Annapolis, Maryland pop singer, songwriter and performing artist Christen Morrell is currently based in Boston and blends her rich vocals with truthful lyrics that inspire her audience to think about challenges and joys within. “Waking Up” is Christen’s debut indie album and has gained attention quickly with over 50k streams. Christen was accepted to study at Berklee College of Music and during her first year was invited to study abroad at their campus in Valencia, Spain. During her first semester, Christen was signed to Disrupción Records making her the youngest signed artist at the age of 19 to the Valencian Label. Her contract was for a period of 8 months which allowed her to produce her debut self-titled EP, "Christen Morrell", which is available on all streaming platforms. Christen is currently working on her talents at Berklee and has another single in the works.
“Head in the Clouds” has completely taken my breath away right from the initial guitar riffs to the hauntingly gorgeous tones of Christen’s voice. In comes additional instruments throughout the chorus sections such as a brass section along with drums and a phenomenal harmony section that accompanies the main vocals. Christen’s voice is extremely talented and refined with the ability to dance over any note with ease, along with hitting the notes on the head without straying. The lyrics are written wonderfully as they flow together easily and resonate with the listener on a personal level allowing for them to drift away with their “Head in the Clouds”. I love that the different instruments that can be found in “Head in the Clouds” contribute to Christen’s story-telling ability and she is able to embed her own emotions in the song drawing a further connection with her audiences. In my opinion, Christen is an artist that is going to rise to the top quickly with the amount of talent that she has vocally as well as her ability to write catchy songs that have a beautiful rhythm.
Check out "Head In The Clouds" here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?
I grew up in the city of Annapolis, MD where I began to develop my love for singing and songwriting throughout my childhood. At the age of 17, I began posting original works onto SoundCloud, including a self-produced bedroom album, Waking Up, that amassed over 50k streams and charted in the top 10 of SoundCloud's, 'New + Hot Singer/Songwriter Top 50' within just a few short months. When I was accepted to the Berklee College of Music, I was invited to start my first full year at their satellite campus in Valencia, Spain. Within the first semester of studying at Berklee Valencia, at the age of 19, I was signed to Disrupción Records, a local Valencian label, for a period of 8 months to produce my debut album, Christen Morrell.
Currently, I am based in Boston, MA, continuing my studies at the Berklee College of Music and working on a new single release for 2019!
Do you remember what first gave you passion to create music?
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and have always been very interested in literature and writing. Starting at a young age, I began dabbling with poetry and creating melodies to the lyrics with my voice. From there on, the art form became an outlet for me and I continued to practice songwriting with vocals and later on, piano.
What is your meaning behind “Head in the Clouds” and what inspired you to write the song?
I wrote 'Head in the Clouds’ when I was in my senior year of High School. At the time, I was feeling a lot of pressure from everyone to know the next steps of my life, where I was headed, and what my goals were. A line from this song that I feel really describes the message is: “Everybody’s worrying about this map in my hands and if it has a plan, but I’m feeling like I’ve got a while to live and a while to experience.”
Do you find that learning about music in school has helped shape your creative process?
Absolutely. I find that a lot of the material I study within my classes such as: Harmony, Songwriting and Production, has influenced my songwriting and creative process in many different ways. Being at a school that is primarily for music, I am constantly immersed in the language and surrounded by many talented musicians that motivate creativity. However, I have also found this to be challenging. I love my school and being in a world of music, but I have noticed that sometimes it can stunt my creativity. Music used to be my outlet and now it’s my homework, which can sometimes jade the flow.
What are some of the instruments that can be found in “Head in the Clouds”?
Head in the Clouds has mainly acoustic instruments in the original arrangement, but also touches of electronic sounds that were added during production.
Tell us what we can expect to see from you in 2019.
Currently writing and co-producing a new single, “White Waters” and an EP that will hopefully be released later in 2019! I have a few collaborations with ZOLA, an EDM producer, and we will be releasing another song together in the late summer - so keep your eyes out for it! Apart from these projects, I will be continuing my studies in songwriting and production at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Stay connected!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/christenmorrellmusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/christenmorrell