To mark her debut album Unguarded, Rae Morris talks about being misunderstood, supporting Bombay Bicycle Club and her own musical revolution.
The Blackpudlian singer-songwriter started out by making music in her parents’ shed, and her first EP was released back in 2012. Morris' musical career has seen her go from huddling over a piano shyly whispering her introductions to collaborating with Bombay Bicycle Club and Clean Bandit.
Her debut album, Unguarded is released this week, full of personal lyrics and melodies which not only show off Morris’ incredible vocal talent but also her understanding of how to craft a song - aided by Ariel Rechtshaid and Fryars, who produced the album alongside Jim Eliot.
Unguarded contains songs both new and old - some bursting with raw emotion and some catchy and infectious. The songs deal with everything from being away from her family (‘Closer’) to dialogue between arguing lovers (Cold’). Here we ask Morris about who she is as an artist, what we can expect from her next and the process of making her highly anticipated debut album.
Listen to 'Do You Even Know' below
Could you tell me about the title track, 'Unguarded'?
Rae Morris: Absolutely – it came after I’d recorded the bulk of the album, and I think it was the moment where I thought "Oh wow, this is what I’ve been trying to say and what I’ve been trying to understand myself about what I’ve been searching for." I guess at the time it was the most open and revealing song I’d written. I was being quite honest with myself for the first time. So when it came to choosing the album title it felt like that was exactly what I’d been looking for.
Which is your favourite song to play live?
'Unguarded' is actually really fun to play live, and I think it’s because of the cool little hand drum that comes in in the verses. It’s my keyboard player Curtis who plays it and I absolutely love it. A couple of times he’s forgotten to play it or something and we’re all looking at him like "What you doing?!" [laughs] But they’re all really fun to play in different ways and every night feels different. I can’t wait to get back out there and get playing them again.
Could you describe your worst ever gig?
There’ve been some pretty bad ones! There was one relatively recently, on the last tour, and on the last song 'Not Knowing' - I was doing it completely solo - the PA just completely died, it just slowly turned off. I had no idea because I had my monitors in so I could still hear everything, but in the audience it was just silent, but I was still playing. It was really embarrassing.
What's your songwriting process like?
It's changed a little bit now because I’ve been more exposed to writing at the computer, and trying different techniques with Logic and stuff like that. But mostly I just sit down at the piano and play the music first and then slowly sing melodies over that and see what happens with the words that come - but it’s different depending on where I am, if I’m travelling I never really have a piano so…
What do people get wrong about you?
I think they think I’m overly nice. I know that’s a good thing but, I think sometimes I come across as being too nice. I’m a nice person but I’m not sickly nice! [laughs]
What’s it like going from being a solo artist to playing with a band?
That was actually one of the most important things I think that happened to me because I thought ‘Oh no, I’m just gonna play solo, I don’t need a band, I can do it on my own.’ But actually now that I do have a band I realise that it was quite a lonely existence. There’s such a joy that I get from playing with other musicians that I never realised I could feel. Even just being on the road with friends and people around you is so nice.
Tracks like 'Love Again' and 'Under the Shadows' are more upbeat than the older songs. Did you make a conscious move towards a poppier sound on the album?
I don’t think it was a conscious decision. I think it was more that I’m growing and moving through the process - we’d already made tracks like 'For You' and 'Don’t Go' which are quite ballady and slow and emotional. The album already had those moments, and I was just really keen to get as much out of the record as possible. I really wanted it to feel like a whole journey that you go on with me.
Recording 'Love Again' happened really naturally - I was just experimenting because the rest of the album was already finished. I was just trying out new things and being a lot more positive as well.
Listen to latest single 'Under the Shadows' below
What’s the strangest gift you’ve ever got from a fan?
You know Walt from Breaking Bad? It was his head but like a nodding dog! It was really sweet that the guy gave it to me and I appreciate it but I gave it to my mum and dad cause I didn’t know to do with it. I think they actually have it in the front of their car.
Was it difficult to choose what tracks to put on the album?
It was really hard, there were so many different factors. Mostly I just wanted people to hear the music that made sense as a whole, as a body of work. In the back of my mind I wanted to put the new stuff on because I’d released a lot of stuff already and a lot of that stuff had been out there for a long time. I wanted to give people as much new stuff as possible, but really it was just about making sure that I was getting across all the different feelings, and I guess the diary entries that I’d written, that I’d been through during the whole process.
You’ve collaborated with a lot of different artists - Bombay Bicycle Club, Clean Bandit, Fryars – do you think you’ve been influenced by them?
I think I’ve probably been influenced more than I’ve realised but it’s mostly the friendship that you have with those people that inspires you. I think it’s the people you’re around, and Bombay Bicycle Club particularly have taught me the way it is that I would like to do things, with regard to touring and making albums. I really respect their process and the way that they always put the art first, and make sure that their audiences are happy. I’ve learned a lot from them. And then Fryars is just an incredible songwriter and I think his work is very inspiring day to day.
Who’s the best live band you’ve seen recently?
Ooh, well, I’m not just saying it because it’s them but I did see Bombay [Bicycle Club] at Earl’s Court and it was just the most stunning thing. I think they really stepped up as well, I mean I’ve seen them a lot of times but I think they really brought it to the table because it was Earl’s Court. And it just felt like it was a real moment.
Was it scary when you performed Luna with them? It was such a massive audience.
It really was! I never usually drink before I go on stage, I’ve got a rule that I don’t because I’m just not used to it. But I was so nervous because there was such a long time to wait until I went on, so I had to have a beer - I was feeling pretty stressed out! And the pyrotechnics were quite wild, they kind of freaked me out.
What have been your best and worst festival experiences?
I’ve not really had a bad festival experience... I went to Leeds festival when I was sixteen and that was a bad experience because I definitely didn’t go for the music, which I can’t believe now really! I went with all my brother’s friends who are a lot older and we just sat around in the camp, not actually going out into the arena to watch any music, which seems crazy. And then I’d say actually going back and headlining the BBC Introducing stage last year for Reading and Leeds - that was a real contrast to the one I went to when I was sixteen!
Your music and image have both evolved since the first EP, where did the album artwork come from? It’s bolder.
Well I guess when I was making EPs I was doing everything by hand, and gradually it became that I wanted something that says a little bit more about the music I was making. I think it’s a progression because it’s slightly more electronic now and I wanted the artwork to be more minimal and more striking. The double exposure thing was something I’ve been really fascinated with and I think the two heads for me are – one of them is escaping my body and almost becoming unguarded and freed, and that just made a lot of sense to me. I think it’s a lot clearer as to what the music is.
Where’s the strangest place you’ve heard your music playing?
You know, I never hear it. People always tell me that they’ve heard it playing in ASDA and stuff, and I always think that’s really weird, but I rarely hear my own music. I usually turn off the radio if it comes on, I get really freaked out.
Now that the album’s out, what excites you most about the future?
It’s actually just writing the next album that I feel most excited about, and I think I’ve dared to think about that now. Before this moment I was too nervous about counting my chickens to think about the next album but now it feels like I can do that. And just like pushing the boundaries and doing exciting things - I just can’t believe that there’s gonna be a whole nother door to explore and a whole other set of opportunities, it’s exciting.
So do you see yourself carrying on making music for a long time?
I really don’t see myself doing anything else. It’s been the most wonderful couple of years, making this album. It’s had its difficult moments – it’s really quite a mentally challenging thing to do - but that just makes me more proud of it and more determined to do more.
Unguarded by Rae Morris is out now. Rae Morris will be touring the UK this February with her band. Full details can be found below and you can buy tickets here.
1st Feb - The Kazimier, Liverpool
3rd Feb - King Tuts, Glasgow
4th Feb - Wardrobe, Leeds
5th Feb -Temple Room @ The Institute, Birmingham
6th Feb - Gorilla, Manchester
8th Feb - Academy 2, Oxford
10th Feb - Komedia, Brighton
11th Feb - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
12th Feb - Brixton Electric, London
14th Feb - Thekla, Bristol
15th Feb - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
16th Feb - Arts Centre, Norwich
