'BEACON' / MORGXN: REVIEW


by sara welden

photo by shervin

Nashville indie-pop singer-songwriter MORGXN has just made a striking return with his brand new single, “Beacon,” which is a song that is driven by an incredibly powerful force. The artist is no stranger to the music scene as he has been writing and recording music for years, but this song holds an especially delicate place in MORGXN’s heart. “Beacon” signifies the artist’s return to his hometown of Nashville and captures his feelings surrounding coming home and finding his voice after the passing of his father. Being a forthright member of the LGBTQ+ community and experiencing first-hand the turmoil and unrest being projected towards fellow community members, “Beacon” is a song about finding the light within the darkness.

“Where do we begin? / You think you’re lost my friend.” MORGXN opens the track sympathizing with listeners and diving down into the levels of hopelessness and discouragement that someone may be in desperate need of rescuing from. Shortly following with, “I’ll try to show the way / Keep you sound and safe,” MORGXN assures listeners that he is here to be the one that will rescue them. “Beacon” is a compellingly moving ballad that moves with the ups and downs that come with life. 

Writing the song alongside Melissa Fuller and Drew Kennedy allowed the artist to find his own hope within the darkness. In the words of MORGXN, "Sometimes the power of a song remains hidden until right before you release it. Just how the light seems darkest just before the rush of morning. Beacon has and continues to save my life.” 

MORGXN proves himself as an exceptionally authentic and tenderhearted artist and person through “Beacon,” which is streaming everywhere today. For anyone in need of a little bit of hope, have a listen to the song.

 

MORGXN: INTERVIEW


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.”

 

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MORGXN: ON TOUR


BY DAVID THOMPSON

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“the color blue is often associated with sadness. or water. to me, the color blue is about communication and expression.” -morgxn on “vital : blue (s t r i p p e d)”


In his new EP, morgxn beckons a softer, piano polished, presence with the release of a stripped down rendition of his debut record, vital. Newly titled vital : blue (s t r i p p e d), being released on January 25th, introduces orchestrations of each track originating from its predecessor as well as two new tracks, “harpoon” and “blue”, of the two, “blue” featuring Nicholas Petricca, lead singer of Walk The Moon. After his recent late night television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he performed his single “home”, which also features Nicholas Petricca, morgxn announced a set of tour dates where he will support musician, Robert Delong. Along with his developing tour prospects, morgxn now presents his newest project vital : blue (s t r i p p e d), his calibration of sonic perspective in the presentation of color. “I don’t believe it more true. but I do believe it is more blue”.


Tour dates are listed below and tickets can be purchased here.


Feb. 6 / Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall

Feb. 7 / Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Bar

Feb. 8 / Cincinatti, OH @ Top Cats

Feb. 9 / Detroit, MI @ El Club

Feb. 10 / Toronto, Canada @ The Velvet Underground

Feb. 12 / Buffalo, NY @ Iron Works

Feb. 14 / Albany, NY @ Jupiter Hall

Feb. 15 / Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance

Feb. 16 / Miami, FL @ Coconut Arts Festival (without Robert DeLong)

Feb. 17 / Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore

Feb. 18 / Washington, DC @ Union Stage

Feb. 20 / Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Purgatory

Feb. 25 / San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

Feb. 26 / San Diego, CA @ Music Box

Feb. 28 / Los Angeles, CA @ The Teragram Ballroom

March 15 / Denver, CO @ Keggs & Eggs

May 17 - 19 / Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Fest