Arlington, TX

Today we have a special edition of You Tube Thursday featuring Arlington musician Maren Morris.

If you haven’t heard of Maren Morris yet, you certainly will very soon. At only 17 years old she already has 2 albums to her credit, has been named 2007 Songwriter of the Year and the 2006 and 2007 Female Vocalist of the Year by Fort Worth Weekly and won Rising Star of the Year at the 2005 Terry Awards. She spent last summer touring England and made 3 appearances on the BBC. 

I recently had an opportunity to interview Maren about her upcoming album and blossoming career:

How did you get started performing? 

Maren Morris: Well, when I was ten, I auditioned at a little opry house called, Johnnie High’s Country Music Revue, and I was asked to perform. After that, I was bitten by a bug to perform for a live audience.

I’ve listened to some of your songs and really enjoyed them. It was hard for me to put my finger on what genre of music I was listening to though. It didn’t really seem country, but definitely wasn’t “pop”. What genre do you consider the music? 

MM: “Rootsy Rock” is what I like to call it. It’s hard for me to put myself into one category because I’m influenced by all genres as a writer.

You’re only 17 years old. Do you worry about being taken seriously because of your age? 

MM: I’ve worried in the past about it, but now I’ve just come to the realization that you have to let the music speak for itself, and hopefully, people will be open-minded and give it a chance.

It’s been a few years since you released your first album. How is your new album different? 

MM: Well I wrote and cowrote all of the songs on this album. I’ve been totally involved in the production (my producer/guitar player, Taylor Tatsch and I co-produced it together). And I’ve just grown musically over the last two to three years.

I understand your new single, “Dangerous”, just hit radio this week. Where can we hear it and how can we request it? 

MM: When they start spinning it, you’re most likely going to hear it on 95.9 The Ranch, and on the Front Porch Show on 99.5 The Wolf. But I’m doing a radio tour over Texas and Oklahoma the first 2 weeks of September, so after that, we’ll hopefully be hearing it a lot more often. Check out my MySpace blog for request line phone numbers.

And your album, “All That it Takes,” releases September 18…where can we buy it?

MM: My album will be available at Walmart, Best Buy, and other major retailers around Texas and Oklahoma to start. It will also be available on iTunes and other online retailers.

You said before that you write your own material. What is the best inspiration for your work?

MM: I’ve really drawn inspiration from any random thing I can think of. Whether it’s about my own life experiences or someone else’s. Forinstance, one of the songs on my new album is called, “Oh, Marie.” Many people think it’s autobiographical, but I really wrote it about Marie Antoinette.

Is anyone in your family musical?

MM: My mom loves to sing, and my dad plays a little guitar (”badly”, he says. Haha). And my sister plays guitar and violin, but no one in my family plays professionally, besides myself.

What do your parents think about what you do? Is there a particular member of your family who urged you to follow your dream?

MM: They are both extremely supportive. My dad actually manages me, and my mom co-manages.

Who are your musical heroes?

MM: Wow, there are a bunch. Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin, Sheryl Crow, Imogen Heap, Nickel Creek, Johnny Cash, etc. I listen to so many different types of music, it definitely influences my writing.

You are a student of Bowie High School. How do you manage to balance career and school?

MM: Most of my gigs are on the weekends, and I’ve never really had much of a problem balancing school and my career. This year however, is a different story. My new album is being released, and I’ll be on the road supporting and promoting it, so I’m participating in a homeschool program through Texas Tech University this year.

Do you have any advice for other aspiring musicians?

MM: Well, without sounding extremely cliche, haha. I would just say to work hard, and seize as many opportunities as you possibly can, because somebody is bound to catch on. And certainly having a support system like family can make all the difference.

What’s next for Maren Morris?

MM: Promoting the single and the album, and just playing shows, making fans, and having fun! That’s what it’s all about. Then, onto American Airlines Center!!

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I wish you great success with your album.

Maren appeared on Fox 4’s Good Day on Wednesday morning. If you missed it, you can watch it here. If you’d like to see her live, she will be appearing at Fred’s Texas Cafe at 915 Curry Street in Fort Worth this Friday night from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. She will also be opening for Ruthie Foster on Saturday at the Granada Theater, 3524 Lower Greenville Ave. in Dallas. That show starts at 8:00 pm. You can find out more about her by visiting her website, http://www.marenmorris.com/, or her MySpace page. Here’s a clip featuring an acoustic performance of her new single, “Dangerous”.

Arlington, Arlington Tx, Maren Morris, All That it Takes, Dangerous, Fred’s Texas Cafe, Ruthie Foster, Granada Theater, Fox 4 Good Day