February 11, 2011 at 9:23 pm · Filed under General
When I was in the UK I always enjoyed picking up folk / blues / roots magazine, Maverick. And of course I was chuffed when they reciprocated the appreciation in the form of a superb review for ITWBK. Anyways interesting to see they have gone fully digital. Bravo!
“With the February issue 2011 Maverick took a brave step forward by becoming an online and PDF download publication only. Ceasing the printed magazine was a move that allowed savings, to the magazine and to their customers and current readership, who saw a monthly saving of £1.50 and a subscription saving of £15.00 a year. This and the massive cut in publishing costs for the small team at Maverick Towers has enabled them to focus on a very positive future.”
Maverick is currently offering a free sample copy of the new format. Email laurabethell@maverick-country.com for your free copy. Do it.
October 28, 2010 at 10:39 pm · Filed under General
This morning I wrote and work-shopped some songs with Dan over Skype. We both listened to the tracks. We both picked up guitars. We both threw in lyric ideas. I bashed out some quick melody ideas. Everything was recorded so we can mull it over as we get the project rolling. Virtual collaboration is quite something.
I wrapped that up, had some Honey Weets, put my guitars in the car and went to the rehearsal studio with EVVY. Two grubby doods making much too loud music in a much too small room. Big guitars and huge tub thumping drums. Real life collaboration is quite something.
Hey peeps. Haven’t posted here for a long time. Thought I’d write a quick update in case anyone was mildly worried. Thanks so much to everyone that has gotten in touch and asked “What the hell are you doing next?” and “I was listening to your songs again this week and dangit I love that stuff”. That kinda stuff means an awful lot.
Has been a great season for me personally being back in Australia for this past year and half. The basic gist is that I’ve been living by the beach, getting settled into grown up life kinda, busy extremely being design guy for a European based web start up, being a late night hermit, catching up with a few old friends and making a few new ones, watching Ruby get to grips with the wildlife, setting up house and music space, curating a little guitar blog, drinking coffee, watching a red head become Prime Minister and then maybe not etc etc
Music wise I’ve got a few cool things on the go go. One of these projects is very nearly ready to unleash on an unsuspecting public. The band is called Evvy – and the sound is pretty much 70s rock inspired blues carnage. We’ll be recording some stuff soon. You can see some rough clips over here. The other thing I’m excited about is a new project I’m working with my boys back in London. Its shaping up to be a great collaborative effort. The tunes are incredible. The vibe is very different to anything I’ve done before. Hard to explain in words. So I won’t.
Yeah. That’s the update. Hope you are well. Anyone for coffee? Beer? Lipton Ice? Ginger Beer?
Check out a few pics from my recent little trip to the UK. Photos by Dan Weeks.
By means of an update the trip contained:
- Catching up with great friends.
- A few gigs with the greatest band a man could dream for. Great players even better people. Big love to Dan, Matt, Willie, Nicki and Ed.
- Hanging at my old local, Cafe Fredo.
- Swine flu taking down the drummer/manager/force of nature and his family. So nasty.
- Working on my whiskey appreciation.
- Telling the crowd at New Wine B that it would be a shame if some of them would drown in their tents.
- Regretting that last comment a little. Only a little though.
- Some new work done by Valerie Vargas.
- Playing more electric guitar on the gigs. Strat into a Blues Junior turned up very loud. Simple joys.
- Plenty of time and space to think and get some clarity on life and the universe and all that.
- Average flights with Thai Airways.
- Visiting Denmark Street but not buying anything. Good effort.
- Great late night chats with Mr Weeks. Although he called me a lightweight when I went to bed before The Commitments finished.
- Meeting all the new Weeks babies, Mr Amos and Miss Della. So Beautiful.
- My old friend Ben coming to The Halfmoon Putney gig with his little lady and a great camera setup. We should have footage up here shortly.
- Getting home and being so thankful to be back with my girls.
It really was a great little trip. Had a blast. Maybe again next year?
Music video for Other Side from the album I Think We Both Know (Listen / Download). Filmed on the Tube out to Richmond Park at sparrow’s fart (thats why I look demented), and at the recording of the album at Rush House, Northamptonshire.
Fantastic review going in July 2009 edition of UK roots bible Maverick. Hurrah!
“A musical Wizard from Aus releases a stunning debut album
The current economic crisis that is blighting the music industry means that artists like Kris Morris and albums like I Think We Both Know are now pre-destined to relative failure. Without Kris getting the backing of a decent record label you will probably never get to hear this stunning album and that’s a damn shame. I Think We Both Know opens with the sublime So Beautiful; a song that Radio 2 would have played to death 12 months ago and still should. Title song is a plaintive cry from one lover to another at the jagged edge of a doomed relationship. Kris Morris uses his edgy voice to great effect on this and It’s OK, with both songs crackling with suppressed anger and infatuation.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, until I was 13. I moved to
Northampton after that and stayed there until my 20’s.
Where do you live know?
In London. Brentford…apparently famous for Brentford Nylons? Tights? I don’t own any!
What have you been up to musically?
I have just started recording my third album! I’m working with two great producers in Glasgow. Hoping it will be ready early summer! Woo hoooo! Read the rest of this entry »
Lasse, how are you?
Great thanks, got off a gig late last night into early morning rehearsals, but I’m feeling great!
Where did you grow up?
In a small town called Kerava, about 30 km from the capital of Finland Helsinki. Nice neighbourhood to spend your childhood in. Everything is close and you can get around easily with a bike.
Where do you live now?
In Helsinki. Nice neighbourhood to be a musician. Everything is close and you can get around with a car.
What have you been up to musically? I’ve been preparing music for my own instrumental album, and for my bands album. Also gigs around town live and and in studio. Read the rest of this entry »
Your long awaited debut album is due to hit the shelves in April. Tell us more about it?
Recording the album was a really special process. My label at quite short notice decided that we needed to do the album and so it was quite a rush to finish up the songs and find a place to record.
We wanted to steer clear of a big studio to save money and just have a space we could let it all hang out a little. Low pressure – high inspiration. They mentioned a place they used to stay as kids – an old Victorian hunting lodge in Northamptonshire.
I made a call to the owner and told her that I’d look to book the place for a week to do some writing. It was kind of true – but the mental image she may have had of us sitting around with acoustic guitars was a bit pared back from the reality.
We drove up with three cars jammed packed full of recording gear and instruments.
The place was beautiful – in the middle of nowhere, secluded, old, cool, chilled. We scoped it out – there were about ten rooms so we figured out where we should setup the main studio hub and then we setup the drum kit in the stairwell, and guitars, bass, organ and so on in different rooms.
It enabled us all to have a little space to make noise but also to play off each other. Each day we’d wake up really early, have a coffee and then start talking about the songs we’d work on that day.
It was an amazing week – we really captured the heart and soul of the songs. It was pretty exhausting and I sang myself to a standstill relying on the numbing powers of fiery ginger beer to keep my voice going through the week. We got all ten tracks down and only had some extra “icing on the cake” stuff to overdub when we got home.
It came together beautifully – it sounds amazing, at times tender and at other times quite huge, and the songs really tell a story about the journey I’ve been on for the past few years. I’ve invested a lot of heart in it – as have so many people that have made their own heartfelt contributions to it. Read the rest of this entry »
“Kris’ voice can slide along the soft and gentle to the powerful and dominating with ease. It gives his material power and passion. It allows him to rage without losing control”
