Charlotte Morris Releases New Single "WHAT AM I DOING?"
The track draws on the activism of her grandparents, Rev. John B. Morris and Harriet Pratt Morris.
Charlotte Morris has released 'What Am I Doing?,' a soul-searching, guitar-driven single that weighs the daily fight for survival against the pull of her family legacy built on civil rights activism. As the second release from the singer-songwriter's double-single protest collection, 'What Am I Doing?' pulls listeners into a vivid narrative. Morris repeats the song's title throughout, gradually turning it from a simple question into a desperate cry for help. 'What Am I Doing?' is now available to stream and download worldwide.
Charlotte Morris's songwriting draws directly from her family's decades-long commitment to civil rights. Her grandfather, Rev. John B. Morris, helped found the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (ESCRU) and worked alongside Dr. King in the fight against segregation in the South, work that led to his arrest and jailing in Jackson, Mississippi in September 1961. Her grandmother, Harriet 'Patsy' Pratt Morris, helped establish the Georgia ACLU and was dubbed 'Queen of Death Row' by Time Magazine for her sustained opposition to capital punishment.
'What Am I Doing?' marks Morris's attempt to hold her own life up against that inheritance, using her grandparents' example as a measure for her own generation's daily balancing act between conviction and survival. That rise and fall repeats across the track, giving 'What Am I Doing?' the feel of an argument Morris is having with herself in real time, juggling the struggle of longing to be part of something her family is no stranger to.
'I should be out in the streets; I should be working on a campaign; I should be giving every moment and every dollar I have fighting the rampant injustices in this nation,' contends Morris. 'I should be doing more.'
Throughout the song, Morris turns the lens on herself, grappling with the realities of jobs, paying bills, and surviving in an economy that feels increasingly impossible, all while measuring herself against the legacy of activism her grandparents left behind.
'They were fearless, selfless, and pushed their communities to stand for unity and equality. They used their privileges to make a difference, and they were giants in their own rights. They set an example that I am constantly trying to reach,' Morris explains. 'Sometimes living up to their legacies (though I am the only one expecting it) feels absolutely impossible. And sometimes, I'm able to remember that meaningful change doesn't require following the same path.'
'What Am I Doing?' was produced by William Gawley, with instrumentation, mixing, and mastering by David Flint. The track was engineered by Matt McMenamin at Retro City Studios in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia native Charlotte Morris found her passion for music at an early age, beginning violin lessons at just four years old before teaching herself guitar, piano, ukulele, banjo, acoustic bass, and mandolin. By twelve, she was already writing songs inspired by storytellers like Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, and The Chicks. Morris released her debut EP, To New York, With Love, in 2018, the same year she joined the Lonesome Traveler folk concert tour, performing alongside folk legends Peter Yarrow, Tom Chapin, and Noel Paul Stookey. She has since continued to establish herself in Americana and folk with releases including her sophomore album, Wild Child (2023), and her most recent full-length, both sides, each of which earned praise from outlets such as Holler, Wide Open Country, Americana Highways, and Music Connection Magazine. While based in Nashville, she was selected as one of just sixteen songwriters nationwide for the 2021 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project, further developing her voice as both an artist and storyteller. More recently, she won the Rose Garden Coffeehouse Songwriting Competition and was selected as a finalist and performer in the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition, cementing her reputation as one of folk music's most promising emerging voices.
With 'What Am I Doing?,' Charlotte Morris turns three generations of fighting for civil rights into a political anthem, giving listeners a personal way into a shared, generational heritage that she wants to uphold. Morris is active on CharlotteMorrisMusic.com and as @charlottemorrismusic on Instagram and TikTok.
