Photo by David McClister
For our May issue, artists across the Blue Ridge talked with BRO about what it meant to make music in a year without in-person performances. For the next four weeks, we will be featuring each of those artists and taking a deeper dive into their creative process.
Having just finished recording “Reckless” before the pandemic hit, Morgan Wade had to put her debut album on hold. She spoke with BRO on the road to Nashville for her album release party.
BRO: Heading into 2020, what were your plans? What did your year end up looking like?
MW: Literally a week before we went into the lockdown, I had just finished recording “Reckless.” We had the record done, so that was perfect timing. I had a huge tour planned, 44 or 45 different states that I was supposed to hit from the spring into the fall. Obviously, those got canned. At the beginning of that, I thought a couple of weeks off, that’s fine. I’ve been touring a lot, I just finished recording, it’d be nice to be home for a minute. Like everybody else, I started to realize it might be longer than two weeks, a month, or two months.
I had a lot I could do songwriting wise. I got a job with Universal Publishing so I’ve been able to Zoom with all these different writers and work on songs and music.
Virtual shows took off in 2020. How did you approach staying connected with fans and audiences during this time?
You can sit there in your living room or wherever you’re at, play some songs, and not have to leave your house. You can make a good amount of money to help. That was the thing. The fans were so supportive. That was really such a blessing to see. They were looking forward to it as much as I was playing the songs. With everything being online, it really did help my social following with everybody sharing stuff and interacting that way. A lot of people are at home, they can’t go out to live music so listening to more music on Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes. So I think a lot of streams and music sales are up.
Obviously, after a while, people start getting a little tired of those as well missing the real in-person stuff. The social interaction—getting to talk and shake hands with people, thank them for coming out—nothing beats that in-person feeling of performing.
You’ve talked about how this “Reckless” is a lot about you trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in. You could spend a lifetime trying to figure those things out but do you feel like you’ve been able to get some clarity on those questions as you put this album together?
The record is a process, songs over a span of two years of my life. Putting those down, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I was so used to being on the road and not being at home, and then all of the sudden that was ripped out from under me. I had to be at home, alone with myself, and have to process these things. I’ve been reading a lot and getting outside more. I feel like being at home and taking this down time has really been good for my mental health. We don’t know what’s happening. You can’t predict these kinds of things. I’m always figuring myself out because we’re constantly changing. If we’re growing, we’re changing.
In a year when we’ve all been pretty socially isolated and unable to do a lot of our routine things, what were some of the things that helped you get through the past year?
A big thing for me is that for years I’d always thought I can’t go to therapy because I’m traveling so much. Now I’m home, and we can’t do in-person therapy. I signed up for therapy, Skyping, and that has helped me a lot. I think we could all benefit from having somebody outside of our family or friend circle to be able to speak with and relay those things.
Therapy, going outside, and being active. I didn’t realize, too, how lucky I am. I’m living out in the country where I’m able to go outside and walk. So I would find the beauty in the small things that normally I wouldn’t pay any attention to. I could have sat there mad I couldn’t go do other stuff, but I had more than what other people had in different areas. Trying to find the small things that were good for me during that time I feel like really helped me a lot.
Now that you’ve started playing some smaller in-person shows, how are you feeling?
I’ve forgotten how to pack clothes. It was so weird. I was like this doesn’t feel right.
This record was such a big deal for me, and it’s time to get back out there. Obviously, it would be way cooler to have some huge thing and not have to be six feet apart, but we’re doing it the way we can do it. I’m super excited and a little nervous, the first time playing all these songs out. It’s been over a year since I’ve gotten to play the live shows so it’s going to feel weird in a good way.
From your perspective, as a musician and someone who tours a lot, what do you see the live music industry looking going forward?
I see things getting back slower. But we’re already booking some more socially-distanced, half capacity shows. That’s better than nothing, and it’s smarter to do it that way. I’m hopeful that by next year at this time [spring], things will be back to normal. You start to realize how short life is and how unpredictable things are when you can’t go do all these things.
You can see Wade at a few upcoming outdoor festivals, including the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (Bristol, Tenn. September 10-12).
