Today we are talking to one of the biggest stars to break out of Broadway and make a major mark on the music scene in recent years thanks to her hit album HUNTER and an ever-expanding series of incredibly impressive viral music videos, the soulful and fiercely idiosyncratic Morgan James. Discussing the impetus behind many of the selections on HUNTER as well as sharing stories of how the album all came together, James generously details the process in creating her first album of original material while looking ahead to this week's live concert event at the Highline Ballroom which will showcase many of the standouts from the album as well as some brand new material and special surprises. Furthermore, James opens up about her growing series of music videos covering many classic pop and R&B songs, both vintage and brand new, as well as the worldwide acclaim she has received for them - enough to inspire a recent European tour with innovative music collective Postmodern Jukebox, as matter of fact. Plus, James gives the 411 on her theatre background and Juilliard training while also reflecting on some of her Broadway appearances in musicals such as MOTOWN, GODSPELL, THE ADDAMS FAMILY and WONDERLAND, also commenting on some dream roles she would ideally enjoy pursuing in the future, near and far. All of that, thoughts on social media, personal favorite albums and much, much more!
More information on Morgan James at the Highline Ballroom on April 1 is available at the official site here. More information on Morgan James's HUNTER as well as upcoming tour dates are available at her official site here.
The Sweetest Sound PC: What can we expect from the Highline Ballroom live show this week?
MJ: Well, I will be doing it with my band, so there will be 10 pieces - 3 girls, 3 horns and a rhythm section. We are going to premiere a couple of new songs and also do stuff from HUNTER.
PC: Do you enjoy having a consistent flow of new material out there in the ether - whether they be originals or covers?
MJ: I do. Definitely. Actually, right now, I am focusing on writing the next album and creating again - we're going to be working HUNTER and touring HUNTER for the next year, at least, but I want to make new music while we do that. So, at the
Highline Ballroom this week I am going to premiere a couple of new songs and I may also do a song or two that I did on the road with PMJ, as well. It's going to be a great night and the band is really great, too. I won't be back in New York for several months after this, so this is my one chance to kind of come back home and do my HUNTER show.
PC: Will you be doing most of the HUNTER album, as well?
MJ: Yes. I will be doing "Hunter", "Drown", "Call My Name", "Heart Shake", "The Sweetest Sound", "Say The Words", "You Never Lied", "I Don't Speak You" and then a few that I normally don't sing live. I may do something from BLACK MESSIAH, too - we don't know yet!
PC: Is Hozier's "Take Me To Church" a requirement now since it has become so popular on YouTube?
MJ: Kind of! [Big Laugh.] Kind of - yes.
PC: Is there a cover that you have done that you are particularly proud of? "Take Me To Church" is utterly unbelievable, to be honest.
MJ: Oh, thank you so much! As far as what I have done with Scott [Bradlee], yeah, I think I am definitely particularly proud of "Take Me To Church" and I also love "Maps", which was the first one we did together. You know, I had no idea what it was going to be like to be exposed to
a fan-base like his and his fan-base has really embraced me - I feel like I have experienced such a banquet from being a part of his team and what he has done. I thought he might be someone who was like, "Oh, it has to be my way all the way," but he's not at all. He wants people's fan-bases to grow and he wants people to find me through his work, too - that's just so generous, you know?
PC: Indeed. Plus, his arrangements are so brilliant.
MJ: Yeah, I totally agree. He is so, so talented.
PC: The recent "All About That Bass" multi-part Meghan Trainor cover video is fabulous, as well.
MJ: Yeah, I got to do that with some of my friends -
Casey Abrams,
Haley Reinhart and
Ariana Savalas. We were in Zurich when we filmed that, actually - it was on one of our days off! [Laughs.]
PC: You filmed this while on tour, yes?
MJ: Yes. We found this studio in Zurich and so we came in and we said, "Let's just do the tour version as a little fun surprise," and so we did it and put it out there for everybody to see.
PC: And it has almost a million hits already!
MJ: I know! I know. It's incredible.
PC: There is a great respect for R&B and soul music in much of Europe, as well.
MJ: Oh, there is! It's gigantic there. The audiences have just been incredible - hopefully I'll be able to go back there in the Fall or the Winter with my own band and tour my album, as well.
PC: Are you overwhelmed by having millions of hits for your videos with Postmodern Jukebox?
MJ: Yes! [Laughs.] I mean, it's a little insane to me because I so don't understand who these people are who are watching them and how they got so popular - as you know, the internet is a totally different audience-base and there's this whole YouTube generation out there. But, I guess if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?!
PC: You're certainly beating 'em! Your videos have even been shown on GOOD MORNING AMERICA recently.
MJ: Yeah, it's been amazing to see the publicity we have been getting from them - it just shows what you can get by putting yourself out there and doing what you love. It's all part of this cross-pollination thing that I have been trying to do - and the response has just been amazing. I don't think I could have ever planned it, though, I don't think - it's just time plus preparation plus other people's fan-bases all coming together, I guess.
PC: You also did something quite unprecedented recently by covering D'Angelo's entire new album BLACK MESSIAH. How did you decide to take on that challenge?
MJ: Well, first of all, I am such a devoted D'Angelo fan - that is like this whole other side of me. So, my producer, Doug, and I instantly became obsessed with the album when it came out a few months ago and so we thought, "Do you think we could just cover the whole thing and not change any of the pronouns or the keys or anything - just do the whole thing?" So, over a week, we did nothing but learn the entire album and record it. After we put it out there, it has gotten tons of controversy and also tons of praise, so I think we did our job well.
PC: That's an awfully short rehearsal period, as well - you were basically learning the songs as you heard them.
MJ: It was the hardest thing I've ever done - yeah, yeah. We put it out just a month after the album had dropped. It's been 15 years since his last album, as you probably know. Honestly, I really just wanted to get inside the songs - and that's another thing: now that I am really exploring being a songwriter, I am constantly educating myself on how to become a better songwriter. Now, to get inside somebody else's album means so much more to me now that I have made one myself, you know?
PC: You know the journey - and the struggles and joys.
MJ: Right. It's all part of the path.
PC: You have such a unique style and sound that really stands out from the rest as represented on HUNTER. Do you find audiences react to the album favorably as a total sonic experience?
MJ: It's funny you say that, because I just wrapped up a European tour and people over there really just got the record, you know? Like we were talking about earlier - there's something about the UK and Europe where they really love soul music and sometimes it takes a little bit longer for people here to embrace things like they do right away. So, that was a really neat thing about being able to see the reaction after having released the album there over the last couple of months.
PC: And cross the language barrier, as well.
MJ: I know! There are people who don't know English at all but they know all about me and know all the songs anyway. But, you know, I can never leave a stone unturned - I love going out there and meeting the fans and seeing the audiences after shows. That's also why I always respond to every single message I get from fans on social media - somebody is reaching out to say, "Hey, I am halfway around the world and this really speaks to me," so, for me, after all the rejection that we go through in this industry, moments like that reinforce the idea that, you know, "I am on the right path. I am on the path that I am supposed to be on."
PC: Prince himself is even a fan, is he not?
MJ: I know! He had to give me permission to release "Call My Name".
PC: Idaho to Juilliard to Broadway to the world!
MJ: [Laughs.] Yes! That's been the journey so far.
PC: A HUNTER standout is undoubtedly "Heart Shake" - a very Amy Winehouse-type sound, is it not?
MJ: Yes, "Heart Shake" is actually the lead single from HUNTER in the UK. That was produced by Frequency, who produced "Monster" for
Rihanna and Eminem. The UK chose that for the lead single, but some other regions chose "Call My Name", as well. I am not sure what the second single is going to be yet.
PC: "You Never Lied" is a personal favorite of mine, I might add.
MJ: Oh, thank you for saying that, Pat! I love that one, too.
PC: Your Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" cover is so epic and that track brings to mind an 80s sort of sound, I thought.
MJ: I looove Peter Gabriel! Oh, wow, I wasn't even thinking of
Peter Gabriel when I was doing "You Never Lied" but my influences are so varied and rich and thick that the stew definitely has many ingredients and he is definitely one of them, though. I guess I always say this, but when people ask artists if they are influenced by somebody and they immediately say no, I always think that if I love them then I have definitely been influenced by them and they made me better for it - and that is definitely the case with Peter Gabriel.
PC: On that note, what were some of your favorite albums growing up?
MJ: Well, I went through such different phases, but in terms of my desert island choices it would be: VOODOO by D'Angelo, COURT & SPARK by
Joni Mitchell, THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL, Crosby, Stills & Nash's SO FAR, Jeff Buckley's GRACE, and pretty much all of Aretha, of course - it goes from folk to rock to R&B.
PC: You've said you want to explore more piano-based compositions in the future - have you been taking any lessons yet?
MJ: Yes, I am so inspired by the fact that almost all the women I love play the piano, so I probably should, too. We have a bunch more videos that we are cooking up, so you never know.
PC: You have covered Jim Steinman's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" as well as "Defying Gravity" from WICKED and many more musical theatre songs in your symphony appearances, as well.
MJ: Oh, yeah, I do symphony gigs like that all around the country all the time - I love singing stuff like that and they always ask me to do "Total
Eclipse Of The Heart" and "Defying Gravity"; rock music from Broadway shows, basically.
PC: Are there any new Broadway songs you are looking to cover anytime soon or a role you are dying to play?
MJ: A role I am dying to play on Broadway? Well, first of all, when that SECRET GARDEN revival rolls around I hope they call me...
PC: You want to do THE SECRET GARDEN of all things - a very legit sound?
MJ: Oh, yeah - I really would.
PC: GODSPELL, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, WONDERLAND and MOTOWN were obviously much more pop-based scores.
MJ: Yeah, you're right - they were. I would really, really love to show the other sides of my voice in a show like THE SECRET GARDEN.
PC: What are some of the parts you played coming up in show business?
MJ: Oh, in my regional theatre days I did HAIR and PIRATES OF PENZANCE and I did GUYS & DOLLS. I feel like, ultimately, I am going to return to my classical roots, though. I think that someday, after I take a break, I would love to come back and do, you know, SHE LOVES ME - that would be such a blast.
PC: I would never expect that to be one of your top choices!
MJ: Oh, I know, I know! I want to totally surprise people, though - I want to be gone for years and then come back in something like that. You know, I still take lessons every week. It's funny, because at a show the other night this girl came up to me after the show and said, "Do you take lessons?" People ask me that all the time - and, I say, "For 23 years." I've been studying voice for 23 years.
PC: That's a long time.
MJ: It is. People look at me when I say that like, "Ugh, really?!" But, I have been taking lessons every week for that long. I will never be able to turn my back on that - on my training.
PC: THE SECRET GARDEN and SHE LOVES ME would both provide ideal opportunities to show off the fruits of your labor.
MJ: I think so, too. You know, my girl-crush is
Laura Benanti and I am, like, obsessed with her - I think she is perfection. So, you know, she will end up getting SHE LOVES ME - I know it! [Laughs.]
PC: Julie Andrews famously almost starred in a film version of it. Are you a fan of hers?
MJ: Oh,
Julie Andrews?! Of course! You know, I grew up as a huge fan of
Barbara Cook and
Julie Andrews - they were my idols. I never knew that I was going to have a record deal and have a pop career - I didn't know that that was going to be my path. So, I grew up wanting to go to Juilliard because of
Audra McDonald and I wanted to be on Broadway because of
Barbara Cook and
Barbra Streisand. You can't see around the corners of your path, though - all you see is what is directly ahead of you. So, when I was a teenager, all I wanted was to be like these amazing leading ladies - these classically trained leading ladies. So, hopefully, that will be part of my legacy.
PC: Would you be open to pursuing TV and/or movies in the future, as well?
MJ: Well, who's going to say no to TV and movies?! [Laughs.] I'll cash those checks anytime!
PC: This is true!
MJ: To be honest, I've done a lot of commercials and booked a couple of films that never quite got off the ground, but I would love to have that on my resume, too. Obviously, right now music is my number one focus, but I am not going to say no to doing film or TV, I'll tell you that right now.
PC: Have you ever done JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR? You would seem to be a prime candidate for a revival of that as Mary Magdelene.
MJ: Oh, I would kill to - but I'd wanna play Judas! [Laughs.]
PC: That would be unique!
MJ: As I said, I just want to keep surprising you at every turn! So, you know, once I do THE SECRET GARDEN revival and then I play Judas, I can do SHE LOVES ME and then I'll play Hamlet and then we'll just call it a day, OK? [Laughs.]
PC: That's so funny.
MJ: I have to tour the world first, though - everywhere!
PC: I was curious: what was your audition song for Berry Gordy when you went in for MOTOWN?
MJ: "Think", I think. Then, he had me learn some Teena Marie stuff and I did that for him. It's funny, though, because Mr. Gordy came to see a concert of mine probably four years ago at
Rockwood Music Hall and there were probably four other people there total - because that's how my shows were for years - and I sang "Call My Name" at that because I have been singing that for years and that was one of the very first songs I ever arranged and he called me the next day and said, "Hey, what was that song?" and, I said, "It's a Prince song from MUSICOLOGY," and he said, "That's the song." He said this four years ago - and, obviously, he was right.
PC: And now it's one of your most requested songs.
MJ: Exactly. When he saw me, in that show, I didn't know what I was doing, to be honest - I wasn't writing music yet; my hair was a mess; I had a weird band - but, he saw through all that. I am so grateful to him for all he has done.
PC: Did you yourself arrange the highly inventive "Money" medley that you did with the Skivvies, as well?
MJ: Yes! I did. Thank you for mentioning that - it was so much fun to do.
PC: Is there anything else that you are dying to cover at the moment - or perhaps in the future at some point?
MJ: Well, I actually have a series of new videos coming out soon for the channel - but, I can't tell you what yet! They will start coming out soon, though.
PC: This was absolutely spectacular today, Morgan - it's so awesome that you are finding such success as a crossover artist and we can't wait to see you back on Broadway some season soon, too!
MJ: And I can't wait to be back! Thank you so, so much, Pat - this was a total pleasure. We'll talk soon. Bye.
Photo Credits: Epic, Basset Drias, Kevin Thomas Garcia, etc.
