Hello everyone, it’s your host Oliver from DULAXI, and today I’m delighted to be joined by Stephen Murray, the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist behind Melbourne-based alternative music project Evahfar. Based in Australia, Murray brings together elements of alternative rock, dream pop, indie rock and shoegaze through a guitar-driven sound shaped by haunting vocals, atmospheric textures and energetic rhythms. His self-titled debut EP, Evahfar, was released on August 1st, 2026.
Before we begin our conversation with Stephen Murray, here’s what you need to know about today’s featured project.
About Evahfar
Evahfar is the musical project of Melbourne-based vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Murray, an artist whose path toward creating this debut EP has been shaped by curiosity, experimentation and a desire to find a musical language that feels genuinely his own. His early connection with music began through listening to Michael Jackson and being inspired by the creativity surrounding his work. As a teenager, Murray discovered the rebellious energy of heavy metal, which encouraged him to pick up the guitar and use music as a creative outlet. He later studied music at university, although he left after three months, before continuing to develop his abilities through his own creative projects.
One important step in that development was Sun Raven, an instrumental project through which Murray explored different approaches to creating music. The positive reception that project received eventually gave him the confidence to begin Evahfar, this time bringing his vocals and lyrics into the centre of the music. The change represented a significant creative challenge, particularly because this is the first project in which Murray has taken on lead vocal duties while also developing his skills as a lyricist.
Released on August 1st, 2026, Evahfar represents the beginning of what Murray describes as an evolution of sound and artistic expression. The three-track EP explores personal freedom and growth while allowing space for vulnerability, atmosphere and emotional expression. Its musical identity draws from alternative rock, dream pop, indie rock and shoegaze, with guitar remaining central to the project’s sound. Influences from artists such as Jeff Buckley, PJ Harvey and Radiohead can be understood through Murray’s interest in haunting vocal textures, emotional dynamics and atmospheric music, but Evahfar remains firmly connected to his own creative direction.
The EP was recorded entirely in Murray’s home studio, reinforcing the project’s DIY character. He performed every instrument and vocal part himself and also produced the release. Rather than building the songs around layers upon layers of instrumentation, Murray chose a more restrained production approach, with some songs using only one or two guitar tracks. This gave him room to preserve a slightly raw character while maintaining enough clarity for the individual performances to remain present.
That balance between rawness and polish is an important part of Murray’s artistic thinking. His appreciation for 1990s rock and its more analogue qualities influenced his decision to avoid the sense of perfection that can sometimes dominate modern production. For him, small imperfections can contribute to emotional meaning, particularly when they preserve something human within a performance. His approach also extends to the drumming on the EP, which was recorded without a click track. Although guitar is his main instrument, Murray felt that the natural quality of his drumming contributed to the atmosphere and individuality of the songs.
Having this brief introduction to today’s featured project, I’m sure both new listeners and longtime fans are excited to hear directly from Stephen. So, without further ado, let’s begin today’s interview.
INTERVIEW SESSION
Oliver:
Before Evahfar became the name attached to your music, there was Stephen Murray, a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist finding his own way through music. What were some of the experiences, interests, or moments in your life that first made you feel that creating music could become an important form of expression for you?
Stephen Murray:
As a kid, I loved listening to Michael Jackson and really became inspired by the level of creativity he had. As I became a teenager, I found the rebellious nature of Heavy Metal music, and that inspired me to pick up a guitar, just to make noise and give me a creative outlet. I started singing as a teen too, but found myself liking guitar playing more. As I got into my 20s, I decided to take it seriously and studied music at University. I lasted 3 months and dropped out. Later, I created the project Sun Raven, where I explored creating instrumental music, which got a positive reception and that later gave me confidence to create Evahfar.
Oliver:
Your approach to Evahfar is remarkably self-contained, with you handling the vocals and instruments yourself. What is it about working independently that feels important to you personally, and how has taking complete responsibility for the music changed the way you understand yourself as an artist?
Stephen Murray:
I enjoy performing with other musicians, but I found it difficult to find like-minded musicians to be a part of Evahfar, so I decided to do everything myself for the EP; hopefully, for the future LP it will be different. It is a big responsibility writing, recording, and producing everything; everything is on you, no one else to blame for a bad review but it is also a good feeling knowing you were able to do it all yourself.
Oliver:
There is a strong sense of vulnerability running through the idea of personal freedom and growth that sits at the heart of this EP. When you look back at the person you were when these songs began taking shape, what do you think this project helped you understand about yourself that you may not have understood before?
Stephen Murray:
This is the first project or band I have done lead vocals for. I spent months before recording working on them and am still learning about how to use my voice. I also am pretty new to writing lyrics; this is probably the most challenging thing about this project. I aim to write lyrics that are slightly cryptic, and their meaning isn’t always obvious, even to me sometimes. But I feel I have grown a lot through working on this EP, and I now feel like a complete musician.
Oliver:
Evahfar brings together elements of alternative rock, dream pop, indie rock and shoegaze, while still maintaining a distinctly atmospheric and soulful character. How did you arrive at this particular musical space, and what were you looking for emotionally when you began shaping the sound of the project?
Stephen Murray:
I learnt to blend many styles with my previous project, Sun Raven, but that was instrumental music. I had the challenge of putting my lyrics and vocals on top and wasn’t sure it would work. I wanted the music to have a slightly dream-like quality but also a slightly raw production to set it apart from some of the over-polished modern music and AI music. I wanted it to have soul and emotion, and for that I got inspiration by listening to music from the 90s, where Rock music wasn’t as overly produced and had a more analog quality.
Oliver:
Jeff Buckley, PJ Harvey, and Radiohead are among the artists connected to the sonic world surrounding Evahfar, particularly through haunting vocals and atmospheric depth. What have you learned from those artists beyond simply their sound, and how have their approaches influenced the way you think about emotion, restraint, experimentation, and individuality in your own music?
Stephen Murray:
They are all very unique artists. The way they use dynamics to shape a sound that is emotional and exciting is very inspiring to me.
Oliver:
Choosing to make the debut project self-titled can say a lot about an artist’s relationship with their identity. What did calling the EP Evahfar mean to you, and did you see the project as a way of introducing listeners to the artist you are now rather than trying to define everything you might eventually become?
Stephen Murray:
It’s the starting point of an evolution of sound and artistic expression. It just felt right to make it self-titled.
Oliver:
The EP’s focus on freedom and growth gives the project a deeper emotional foundation than simply being a collection of alternative rock songs. When you listen back to the complete project now, what part of that journey feels most personal to you, and why was it important to place those feelings into music?
Stephen Murray:
I feel like this music truly represents who I am as an artist and musician more so than anything I have done in the past. It comes from a place of freedom and courage to be yourself.
Oliver:
“SEER-sha” immediately establishes a striking atmosphere through its rhythmic guitars, bass and drums before your vocals enter with an almost haunting, instinctive quality. What was happening creatively when that song was coming together, and what made you realise that its particular combination of rhythm, intensity, and vocal expression belonged at the beginning of the EP?
Stephen Murray:
I wrote the guitar parts first, then I wrote lyrics that would somehow reflect a sense of freedom (“SEER-sha” comes from Saoirse, an Irish name for freedom) as well as a longing for that freedom. I also wanted the track to be energetic and have a sense of movement, as well as the intent of having arrived; it’s the beginning of Evahfar, this is it, take it or leave it. I performed the drums with this in mind.
Oliver:
Your vocal approach on “SEER-sha” moves away from simply delivering lyrics in a conventional rock style and instead uses melodic, soulful and almost otherworldly vocal textures. How did you develop that way of using your voice, and what were you trying to communicate emotionally through those moments where the voice becomes almost another instrument?
Stephen Murray:
I see the voice as an instrument, like a lead guitar or saxophone. You don’t always have to sing words; they can be sounds that can be shaped with vibrato and sliding into notes, like how you would play lead guitar. Jeff Buckley was a master at this, and he has inspired me to try and use my voice this way.
Oliver:
Because the EP was recorded entirely in your home studio, the recording environment became part of the creative process rather than just a place to capture finished songs. How did having that private and controlled space affect the way you experimented, performed, and made decisions while bringing Evahfar to life?
Stephen Murray:
It made everything come together pretty fast. I also wanted to keep the production more simplistic; I didn’t use a lot of tracks for layering guitar and vocals, and some songs only have one or two guitar tracks. This was a different approach from my past projects, but it seemed to work for Evahfar.
Oliver:
Performing every instrument and vocal part yourself creates a very direct connection between the initial idea and the finished recording, but it also means there is nowhere to hide creatively. What was the most challenging part of carrying so many roles throughout the project, and what did that experience teach you about your strengths and limitations as a musician?
Stephen Murray:
Part of the rawness of the EP probably comes from my drumming. I didn’t use a click track, and drums aren’t my main instrument, but I thought it had a kind of live, atmospheric and slightly jazzy sound to it and I thought it made the songs sound a bit more unique. Guitar is my main instrument, so that came together pretty fast. Vocals were and are challenging, but I am pretty happy with the vocal performances on the EP. I think they will get better and more powerful in future recordings.
Oliver:
There is an interesting balance on the EP between a slightly raw character and a professional level of production. How did you decide when a performance or recording needed more refinement and when keeping a rougher edge actually made the music feel more honest and emotionally convincing?
Stephen Murray:
Part of keeping it a bit raw is in response to all the AI music these days and also music that is overly perfect. Some of my favorite albums are from the 90’s, and they have soul to them because they are not 100% perfect all the time. A vocal take could be pitch perfect but with no emotion. Sometimes letting a note go slightly flat or sharp when singing a certain word gives that word a vibe and more meaning. I have developed a pretty good ear over the years of producing other albums, so I trust my instinct when a song sounds professional but also not overly polished, to let the emotion and human quality shine through.
Oliver:
The atmosphere surrounding Evahfar can feel immersive and almost dreamlike, yet the rhythmic foundation keeps the music moving rather than allowing it to become purely ambient. How important is that tension between atmosphere and physical energy to your songwriting, and how do you know when a song has achieved the balance you are looking for?
Stephen Murray:
That was one of my goals with Evhafar: to make it ambient and dreamlike but also have energy and a sense of movement. If I don’t get bored by listening back to a song and have an emotional response, that’s how I know the balance is right.
Oliver:
Creating an entire project largely by yourself can make the relationship between the artist and the music unusually intimate. Were there any moments during the making of this EP when you experienced a creative breakthrough, unexpected discovery, or change of direction that significantly altered how you viewed the project?
Stephen Murray:
When I wrote “Pink Goddess,” I was pleasantly surprised by how my melodic vocals blended with the slightly heavy guitar parts. It created a sound that I really enjoyed. Also, writing “Vines,” I was able to capture more of a folk influence, which I wasn’t sure would fit, but I was surprised that it did.
Oliver:
Having the music recognised as something distinctive within the current Australian scene is particularly meaningful for an artist building a sound as individual as Evahfar. How has that early response affected your confidence in your direction, and has it changed anything about the way you approach your music going forward?
Stephen Murray:
It’s great to have a positive response to the music. I have this blueprint in my head about how I want Evahfar to sound, and that wouldn’t change whether I got positive or negative reactions because this music is a projection of my inner creative soul; it is the way it is. It is a nice bonus, though, if other people enjoy it, and I hope they become inspired by it to create their own art in their own way.
Oliver:
With this being the debut Evahfar EP, you have now created a foundation from which the project can continue to evolve. What have you learned about your identity as a songwriter and performer through making this release that you want to carry into the next chapter of your music?
Stephen Murray:
I’ve learnt a lot. How to write vocal melodies and fit lyrics to them. I want to continue writing meaningful poetic lyrics and music that will cut through the plastic music that there is so much of today.
Oliver:
When listeners discover Evahfar through songs such as “SEER-sha,” they are stepping into a world built around haunting vocals, energetic rhythms, guitar-driven textures, freedom, and personal growth. What do you hope stays with someone emotionally after they have finished listening to the EP, even after the music itself has stopped playing?
Stephen Murray:
I try to put a vibe of uniqueness and my inner truth into the music. I hope some of that stays with people who listen, and also they enjoy the music and take from it what they would like.
Oliver:
Now that Evahfar has moved from an idea into a released body of work, where do you see the project going next? What new sounds, experiences, collaborations, or creative territory would you like to explore as you continue developing Evahfar and building the long-term artistic identity behind it?
Stephen Murray:
I am already writing new songs for the first LP. I think it will be a slow process that I don’t want to rush. I plan on playing solo gigs in the near future, and it would also be great if I could find a drummer and bassist to perform in a band setting. I feel like the future will hold a lot for this project.
“Evahfar feels like the sound of an artist giving himself permission to discover what his music can become, embracing imperfection, atmosphere and vulnerability without losing sight of the energy that first made him pick up a guitar.”
~ Oliver (DULAXI Team)
EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE
What stands out about Evahfar is the sense that Stephen Murray is using the EP to establish a creative language rather than simply present a finished identity. The guitar-led arrangements leave space for his developing vocal style, while the rawer production choices preserve the human character he values. His approach to dynamics, atmosphere and imperfection gives the project a distinct personality, particularly as he learns to treat his voice as another instrument. The result is an intimate debut that feels open to evolution.
~ Oliver (DULAXI Team)
CLOSING
Our conversation with Stephen Murray offers a closer look at the person and creative thinking behind Evahfar, from his early relationship with guitar and heavy metal to the development of a project built around freedom, growth, atmosphere and individuality. His decision to handle the vocals, instruments and production himself has made Evahfar a deeply personal starting point, while the EP’s rawer qualities reflect his desire to preserve emotion and human character within the music.
Thank you to Stephen for taking the time to speak with DULAXI and for sharing such thoughtful insight into his creative process, the challenges of developing his voice, and the experiences that shaped this first chapter of Evahfar. For listeners discovering the project for the first time, Evahfar offers an opportunity to experience the music on its own terms and to follow an artist who is already looking toward what comes next.
With a first LP currently taking shape and plans for solo performances alongside the possibility of eventually building a live band, there is more to come from Stephen Murray and Evahfar. We look forward to seeing how this evolving sound continues to develop.
Thank you for spending time with DULAXI. This has been Oliver, and we look forward to bringing you more conversations with artists and creators from around the world.