Perham’s Patrick Murphy Drops New Nashville Single

Minnesota has a new reason to turn up the volume.

Perham native Patrick Murphy has officially released his long-awaited new single, “Slow Song Fast Car,” and it feels like the beginning of a major new chapter in his career.

JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT

The song has been sitting on Murphy’s phone for more than five years, waiting for the right moment. Now, after nearly three years without releasing new music, he says this track finally felt like the one to lead things off in 2026.

“I can’t think of a better song to start this year with,” Murphy shared. “I’ve been trying to stay patient, keep my head down, and find something true to who I am and different, and I think we finally did that.”

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THE MINNESOTA CONNECTION - PERHAM, MINNESOTA

For Minnesotans, Murphy’s journey is especially exciting because it started right here at home. Born and raised in Perham, he began playing piano at just three years old. His first performances were at church before moving on to local restaurants, where he added singing and started building confidence in front of live audiences.

Those early shows eventually led him to Nashville, where his sound began to take shape, and I LOVE it. It's sort of a blend of pop and country influenced by artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Journey.

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HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE MURPHY'S MUSIC?

Murphy describes his style as a mix of Rascal Flatts and Dan + Shay with The Script and Rob Thomas. It's not often that you see keyboard players take center stage, but I'm hoping that he'll join the likes of Phil Vassar and play those keys straight to the top of the country charts.

Over the past few years, his career has quietly taken off behind the scenes. Murphy has landed major publishing and record deals, co-wrote Tim McGraw’s hit song “Standing Room Only,” and has opened for artists such as Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Kip Moore, and Maddie & Tae.

Patrick Murphy/YouTube

'SLOW SONG FAST CAR'

Now, with “Slow Song Fast Car” finally out in the world, fans are getting their first taste of what Murphy says is a new era of music.

HUNTER PHELPS AND JERRY ROE

He credits longtime collaborators Hunter Phelps and Jerry Roe for helping write the song years ago, along with producer Dann Huff and Justin Niebank for bringing it to life. Murphy also thanked his teams at Warner Records Nashville and Sony Music Publishing for pushing him to stay focused and keep creating.

“Not really sure how else to put it other than… it’s finally yours,” he wrote.

MEETING MILESTONES

For a small-town Minnesota kid who started out playing piano at church, this release feels like a milestone, and for fans back home, it’s a chance to watch one of their own step into the spotlight.

With more music expected later this year, “Slow Song Fast Car” may be just the beginning of what could be Murphy’s biggest year yet.

And I hope that all of you Minnesotans will share some Minnesota Nice and cheer him on every step of the way.