With her recently released debut album ‘Unguarded’ already enamouring fans with its ethereal cascades of love, growth and ejection, Rae Morris is most definitely a name to watch out for.
Her last visit to these shores was a headlining show in the Unitarian Church back in February 2013 (featuring support from Hozier). Looking back, Morris recalls being “blown away by the beauty” of the venue. “Playing in a church for the first time was really special. I remember the audience being so respectful and gorgeous. Then we went round the corner to a lovely pub for my first proper Irish Guinness.”
Tonight she plays Dublin’s Academy, a long way from her origins playing pubs and open mic nights around her native Blackpool. “Playing my songs for the first time at open mic nights and in small bars and pubs was my way into the industry,” says Morris. “I was writing these very fragile and unfinished songs that needed to be played in front of real humans, in order to understand what was good and what could be done better. I learnt so much from those gigs. Most things that could go wrong went wrong and then you deal with it and learn for next time.”
From there it’s been a whirlwind of sudden success. Morris signed to Atlantic Records at 18, and has since toured with the likes of George Ezra and Bombay Bicycle Club.
So it’s no surprise that the audiences have also changed since her open mic days. “People seem a little more engaged and aware of the songs,” says Morris. “I recognise a few more people in the audience after visiting places more than once, which is lovely. And seeing people mouthing along the words gives me butterflies in my stomach.”
Morris recalls her fist “big” with Bombay Bicycle Club back in 2012. “It was my first time in bigger venues and stages. My Brother Will was tour managing me so we were zipping around the UK in my VW Polo with my keyboard in the back. We made some very dear friends on that tour and I learnt a lot about how integral the live performance is to a band or an artist’s growth and expansion.”
Her own tours, meanwhile, are a little more relaxed. “I play with a band and have done for the last 18 months or so. We know each other well and love each other’s company so we have lots of fun. Laughter is important to break up the day and keep the boredom away.”
With a major album contract secured, Morris got the opportunity to record her debut album to a standard few first time albums get the chance for. ‘Unguarded’ was recorded in LA with producer Ariel Rechtshaid (whose previous credits include Brandon Flowers, Vampire Weekend & Haim). “Ariel definitely turned into the dream producer,” admits Morris, “but if I'm honest, I didn't' really know about that many producers at the beginning of the album process. I knew a few of my favourite artists and their records but kind of wasn't aware of the role of the producer. Ariel has made some incredible records and in hindsight, I probably should have been a bit more nervous to meet him. My label thought that our collaboration would work well so I went over to America to meet him and see if we got along.”
The resulting album is an incredible array of work, highly personal and pertinent to Morris’s current situation. “The songs I wrote for ‘Unguarded’ were documenting my journey of growth and the experiences that I had during that time.”
As for the future Morris feels she now has “a little more confidence now in who I am.” Her next album “will be a little less about discovering who I am and more about expressing who I am. I'd like to explore writing about different things.”
Ahead of tonight’s show, we asked if she has a favourite song to play live?
“Yes my favourite song to play live is Morne Fortune. We messed with the beginning of the song and gave it a really cool electronic intro. It's different every time we play it which makes us on-stage so exciting and I sometimes see the confusion/excitement in the faces of the audience.”
Catch the confusion/excitement tonight (15 May) in the Academy, Dublin.