INTERVIEW: Morley travels ‘Thousand Miles’ for new recording
Photo: Morley will bring music from her new album, Thousand Miles, to Joe’s Pub in New York City. Photo courtesy of Sandrine Lee / Provided by artist rep with permission.
Morley, the musician from Jamaica, Queens, New York, will celebrate the release of her new recording, Thousand Miles, with a special concert Friday, Oct. 5 at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in Downtown Manhattan. The singer-songwriter uses her music to resolve conflicts and engage with adults and children throughout the world.
The new album features songs in many genres, including jazz, soul and folk — an interesting mixture of sounds that come together into wholly unique compositions.
Morley has played Carnegie Hall and been named Songwriter of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. The New York Times called her an emerging artist, and her song “Romance” appeared in a Ralph Lauren fragrance commercial.
Recently, Morley exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox about the new recording. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
For newcomers to your music, how would you define your sound?
Warm, folk-soul, conscious lyrics, global rhythms, jazz influences.
What can fans expect at your Joe’s Pub show?
To be taken on a global journey sonically and story-wise. To to be uplifted and inspired by masterful musicians helping me tell these stories: drummer Brian Blade (Joni Mitchell), pianist Jon Cowherd (Norah Jones), bassist James Genus (Herbie Hancock) and guitarist Chris Bruce (Meshell Ndegeocello).
How do you use music as a means of conflict resolution?
I ask people what rhythms they grew up on and build from there. I also ask for words that describe the emotions they are walking with, and we create a song together. No matter where I am in the world, I always write this quote on a dry eraser, blackboard or even in the sand, ‘When we can describe an emotion, it no longer has power over us.’ — James Baldwin.
If we are struggling with something but cannot express it or describe it, it can lead to violence against ourselves, someone else or the Earth, which to me are one in the same.
Often when song building together, people will hear their own experience in ‘the other’ they had been conditioned to distrust and hate. This opens hearts, brings insight and welcomes a gentleness into the room. Music carries medicine. When I was working with youth from Palestine and Israel, it was great because they share a lot of the same rhythms. Sometimes when the conversations got heated, I would break out the darbuka’s (drums), and they would get to jamming. Before we knew it we were back looking into what was possible in the moment.
What do you find beautiful and meaningful about acoustic music?
The space and air that it provides for a story to land on.
What inspired Thousand Miles?
This is my song journal of a two-year period of global travels: United States, Rwanda, Hiroshima and Pine Ridge Reservation in the Black Hills. It is in praise of unsung heroes and explorations of courage, loss, transformation, dignity, friendship and love.
The title track addresses the desire to run away from a personal, political or spiritual task at hand and the decision to stay and face the work with conviction, humility, courage and compassion. My hope is that Thousand Miles will serve as a friend to the listener and be part of the great map of art that reveals time and time again how short the distance from one another truly is.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Morley performs Friday, Oct. 5 at Joe’s Pub in Downtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
