Murphy first achieved notability for his role as leader of the mid-1990s Halifax band The Super Friendz, a power pop act that became a prominent part of the Halifax music scene, which at that time was often referred to as "Seattle north". Murphy formed the band with fellow King's College students Charles Austin (bass) and Drew Yamada (guitar). The three shared singing and songwriting duties, as was common in the democratically oriented scene at the time, but Murphy emerged as the standout performer.