Interview with Wallace Morgan

Nashville native, LA transplant Wallace Morgan is running with the moondance kids – and you’ll want to join her. A hippie, feminist farm kid at heart, Wallace is no stranger to music having worked at Rolling Stone, Republic Records and as an artist manager.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

I typically start all my songs on guitar or piano and build them out from there. The lyrical storytelling is at the center of my musical process, so I kind of let the song show me what it wants to sound like. Sonically, I pull from a range of musical influences. Anything from the country music I grew up on, to classic rock, to pop. Lately, I’ve really been drawn to 90s alt and early 2000s female crossover vibes mixed with my undying obsession with late 60s and early 70s everything. Lately, I find myself inspired by MUNA, Free Nationals, and Kurt Vile and always my queens Lana Del Rey, Kacy Musgraves, and Taylor Swift. I consume a lot of music and try to just soak up as much inspiration as possible from all genres and surround myself with talented musicians and producers who help push me creatively.

Are you creative in other disciplines?

Yes, for me various creative disciplines are integral to my life and wellbeing and have helped me arrive at making music. I’ve always loved to write, and consider writing the cornerstone of my creative expression. I work as a freelance journalist and copywriter and write poetry and essays. I also love to paint, usually with oils. And I dance routinely to get my creative juices flowing.

When did you start writing music?

I first started writing music when I was around 13. I got a guitar for my birthday and taught myself to play and write in my bedroom with occasional help from my older brother. When I was 15 I took a songwriting class and was chosen to perform an original piece at a school assembly. The song was about a boy I liked, and I got made fun of a bit for it. I internalized that as a failure and quit for a long time as a result. In college I studied music business and started working at a local venue in Athens, GA called The Georgia Theatre. Being around live music and bands was my happy place. I went on to work at a record label and then as an artist manager, but it wasn’t until 2020 that I picked up a guitar and started writing and singing again. Songwriting really got me through the pandemic. I got to fall in love with music all over again, and the reignited dream of being an artist and taking steps to pursue that gave me a new sense of purpose and hope for the future. It’s been such a rewarding experience to push through my insecurities and prioritize my joy. I definitely feel like I have a lot of catching up to do, but it’s a really fun challenge. Taking piano lessons, guitar lessons, vocal lessons… writing every day … learning to record vocals in a studio … pushing through the fear and learning to perform live… It’s all a journey back home to my younger self. When I was 5 or 6 I sang karaoke in my bedroom and performed for my stuffed animals with dreams of being a pop star. It’s easy to get away from that as life goes along and things tear us down, but reconnecting with my little inner child who lives for the music and for performing has made me feel young and free and hopeful in a way that has been so healing and empowering.

Where was your current project recorded?

“She Called It Love” was written and produced in Los Angeles, California and mixed and mastered in Nashville, Tennessee.

Was anyone else involved in writing, recording, or producing the songs?

Yes! “She Called It Love” was a total group effort. I co-wrote it with Jillian Slade and Shawn Platzker during our very first session together. Our mutual friend Russell Kaplan introduced us thinking we would get along, and he was totally right. I showed them a voice note I’d written a few days prior. It was an unfinished idea, but we were all drawn to it and decided to flesh it out together. We talked for a couple of hours before diving in. They created such a safe space to express that super vulnerable feeling of “it’s too soon to say it, but I think I’ve found real love.” I remember being worried that I might have a fever because my cheeks were literally blushing the entire time. It was especially fun writing a love song with them because they also happen to be a couple whose love for each other is so evident and so beautiful. It was just a really special, glowy vibe in the room that day. I left with a full demo of “She Called It Love,” and took it to my friend Ben Pleasant, who agreed to produce it. He and I immediately clicked on the musical direction for the song, deciding to take it in a more indie pop meets 90s alt direction. He nailed the instrumentation off the bat, but the vocal production took us a bit longer. I was unhappy with my performance and ended up recording lead vocals three or four different times. I give Ben so much credit for his patience and willingness to hang with me throughout that process. Producers and engineers really are heroes in my book. My friend and vocal coach Kenny Youch also lent his talent, offering vocal production notes and vital encouragement along the way. Many hours of tinkering later, we sent it off to Edsel Holden who mixed and mastered the final recording. Edsel gave such close attention to detail and was such a pleasure to work with. Collaboration is one of the most fun and fulfilling parts of finishing a project. Working with such talented people helps me to grow as an artist. I’m really grateful for such an amazing creative community. I couldn’t do this without them.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

Yes, it’s the only place I’ll attempt to sing Adele.

Do you have a cherished childhood teddy bear or other stuffed animal sitting on your bed at home? LOL yeah, here goes my cool factor, but most people who know me well know I still have my childhood pillow named “Pinky.” My oldest and most loyal friend.

What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?

Homemade sushi … I’d probably faint from excitement.

What makes you nostalgic?

The smell of fresh cut grass and clovers at the start of spring. It takes me back to playing barefoot in the backyard as a kid every time.

If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?

Stop worrying about what other people think. Being your true authentic self is the coolest thing you can do.

Wallace Morgan’s latest single She Called It Love is the follow up to indie singer-songwriter Wallace Morgan’s debut EP ‘Running with the Moondance Kids.’ With its dreamy, romantic intro and hard hitting 90s alt inspired chorus, “She Called It Love,” is the perfect left of center soundtrack to that floaty, teenage feeling of falling in love.

Wallace says,

I wrote “She Called It Love” about a chance encounter my partner and I had at the beach two weeks after we started seeing each other. A woman approached us and asked urgently if we had a phone. She then smiled and said, “I just have to take your picture. You two look so in love.” Awestruck and awkward, we smiled for the camera. Before we could blink she handed the phone back and disappeared as the sun was setting. There was a long pause of silence and when we turned around, we both had tears in our eyes. It was that moment of “it’s too soon but we’re both thinking it.” In my EP I told a story of heartbreak and healing, and finding myself in the process. “She Called It Love” is the part where I let myself fall in love again. I hope this song can remind people that they deserve love that makes them feel safe and seen and held and free.