by emily harris
photo by emma mead
morgxn is high off the excitement of so many of their projects coming into full fruition. With their newest EP, MERIDIAN: vol 2 coming out November 11th, and a tour supporting Smallpools starting on November 1st, morgxn is finally getting back on the industry grind following the pandemic. We had the pleasure of speaking about all these new projects and what it means for the future!
How does it feel to be putting new music out?
morgxn: “I’ve thought about what would happen if I just didn’t share these songs, and every time one of the songs would basically pull me back. In a way this is more of a statement than it is something I’ve worked on. it is how I fell apart and how I made it through. It is how I watched the world burn and how I burned too. It’s how i made sense of the unknown and how I have no idea what’s on the other side. I’ve obviously released music before, but this one feels urgent. Incomplete and complete at the same time.”
What song off the EP are you most excited for fans to listen to?
morgxn: “A friend told me ‘BURDEN should come with a trigger warning’ and so for right now… that’s my answer.”
You recently released a lyric video for your new single “DON’T THINK ABOUT IT!” What was the writing process for this song like?
morgxn: “The song was one of the last songs I wrote at the top of 2020 just before the pandemic hit. I thought it would be my first release on this project that already included most of volume 1 and some seeds of volume 2. I was in a terrible limbo situation that I still haven’t fully articulated, but it’s how I felt writing the song. ‘Don’t tie a string around my neck to keep me grounded’ — it’s the line that sparked the whole journey. To be told how to be/who to be/what to do — especially in this industry — is something I’ll talk more about at some point.”
In August you performed on Jimmy Kimmel with Sara Bareilles! What was that whole experience like for you?
morgxn: “I mean… a dream? I got to shoot it in the first venue I ever performed a night of my own music and with Sara Bareilles. I did it with a song I released in the pandemic. With 85 million global streams a year later, and culminating in a live performance on TV.”
You’re also heading out on tour with Smallpools! Are you excited to be back on the road again?
morgxn: “I’ve been rehearsing my set at home and the only audience I have is my dog (who does famously sing along)… but I sometimes feel emotional thinking about the moment we get to actually do it together. It feels like I have no idea what it will be like — like I’ve never played a show before. And I hope it will be something intimate and special when it finally happens.”
Is there any date of the upcoming tour you’re most excited to play? Any city you’ve always wanted to visit?
morgxn: “I feel like this is setting up any city to feel angry at another city. Every city is special. And I don’t mean that in a Hallmark kind of way — it’s just at this point sharing music and touring the last five years — there is always a special memory with each city. Some big, some small. I’m excited to play Toronto because it’s been so long since I’ve left the US.”
Can we get any hints towards what’s going on the tour setlist?
morgxn: “I will play ‘translucent’ in any city it is personally requested — otherwise it’s mostly new songs and a special cover.”