Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucky Murdock
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started playing music again in grad school after a several year hiatus. I started to explore effects pedals and realized that I could build them myself. Eventually I started selling pedals I built, developing my skills as I went along. I learned to design my own effects and have recently taken on building amplifiers. My first company, Demonic Machines, was based in San Diego. At the time, my day job was lecturing at UCSD. When my contract ended I decided to leave California because it’s so expensive. After I moved to Minneapolis, Demonic Machines quickly fell apart under the weight of several stressors to the business, so I ended the company. I’m doing Audio! Audio! now and I’ve learned a lot from the mistakes I made running Demonic Machines.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being non-binary in a male-dominated industry has its challenges. I once lost out on an opportunity to be featured on the JHS Show because Josh Scott misgendered me and subsequently didn’t want to acknowledge a trans person on his show. I’ve gotten hate and “shut up and focus on pedals” from bigots. I know a lot of queer builders out there, but none of us have a very big platform so it’s hard to get exposure.
Other than that, it’s just hard to get your name out there. Meta AI misclassified me as tobacco sales for some reason and prohibited me from advertising on Facebook and Instagram. That was ridiculous. And there are already a sea of builders out there, so it’s difficult to stand out.
Also, I hate running a business. I just want to design and build gear.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We build pedals and amps. We also do mods to more common pedals. We currently have one pedal available, the Superdrive, a versatile overdrive pedal that covers everything from clean boost to heavy distortion. We have plans to release the Weïrd Vibe September 28, 2024 and the Lil’ Guy distortion November 28. We build high-quality circuits with premium components for a high-fidelity sound that you don’t always get with other brands. We’re environmentally-conscious and use lead-free solder. We believe in progress and are LGBTQ-owned and operated. In addition to our normal product line, we build custom pedals and amplifiers for a variety of clients.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the music. I hate the cold.
Pricing:
- The Superdrive is available on our website for $224.99
- Amps start at around $850 and increase in price from there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://audioaudiomn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audioaudiomn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559725504778
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AudioAudioMN
