STRANGER LOVE WAS ALWAYS RIGHT

Chet Faker on leaving New York, losing his voice, and his new record

Jaan Uhelszki

Nick Murphy moved to Tucson because he had a good night’s sleep there. Not metaphorically—I mean literally. One night, passing through the desert city with his dad on a road trip, he woke up, felt rested, and decided that was enough to make a life decision. Or maybe it was his dad who tipped the balance, telling him, just as offhandedly, “You should move here,” and Murphy, who tends to trust things that don’t fully explain themselves, listened. Either way, this is pretty much how he operates: A feeling presents itself, he follows it, and the explanation, if it comes at all, arrives later.