His musical beginnings are closely connected to Glasgow’s streets. He started busking as a child, learning to perform in an environment where an audience could stop, listen or keep walking. His publisher’s biography describes an early guitar and amplifier bought at the Barras Market and a repertoire that began with just a few chords. Those experiences helped turn an interest in music into a commitment to performing. They also offer a useful way of understanding his priorities: rhythm, communication and the ability to make a song connect in the moment.

Acoustic guitar remains central to his musical identity. Mitchell has described rhythm playing as one of his strengths, and that emphasis gives his work a firm foundation. A guitar can provide movement as well as accompaniment, setting the pace and creating tension underneath a vocal. In this kind of songwriting, the relationship between the two matters: the instrument carries the song forward while the singer decides where to hold back or push harder.

His voice brings weight to that relationship. It has the force needed for a larger arrangement, while retaining an exposed quality that suits more reflective material. The appeal lies partly in the contrast between the strength of the delivery and the uncertainty within the subjects he addresses. Loss, strained relationships and personal struggles become something the listener can engage with through the performance.

His debut EP, Stay Nocturnal, released in 2021, introduced that emotional territory through songs shaped by experiences during the pandemic. It explored addiction and relationships coming apart, using a mixture of acoustic instruments, electronic textures and prominent rhythms. The project established that his interests extended beyond a single voice-and-guitar setting, even while the writing remained personal.

The four tracks—“Hollow,” “Hide,” “Faded” and “You Feel It”—offered different approaches within that early release. “Hide” placed greater emphasis on acoustic music, while “You Feel It” brought synthesisers and electronic elements into the picture. That variety gave the EP a broader range of moods, with the production helping to shape how each song’s emotions were presented.

“Ghosts” continued his interest in the things people carry after a relationship changes or ends. Its themes of loss and heartbreak sit naturally within his developing catalogue. There is something compelling about a songwriter returning to familiar human experiences while searching for a particular way to express them. The subject may be widely understood, but the phrasing, melody and performance determine whether it feels personal.

“Jaded” brought another side of his sound into focus, placing his strong vocal delivery within a broader pop-rock arrangement built around acoustic guitar. It offers an example of how his music can reach towards a bigger chorus while keeping the singer clearly at its centre. That balance gives his work room to grow in scale without losing the directness associated with his early performing years.

His follow-up EP, Aztec Jewel, arrived in April 2023, alongside his first headline UK tour. By that stage, his progress included sold-out performances at London venues such as St Pancras Old Church and the Courtyard Theatre. These milestones reflected an audience developing around his own material, with listeners choosing to follow him beyond individual support appearances.

Playing live has remained an important part of his development. He has supported Dylan John Thomas, appeared alongside Starsailor and played support shows for Far From Saints. Festival appearances have included Belladrum and the Edinburgh Fringe, giving him opportunities to present his music to different audiences. Each setting asks something different of a performer, from winning over people unfamiliar with the songs to sustaining the attention of a room that already knows them.

His connections with established songwriters also form part of his story. He has worked with Donovan and shared stages with Glen Hansard, including a duet at the London Palladium. His official biography also records a US tour supporting John Vincent III. These experiences place him among artists for whom the delivery of a song is a substantial part of its meaning, whether performed alone or with other musicians.

Work with producer Chris Bond, known for his recordings with Ben Howard, adds another point of interest to Mitchell’s development. His official biography identifies Bond as the producer of his 2024 EP. For an artist whose foundation is acoustic performance, the studio offers space to explore how texture, restraint and additional instrumentation can expand a song’s emotional reach.

Murdo Mitchell’s appeal rests on the connection between the songwriter and the performer. His recordings explore different arrangements, but the central ingredients remain easy to identify: a distinctive voice, a strong rhythmic foundation and a desire to make personal material communicate. For listeners discovering him through The Fat Llama, his EPs and live performances offer complementary introductions—one showing how he builds a recording, the other revealing the performance instincts developed through years of playing in front of people.