In the short few years since Lauren Morrowbranched out from her more-than-a-decade-long role as the frontwoman of The Whiskey Gentry, her solo career has taken her above and beyond what was ever imagined—from being listed “Best of” in the pages of Rolling Stone and Garden & Gun to performing on television sets nationwide on PBS. And surprisingly, Morrow has done it all without ever putting out a full-length album.
That is, until now.March 31st will see the release of People Talk, a collection of ten songs that Morrow says “truly reflect who I am as a person and the sounds I’ve been waiting to explore for my entire career.” Produced by Parker Cason and mixed by Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Phish) and Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Shania Twain), People Talk finds Morrow exploring her beyond-country influences like 90s Alternative, Britpop, and 80s New Wave bands with moody, brutally honest lyrical content and rock n roll attitudes; all with Morrow’s signature soprano and vulnerable vibrato and a host of atypically-Americana vibes and tones. The end result is a patiently cultivated and refined sound not unfamiliar to fans, but a pure expression of everything Morrow is made of—not just what we’ve seen so far.
Today, Morrow shared the first single from People Talk, “Only Nice When I’m High,” and its accompanying music video which features Morrow and her on-screen pal, a living, breathing, three-foot-tall joint—ok, it’s a puppet, but it’s adorable. “A few years ago, my husband Jason and I smoked a little joint before we went Christmas shopping,” Morrow says about the impetus of the tune. “While we were walking through shops and chatting about things, he turned to me and said ‘you’re a lot nicer when you’re high.’ He isn’t wrong.” But she doesn’t want listeners to get the wrong impression. “I’m not a huge stoner or anything, but a little toke here and there helps me navigate my life and be the person I know I am inside when my anxiety isn’t trying to derail me,” she says.
“The song is a very intimate look inside my brain, my thoughts about myself, and how I fit in the world around me.” Yesterday, Holler. premiered “Only Nice When I’m High,” writing, “With its refreshingly light-hearted approach to mental health and witty wordplay, it’s reminiscent of Pageant Material era Kacey but with an added indie twist of Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette. It’s an intoxicating concoction that gives her undeniably country sound a juicy little kick that’s so often missing in mainstream country pop. It might be the start of a Geek Country revolution.”
Fans can watch the “Only Nice When I’m High” video today at this link, streamhere, and go ahead and pre-order or pre-save right here ahead of People Talk’sMarch 31st release on Big Kitty Records—Morrow’s own record label, along with her husband and business/creative partner, Jason Morrow.
