- John Morgan’s debut album Carolina Blue dropped Friday
- “I simply actually needed to showcase numerous influences from residence on the musical aspect of issues,” he tells ipromiseyoumedia
- Morgan additionally hopes to “push the envelope” a bit in nation music together with his sound
There may be a lot that ties John Morgan and Jason Aldean collectively.
Not solely did the 2 nation music artists collaborate on their current No. 1 hit “Buddies Like That,” however Morgan has additionally served as a author on a few of Aldean’s greatest equivalent to “Hassle with a Heartbreak,” “If I Didn’t Love You (that includes Carrie Underwood)” and “That’s What Tequila Does.”
And allow us to not neglect — Jason Aldean is basically John Morgan’s boss.
“I imply, he’s the man that signed me,” laughs Morgan, 29, in a current interview with ipromiseyoumedia about his slot on Aldean’s Night time Prepare Information label. “We have now a ton of similarities, and for essentially the most half, they’re all good — that’s for certain.”
However when it got here time to launch his debut album Carolina Blue, Morgan admits that he discovered himself actively on the lookout for methods to step out a bit from beneath Aldean’s highlight. “I positively thought of it, not within the sense that I simply needed to be completely different to be completely different, however there needs to be a separation,” he states. “No one desires one other Aldean. There’s just one. And I’ve realized too that chasing by no means actually pans out within the long-term.”
With that in thoughts, Morgan says he has realized lately chase his personal desires.
“Jason is aware of his songs and I’ve realized write a number of of them, so it was nearly discovering that separation,” explains Morgan. “It boils right down to this — Jason has his course of and the way he goes into chopping music and selecting songs and no matter. All people has their very own factor, proper? However I believe for this album, I used to be in a position to set up what that’s for me.”
In actual fact, through the time Morgan was not solely writing for Aldean, however for artists equivalent to Jon Pardi, Dustin Lynch and Thomas Rhett, the achieved singer/songwriter says he discovered himself instinctively realizing the adjustments he would make to a music, if he may make the music his. “I would at all times be pondering to myself, ‘I’d remove this, or I’d lower that, all in preparation for this challenge.”
In some ways, the discharge of Carolina Blue serves as a brand-new inventive chapter for the North Carolina native, whereas additionally giving him the prospect to face out a bit. “Hopefully this album will set me aside from all the opposite noise that is getting launched proper now, whereas additionally staying within the nation music lane,” says Morgan, who additionally serves as co-producer on Carolina Blue.
Superbly weaved throughout the 12 tracks that make up Carolina Blue is a return to residence in some ways for Morgan, who’s dad to 7-week-old daughter Anita, 18-month-old son Corsey and 3-year-old daughter Willie with spouse Hailey.
“Residence has had such a huge impact on my life that I nonetheless carry it with me,” says Morgan, who grew up within the “little quaint mountain city” of Sylva, North Carolina. “It was only a tight-knit group. All people knew one another.”
Having spent his highschool years listening to artists equivalent to Keith Whitley, Ronnie Milsap and John Mayer, Morgan says he discovered himself infusing Carolina Blue with these sort of music influences.
“Even by way of selecting the title monitor, ‘Carolina Blue,’ I simply actually needed to showcase numerous influences from residence on the musical aspect of issues,” he says. “Like, attending to showcase a bit little bit of my bluegrass aspect for instance. Additionally, I like ’80s rock, so there’s some aptitude of that on this challenge too. I needed every music to have its personal lane.”
Actually, it’s the sonic lane adjustments Morgan makes on songs equivalent to “I Know Higher” which are certain to maintain issues attention-grabbing for the listener for a few years to come back.
“I simply love pushing the envelope whereas additionally realizing what my robust swimsuit is and what received me right here,” he concludes. “For me proper now, I am within the candy spot the place I am getting to begin these concepts within the writing room, after which I get to go within the studio and convey them to life, after which I get to go on the street and listen to individuals singing them again to me. It is a full circle factor.”