Distinctive singer-songwriter and bassist DEB MORRISON—a member of the all-female Southern California roots supergroup The Wild West and also known for her Americana band, Morrison & Company—will release her debut solo album THE NORTH FORK onSeptember 9 via Blackbird Record Label. The album brings California to vivid life, filtering MORRISON‘s songwriting through a prism of woozy West Coast sunshine, rolling hillsides and ghost-town desert landscapes which influenced its creation. It is a melting-pot of American roots music, stocked with songs that blur the boundaries between alt-country, Americana, and roadhouse rock & roll. MORRISON, whose smoky, sultry vocal delivery that has already earned comparisons to Neko Case, has revealed a first listen with the title track, “The North Fork,” scheduled for digital release on July 8.
Following an exclusive premiere yesterday (July 6) via Americana UK, the single’s music video is out now and captures the sentiments MORRISON has for the Northern California river town of Folsom with its nostalgic, vivid, imagery of the area. MORRISON co-directed the video with Nic Capelle of production company Rockton Road. A cinematographer and producer, he shot and edited the video and also recorded the album. Watch “The North Fork” streaming below or on YouTube HERE.
“‘The North Fork’ has an engaging rhythmic groove and melodic guitar, over which Morrison’s tuneful voice is delivered with wistful character,” declare Americana UK. “The song builds steadily until a fine, fuzzy guitar solo soars above us.” Editor Andrew Frolishcontinues to praise the music video by stating: “It’s full of striking, vibrant color and warm hues, with an emphasis on the quality of the light, especially when the setting sun streams through to the camera. The filtering helps to create a genuinely nostalgic feel, in keeping with the song’s themes of looking back over life, rediscovering who you are, so that when you get lost you can find your way back to happiness, fulfilment and security.”
“As an Air Force brat, from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, I never really had a hometown,” discloses MORRISON. “The years my family spent in Folsom left such a lasting impression on me that I decided to call it my hometown and I wanted to pay homage to it by capturing its essence. We shot in old historic Folsom, in and on beautiful Lake Natoma, Folsom Lake and all my old stomping grounds.”
“My brain works in pictures and imagery,” elaborates MORRISON, “so I see the visuals of songs as I write them, and sometimes even before. When the line ‘Her roots ran deep, in the oaks that line the river’ came my way, I saw the whole thing. I knew it was time for a road trip, and that shooting the journey would be the video. So, we packed up the car and headed north.”
MORRISON adds, “To me, ‘The North Fork’ represents finding a way to reconnect with yourself and the things in life that bring you joy. We live in a complicated, chaotic time and it’s easy to get lost. The North Fork is a roadmap I created for myself so when I’m off track and lose perspective, I know how to get back to what’s important, no matter where I am.”
MORRISON will support THE NORTH FORK’s release by returning to the road, traveling from place to place the way she once did as a child. This time, she’ll be joined by her Morrison & Company bandmates: guitarists Matt Littell and Spencer Kelly, pedal steel player Charlie Peterson and drummer Joel Domantay. Upcoming shows are as follows:
8/4-6 Truckee, CA @ Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats
8/7 Folsom, CA @ Out Of Bounds
