Hard Life frontman responds to “shocking” allegations of misconduct and “wholeheartedly” denies abuse
Murray Matravers, leader of pop group Hard Life, formerly known as Easy Life, has shared a statement addressing allegations that he acted inappropriately towards a 16-year-old girl when he was 23.
The allegations, which recently circulated online in a Reddit post, accuse the musician of having “crossed boundaries” and “taken advantage” of her “admiration” by attempting to kiss her while drunk.
“[He] kept leaning in to kiss me and I physically had to dodge him multiple times,” the person wrote, also attaching a video with her and Matravers in 2019.
In a recent statement posted on Instagram, Matravers “vehemently” refuted the accusations, saying he has “never crossed a boundary or abused my position” and that during “the night in question”, he was surrounded by his bandmates, tour manager and crew.
“The photos which have been presented as ‘proof’ only show me taking selfies with a fan, which is why the photos were taken in the first place,” he wrote.
He continued, “Throughout my career, I have been through many ups and downs but have never had to deal with anything that questions my character. I’ve always put enormous value on the relationships in my life, be that with my long-term partner at the time, with my bandmates past and present, and with the fans.”
Concluding, the musician added: “These last few days have been shocking and upsetting but I hold no ill will towards the person involved. I want only to clear my name of any misconduct and wholeheartedly deny this accusation.”
In light of the allegations, fans ordering the band’s upcoming album, Onion, have also reported cancelled sales, with emails from suppliers telling supporters of the band that all physical copies have been temporarily recalled by the label, despite digital release going ahead on July 18th as planned. While no reason has been stated, some are suspecting the decision is connected to the recent allegations.
Previously, Hard Life made headlines for entering a long legal battle with airline Easy Jet, which accused the group of “deciding to use our brand, easyLife without permission.” In a statement shared with Far Out, the company said: “We have a long-established record of legally stopping thieves from using our brands and I am confident we will stop Mr Matravers.”
The group conceded and changed its name to Hard Life, but later reignited the feud with a single called ‘Tears’, which Easy Group’s lawyers deemed “disparaging and defamatory.” The battle between the two parties has since died down, but some have wondered what the latest scrutiny means for this new chapter.
Read Matravers’ full statement below. Far Out has reached out to the band for comment.
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