Putnam Murdock got his start as a professional musician touring with the successful rock and roll band Chief Broom. With Murdock as front man, the group achieved a slot on the 1997 H.O.R.D.E. tour, appeared in festivals at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and sold out venues throughout the western U.S. Upon completion of this type of "music school of life" in 1999, Murdock attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he graduated with a songwriting degree in 2002.