Not to be confused with the Texas children’s music duo of the same name, Trout Fishing in America was a Tempe, AZ rock band formed in 1978 and active through the early 1980s.

The sextet featured Mike Murdock (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Tedeschi (bass, vocals), Gary Delisa (guitar, vocals), Steve Plichta (keyboards, vocals), Greg Brand (drums), and David Hilker (lead vocals, saxophone, flute).

The band were regulars at popular Valley nightclubs including Tempe favorites Dooley’s, The Star System, and Clancy’s, Phoenix venues like The Store West, The Profile Room, and Mr. Lucky’s, the iconic Legend City, and countless on-campus shows at Arizona State University. TFA also backed up celebrity KZZP DJ Jonathan Brandmeier as his comedic alter-ego band The Leisure Suits, packing thousands into performances at Fiesta Mall, Firebird Lake, and the Arizona State Fair.

In 1979 the band self-released their debut single and landed songs on several KDKB “Arizona Sounds” compilations, earning regular rotation on the Valley’s FM powerhouse. They routinely recorded at top local studios including Axtz, Synchestra, and Pantheon. Fervor Records is proud to preserve a few of the band’s standout recordings, pure snapshots of early ’80s Arizona rock.