Moreton See Yourself Interview

Moreton: See Yourself ft. James Vincent McMorrow

Finding light and hope from within powerful, sometimes haunting songs, Moreton is a rock band with a folk heart. A band that challenges darkness with a mission to find the beauty and humanity inside it.

"A sadness elevated is a sadness alleviated. So many of us seek solace and comfort in sharing in something beautiful out of sadness," says Georgia, the band's singer, writer and guitarist, whose singing voice feels as deep as the floodwaters described in their most recent song Circles.

"This project is definitely about sitting with more difficult emotions and expressing what bubbles up from there."

Sprung from lives lived a long way from the big cities, on their second EP, The Dog Years, the northern NSW-based group couch those sombre emotions in songs that swing from a love of alternative art rock and its charged atmospheres into more intimate and orchestral moments.

But always, the key is beauty for Georgia, who was recently awarded the inaugural Carol Lloyd Award for a young female Queensland songwriter to write and record this latest EP.

"I'm a total beauty addict. I'm addicted to nature, art and anything that sounds beautiful," Georgia explains. "The sort of music I listen to mostly has this intense shining beauty about, and I think I'm trying to build a world that creates that space visually and sonically."

That's why alongside the artwork of northern NSW artist Sascha Bravery – "the muse for the record" - you'll find a track about the way the water meets the sky from the Brunswick Heads Bridge or the complexities of letting your new lover see your flaws, next to a crushing take on a family's rejection of a son, and an imaginary conversation with Leonard Cohen.

"I'm a real jokester of a person but there is very much a darker side of me, and music is my outlet for that space," Georgia says. "Our live show is really dynamic so this new record reflects that, as we recorded it live in the studio.

A record made by four friends – alongside Georgia are Myka on drums, Travis on guitar, and Lee on bass and keyboards – whose contributions are singular but whose results are collective, connected and unique.

"We all have really creative ways that we use our instruments and we listen to each other really deeply," says Georgia. "And that's part of why it's got its own sound, we keep our own ways of playing while answering to what the song is asking for."

As shown by the stunning reaction of audiences at Splendour In The Grass last year, their sold out headline shows, and the support of Irish star James Vincent McMorrow, who not only took the band on tour but sings on the EP's powerful duet, See Yourself, that world of sound, that beauty in darkness, works in the hands of Moreton.

Interview with Moreton

Question: How would you describe your music?

Moreton: Art-rock, sentimental nihilism. A place where stories of trouble are made beautiful and shining.


Question: What inspired the track, See Yourself? Is this based on personal experience?

Moreton: It's based on a crossroads in my life when I was in a new relationship at the same time as I was also very depressed. I hid it for a little while, but at one point I became completely undone, I guess I even lost my mind a little in front of this person. I wrote this shortly after, about that tender moment when we let ourselves be flawed in front of the people we love. Especially that first time you lay yourself bare. It's terrifying, not knowing how the other person will react, but it's also the only true and honest way forward.

Musically, it's very inspired by those big ballads by The Drones, there's usually one on every album and they're always my favourite. And the classic old-school R&B ballads of two voices singing together.

There's also a sneaky Marilyn Monroe quote in the lyrics.


Question: How did the collaboration with James Vincent McMorrow come about?

Moreton: James took us on tour in 2017 which was an absolute dream; I got to play the Opera House on my birthday weekend! James and his band were lovely and we all got along really well and kept in touch. When I was thinking about the song as a duet, James popped into my mind because his music tackles a lot of similar melancholy and bittersweet emotions, and our voices are also so different which I thought would be interesting. I plucked up the courage to ask him and he bloody said yes! We recorded the bed of the song live in the Australia, and he recorded his vocals in Dublin and sent them across to us. It was really special, loading his vocals into the session for the first time.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Moreton: My friends and I are digging a lot for rare tracks at the moment – there's a lot of old jazz, soul and doo-wop going around. I'm new to Isaac Hayes version of Walk On By (I knew the Dionne Warwick version) and wowers the lead guitar reminds me so much of Portishead's lead guitar stuff which obviously happened so much later.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Moreton: Jen Cloher. She's the only person I've been star struck in front and probably thinks I'm a vague fool, but so many of her pearls have transformed my attitude to the industry and to my own career. I honestly would not have started this band without hearing her speak just when I needed, when I was at a crossroads.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?
Moreton: I will always and forever dream about making an album with The Black Keys as my backing band/producers. I'd also kill to write with Daniel Rossen from Grizzly Bear.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Moreton: Life's good at the minute! I'm a florist when I'm not doing music, so my to-do list literally has a drawing of a flower on one side and music notes on the other. So everything is pretty creative and dreamy! I'll usually try to do some writing in the morning to start my brain off creatively, find some sunshine to eat breakfast and knock over any emails or boring stuff, then I'll move on to the day's projects which might be making some bouquets, visiting a flower farmer, or working on music things like new songs, planning tours, photoshoots or videos. It's all creative, but that can be pretty exhausting too so big walks on the beach and to the river out the back are a must! And I'm not joking about the to-do list, there is a list, and it is way too detailed and colour-coded. Full geek list.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Moreton: It always has been and always will be – playing live. I get stage fright really badly, but once it fades at about song two or three, I feel so at peace there. So much more at peace than I feel in daily life, in society. And there's this sweet moment between when you finish a song and the audience starts applauding – it must be only milliseconds – but it's like some kind of nirvana. The lights are twinkling in my eyelashes, I'm so full of oxygen from singing and breathing, and there's this satisfaction with expression that to me must be so integral to being human, because we've always done it. It's a tiny moment of bliss that resets me every time.


Question: Can you share your socials?

Moreton: @moreton_/
Facebook.com/thisismoreton/
YouTube@thisismoreton 

Interview by Brooke Hunter