COLDPLAY'S Chris Martin might not be aware of it but he’s played an important role in the forthcoming long-player from Blackpool songstress Rae Morris.
Explaining the title of the album Unguarded she says: “He kind of inspired it. We met when the record was three quarters finished.
He told me: ‘Know who you are and what you want to present to the world.’”
Undoubtedly Morris has taken that advice to heart. In preparing the groundwork for her affecting debut she has released a string of solid EPs bolstered by a strong visual dimension on stage and in her highly conceptualised videos.
The singer was initially discovered after a performance on the BBC’s Introducing Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival in 2011.
Charismatic yet down-to-earth Rae has been honing her craft after signing a deal with Atlantic records who have, uncharacteristically for these times, allowed her to develop and find a voice.
Current single Under the Shadows is presently enjoying heavy rotation on British airwaves and already feels ingrained in the culture. What’s clear is her gift for melody and finding an addictive hook that quickly has the listener under her spell.
“I’m carefree with vocals and harmonies, it doesn’t have to be precise — the album is quite experimental in that way. Melody is everything to me,” she admits.
“Generally I start on the piano. It amazes me that the same three chords used throughout time can still sound so fresh and exciting. Under the Shadows came very quickly, we were recording another track in Wales out in the country and I had the idea. It’s kind of about the things unspoken and under wraps in a relationship.”
Björk and Kate Bush are two obvious reference points for Unguarded.
The singer was months old when Bush released The Red Shoes and Björk delivered her seminal Debut in 1993.
There is a tacit connection to the epic and experimental pop landscapes and complex themes which those artists pioneered, says Morris.
“I’m still discovering Kate Bush’s music, I still don’t know her first album as well as I should. As a person, the way she has conducted her career, figured things out and played by her own rules is inspiring as a female role model. I managed to see her [in concert] and it was my birthday so that was a bonus.
I don’t think I’m ever going to see anything as good. It was emotional seeing her in person. At the touch of a button we can see what people are up to instantly but she has lived a private life.”
Unguarded is produced by American Grammy winner Ariel Rechtshaid, the man also behind Charli XCX’s forthcoming Sucker, an angry blast at the music industry decorated with chunky electro pop and feminine street swagger.
New Zealand’s Lorde at the tender age of 17 set boots on the ground for a new generation of robust female music icons with big ideas but of late we have also seen the return of the grand matriarchs of electro/experimental pop, Kate Bush and Björk, who are setting the tone and informing the zeitgeist once again.
At present there is debate in the music industry suggesting there are less opportunities for budding working-class musicians.
Noel Gallagher went so far as to criticise Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian for failing to inspire others.
Gallagher’s gift for melody is undeniable and while he may have motivated others to pick up the guitar, his singular ability has been impossible to replicate. Over the last decade public tastes have grown tired of braggadocios boys with guitars and fleeting talent show pop.
With Morris you immediately gather a sense of vocation.
Pop acts are braining up and the Lancastrian will undoubtedly be at the forefront of that movement in 2015.
“People are starting to recognise the hard work that goes into doing this,” says the singer. “All the acts I’ve toured with have helped me realise what it’s about, every step makes it more real.”
Providing backing vocals for three tracks on Bombay Bicycle Club’s number one album So Long, See You Tomorrow and performing with the band live proved to be essential markers on the road.
“They have been kind of role models and a big encouragement, the way they do things and the albums they have managed to put out in a short time. Being exposed to their audience at Earl’s Court was a big one.”
Thus far Morris had managed to cascade through the boundaries of genre recording with electro classical pioneers Clean Bandit and London’s Fryars while touring with George Ezra and Tom Odell.
When headlining her own tour, Glasgow proved to be a particular learning curve.
“Live was all I knew for a very long time, in a lot of ways it set ground for being able to go to the studio and play songs to a certain standard. You also learn a lot about self-confidence and hecklers in the audience. Glasgow was actually one of the best dates on the tour because of the hecklers. I don’t know if it was because of the day of the week, it was a Saturday night.”
Inspiration comes from a strange place.
She may have been born and raised in the north-east of England but Morris’ classic Celtic looks and vocal lilt immediately suggest an unspoken connection to Ireland.
It’s “very much there in the line” affirms the 22-year-old.
“My great-grandmother was from Dublin and great-grandfather from Belfast. My grandmother’s maiden name was Purcell which I believe has connections in Ireland. I’m planning on finding out more, it’s one of those things you have to do before it’s too late.
My mum was brought up Catholic and I went to a Church of England school but the family are not religious. It was a nicer school than my brother’s really. I went to a great Catholic college [Cardinal Newman] to study music in Preston.
The department had an incredible reputation for music, I sought it out. Coming from Blackpool I did experience that small town thing where opportunities might not be what they are in a big city. I got involved in orchestras, I was the geeky kid doing that.”
Morris was also mentored by Blackpool singer/songwriter Karima Francis. “She really opened my mind to the possibilities and helped me write my first songs, I owe a great deal to her, she’s an incredibly talented musician.”
The sense of dedication and work ethic since being signed has undoubtedly strengthened both a sense of stagecraft and songwriting.
The struggles and doubts during that time added weight to the final outcome, says the singer. “There’s been quite a few challenges, in being signed the pressures come naturally.
There’s a song on the album Do You Even Know? which was kind of a panic moment over what I was trying to do and not being sure that people would get it.
A first album is a big challenge, it can set the tone for your entire life — the emotion on that song was particularly strong.”
Did you feel a sense of expectation from the label? “Not from the label but from myself, I think the label understood me more than I did. The pressure was internal to do the best and be the best I could. Any career is fragile and there’s a certain tension in doing this. There’s always uncertainly about tomorrow and that adds to the fragility and weirdness of the situation.”
Morris has described the album as a “coming of age” record, a poignant snapshot of her late teens and early twenties.
Already she has built up a solid fan base hungry for something that resonates deeper than standard pop or landfill-indie.
“The gigs have been great, it’s great to meet your audience, it’s like people want to be part of something bigger rather than just downloading your single.
I started out doing this at open mike nights, it was quite daunting and I got to a stage where I thought I didn’t need anyone else. Now that I have a band I’ve realised what I’ve been missing, I’m relaxing a bit and letting other people contribute — when you let people do what they are good at it makes life a lot easier.”
At this early stage Morris seems to have learned the lesson many who reach the top fail to embrace, but while she lacks ego there is an awareness of her talent and a strong sense of ambition.
Beyond doubt the values of a traditional working background and an encouraging family have been indispensable ingredients.
“I really needed people to help me, I needed my family because I didn’t have any other way of getting to the gig. My dad would also sell the merchandise.
People try to hide the flaws but I’ve cherished all those moments because that’s what opened doors for me. My mum and dad are the most wonderful parents, I would not have been able to do this without them. My mum worked for the NHS and my dad was a fireman — they were hardworking people and gave me a good grounding in what is important.”
Maybe trading Blackpool’s faded seaside glamour for the elemental Lakes wasn’t a bad thing for such an ethereal songwriter either.
“Although I grew up in Blackpool it could have been anywhere really.”
Now it’s The Lake District that provides inspiration.
“My family have gradually started to move there and I spent a lot of time in that area growing up, it’s definitely my spiritual home, in the mountains you feel part of a bigger plan, I go on long walks and lose myself a little bit.”
Unguarded is out now. For tour dates click here
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