Country singer-songwriter John Morgan chatted about his new music, which includes his EP “Remember Us?”, as well as being an artist in the digital age.
Song selection process for the new EP
On the song selection approach for the new EP, he said, “Selecting the songs for this project was a fun process. We started with around 15 songs from my catalog and 30 outside songs, and it was tough to narrow them down.”
“I wanted to showcase the diversity in the songs that I have been writing over the last few years, and I wanted this project to have the strongest songs possible to showcase what I do and who I am as an artist,” he said.
“I have always been careful about putting music out, because I always want it to be authentic to me. All of these songs represent me and certain phases of life in their own specific way,” he added.
Favorite song on the EP
He listed “Ain’t Been There Yet” as his personal favorite tune from the project. “We have been playing this song in our live show for almost two years now and have gotten such a great response from it,” he said.
I love testing out songs on the road first to fresh ears and making new fans with unreleased music as that usually means they’re true fans of what you do. I appreciate that so much.
“I also love this song because it was the first song I wrote that I immediately felt drawn to for myself. I remember immediately putting the song on hold after we wrote it, and it has stood the test of time,” he said.
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his music and songwriting inspirations, he said, “I draw inspiration from many different artists and genres. Having a deeply rooted bluegrass history, it is hard for me to say that it doesn’t still influence what I do now and the way I write. I love story songs with a strong hook.”
Morgan continued, “Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity of writing with a lot of my favorite writers in Nashville. They have all perfected their way of doing exactly that – writing songs with strong hooks and great story lines.”
“I pull a lot of inspiration from personal experiences and try to incorporate what I learn from the pros lyrically & structurally into my writing style. I hope that is evident in this project. Combine that with my favorite part of writing, which is the musical side, I love writing something to a cool guitar riff or chord progression,” he elaborated.
“I pull a lot of melody ideas from guitar scales and chord structures that I hear on guitar first! I have always loved 80s rock – the power ballads, big guitars and soaring melodies from that era have always intrigued me,” he added.
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, he said, “In my personal experience, I have seen good and bad about the digital age of music. One thing that’s great about streaming platforms is that anyone can put out the music they want, how they want to do it and let the consumer decide what they like! The flip side to that is that is anyone can call themselves an artist and create a following now.”
Morgan continued, “I have had to learn how to utilize socials without posting stuff that isn’t true to me or my personality. That is harder to do than some may think! When I sold everything I had to chase this dream in Nashville nearly four years ago, I came with the expectation that if the opportunity of making music my career became a reality that I would make the music itself the main priority. Making your focus all about the music is hard these days when all everyone wants to look at is numbers.”
“The good in all of this is that anyone can find your music now,” he said. “The main thing I love about this is that it puts it on the listener. I believe that good music always wins.”
“There are so many avenues that haven been created in the last few years under the umbrella of what is modern country music. I think it’s cool to be a part of it at this time. I think a big shift in the music industry, as a whole, is coming, and I think change wouldn’t be such a terrible thing,” he said.
Future plans
On his future plans, he said, “I like to set two-year goals in most cases for my life. I want to continue to better myself as a songwriter and continue to write songs for other artists and for myself. I love writing songs, and it is something I’m very passionate about.”
He continued, “My two-year goal as an artist is to do a headlining tour. I hope within the next two years, I can put out a lot more music that further establishes my artistry. I hope within two years, my band and I can take what we’ve learned from all of these different camps and incorporate it into what we do in our live show as well.”
“Most importantly, my main goal is to be present with my kids and family at home. That is the most important thing to me. Nothing trumps that. It has been and will continue to be hard to navigate but not impossible,” he said.
Dream female duet choices in music: Halsey and Lauren Alaina
Morgan listed Halsey as his dream duet choice in music. “I would love to do something with Halsey. I love her tone, and I think we could write something cool that compliments us both vocally,” he said.
“I’m also a big fan of Lauren Alaina in the country world. She is one of the most underrated singers in country music,” he exclaimed.
Success
Regarding his definition of success, he said, “Success to me means fulfillment. To put it simply, I believe it is achieving what you set out to do. I feel I have been fortunate enough to find success with my music dream.”
“All I ever wanted to do was make a living by doing something in the music industry. I never dreamed I would have the platform and opportunities that I have today. In my mind, it takes the pressure off,” he said.
“I feel successful in the sense that I now play/write music for a living. I achieved my lifelong goal. Now, it’s time to set new goals. While the pressure has been taken off, a new hunger for achieving newly set goals is what keeps the drive going,” he added.
Closing thoughts on his EP
Morgan remarked about the new EP, “I hope that this project, if nothing else, inspires people to put the time in. Put the time into promoting yourself and whatever you do in the most authentic light.”
“I hope people see my heart in this project and can connect to these songs and know that me and the team around me have put the time in,” he said.
“Remember Us?” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about John Morgan, follow him on Instagram.
