Artist morgxn’s latest project MERIDIAN: vol 1 was created at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. The musical project is in two parts with Volume 1 being released this month. For the past two years morgxn has been releasing music including his album debut vital and his 2019 EP vital:blue. MERIDIAN: vol 1 is his most recent musical project and The Knockturnal spoke with the Nashville native and discussed the new album, his journey through music, and what fans can expect to see next from the artist.
The Knockturnal: When did you get your start in music
morgxn: My mom says I was singing before I was making full sentences. whether that is just parental hyperbole or a true statement – it feels accurate to me. I still feel like my best sentences happen inside a melody. Music is all I’ve ever loved. Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee you are either around country music or you’re not – I was not. I got to do some recording when I was a child in some children’s gospel recordings and took every opportunity to sing that I could. It was when I was 9 that a local theatre was looking for kids to be in Oliver! The musical…. and I auditioned. My mom describes it as a horrifying experience because all the other kids were these professional dancers and had a mile-long resume and I showed up in sneakers, chubby, and a school wallet-sized portrait, but I sang my heart out and got the part. It kind of all started from there. I started taking voice and piano lessons and writing my first songs. Any chance to sing — I would.
The Knockturnal: How would you describe your musical style?
morgxn: I don’t think I can
The Knockturnal: What was the creative process for MERIDIAN: vol 1?
morgxn: Throughout touring in 2018-2019 I was in and out of the studio. I wanted to take my time in putting together a project I was proud of – not forcing something to come out because of “timing” etc. I got to work with some legends I had written songs with before + people that were on my bucket list. Mark Jackson, Ian Scott, Dave Bassett. The powers: Simon Oscroft, Tobias Kuhn, and Tom Stafford helped me bring these songs to life. The idea of MERIDIAN came to me in a dream. I honestly thought the album would be called WONDER, but it ended up becoming an album of 1 song – WONDER [reimagined] – and I realized that MERIDIAN was this dream I had that kept me going. These songs kept me going in this last year. Working on them is what gave me purpose, and it gave me hope.
The Knockturnal: With your lead single, porcelain, what was the vision behind this song?
morgxn: Growing up, I was obsessed with Superman. This indestructible perfect person. Realizing I am not perfect and to be human is to be broken…. but beautiful. To show up even when/especially when you might break. There’s a Japanese process called Kitsugai which – to quickly sum it up – is a process where they repair broken pieces with gold glue. In this way, they say that the mended but broken piece is more valuable than the whole. PORCELAIN is this anthem for me – to feel whole again, but not because everything is perfect – but because I’m with people that I love, doing what I love, being somebody who loves. It also feels like the perfect awkward reopening song to this moment in time.
The Knockturnal: How does the music on MERIDIAN vol: 1 differ from music you’ve created in the past?
morgxn: My friend Joel said it best — “this whole tape is your most festival ready shit ever”
