Blake Morgan released his fifth full length album, Violent Delights, on May 20th and it’s full of love songs, which isn’t typical for the alt-rock artist.
Blake Morgan began playing piano and going to music school at the mere age of five. His father would write the note names with wax on the keys of his piano. Morgan liked that he had the power to decide which notes to play, it gave him a wondrous feeling at a young age. He doesn’t remember a time when he didn’t want to pursue music. He attended the United Nations International School for 12 years in New York City. Following high school, he attended Berklee College of Music.
Credit: Taylor Ballantyne LLC
In 1996 he released his first EP, Sneakers. It’s impressive and inspiring to see how long his career in the music industry has been so far. He credits his success to the enthusiasm and passion he has for the industry. “Out of all the instruments I’ve played, the main one is enthusiasm.” Although it can be a long path, Morgan wants budding musicians to concentrate on being great.
“Don’t worry about the likes and the views, all that matters is that you like what you’re creating. Anyone can have a big year, but to be able to pursue music for years and have a career in it is something really special. Just be great.”
When describing his sound, Blake Morgan stated that it seems like it’s a pressing question people continuously ask, but nearly impossible to answer because “every artist is like a lion, you’re made up of every lamb you eat.” Morgan has had a lot of musical inspirations throughout his career, but The Police, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, and Punch Brothers have stayed at the top.
Alongside being a musician and a singer, Morgan is also a music producer, record label owner, and activist. Balancing all of the talents he has is tough, it’s a lot of give and take. “When I figure it out I’ll let you know.” He loves being able to record and produce his own music because then it’s exactly how he wants it. Being able to be so versatile makes all the muscles of music stronger. Having autonomy in the music industry is so rare, but so important, especially in this day and age.
It takes a passionate person to be in the music business. Whether you’re a publicist, manager, or booking agent you have to truly believe in who you’re representing. “You are completely there to serve music.” You have to be enthusiastic in what they’re releasing and like anything in the industry, you have to go all in, “the world is going to tell you to have a plan B. But you have to completely and utterly go for it.”
Prior to the pandemic, Blake Morgan had a sold-out residency in New York City at Rockwood Music Hall for six years. When the pandemic hit, it was quite an adjustment not being able to perform live. Throughout the pandemic there was a lot of remote recording and a complete shift in how things are done, especially with live music.
One of the things that sets Morgan apart from many musicians is his activism. In 2014, he launched a petition to Congress, I Respect Music. The petition is based on the fact that the United States is the only democratic country in the world where artists don’t get paid for radio airplay. Read more about the movement and sign the petition here.
Credit: Taylor Ballantyne LLC
Blake Morgan’s new album, Violent Delights, is a ten track, 37 minute long piece of art. The name Violent Delights comes from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Friar Lawrence shakes his head and says ‘These violent delights have violent ends’, which means such extreme emotions about that kind of pleasure often end in disaster, it seems to be a fitting name for the album.
The first track on the album, “Down Below or Up Above” was released back in November of 2021. This album has been long awaited, although Morgan said he had been testing out and playing the songs at his residency for a little while before the release of the album. With lyrics like “Down above or up above, it’s you I would love” it makes for the perfect first track because it really sets the theme of love. Watch the music video below:
Blake Morgan put out two more singles leading up to his album, “My Love is Waiting” and “Baby I Would Want You.” One of our favorite tracks from the album is “This One Wins.” It’s a slower one but its placement in the album is simply perfect. It comes right after “Baby I Would Want You” and has a different sound than most songs on the album. We particularly like the perfectly harmonized vocals paired with the warm and resonant guitar. If you haven’t listened to the album yet, we highly recommend you do.
Blake Morgan has been crushing the music scene for over 25 years and there’s no end in sight. It’s fun to see this new side of Morgan, vulnerable and in love. With his involvement in the industry and his activism he is a huge asset to the world of music and we can’t wait to see where he goes from here.
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