist is not for me, but for the world.

Q. With ‘temples’ and ‘Buddah’, there is strong spiritual iconography. What is your inspiration for those themes?
A. The spiritual vibes represent my spiritual journey in life. I came up with both names. ‘Crashing Temples’, on a spiritual level, represents the time in my life that I was in. A time in my life when I had lost a lot of faith in the universe and felt like my soul was slowly breaking due to the world around me. It can also represent a colliding of two ideologies, as the world around us is a constant fight between beliefs and faiths. Unfortunately this clashing of beliefs has caused a lot of pain in the world. The name ‘Buddhafist’ can be seen as power and a unification of people. The ‘Buddha’ represents our strive for peace, while the ‘fist’ can represent our rage in our striving.

Q. What are your goals for the bands and how do you think you can attain those?
A. My goals for both bands are to simply continue and pursue both. Whatever it takes, I will be there doing anything in my power to make the world hear our music. Not just South Africa, but the rest if the world.

I know what I have to do and I have dedicated my life to the music. I feel as if I owe music for saving my life over and over again.

Crashing Temples’ first single, Eternal, was released in February and is part of the Rumours Rock Compilation Album. Additionally, Kade is working on a five-track EP for Crashing Temples, a 10-track album for Buddhafist and a solo album. Kade and both bands are regulars on the Rumours Rock City stage across from Westgate.

Kade concluded, “I’d like to top it off with a thank you to everyone who has supported me in this journey; my friends and family have been my true motivation in life and are the reason I will continue on this path. So thank you, I want them all to know how much they mean to me and that they all inspire me to be the dreamer that I am.”