The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Maren Morris talks new album ahead of CT concert
From taking over pop radio with her hit single “The Middle” to breaking barriers in the all-women, Americana supergroup The Highwomen, Maren Morris has quite the music portfolio.
The Grammy Awardwinning country-pop star recently released her third major-label studio album, “Humble Quest,” and will be on tour this summer for the album. She will bring her hits and new music to Bridgeport’s Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater on Thursday, July 7.
The tour will be Morris’ first full tour since the pandemic started. It will also be the first time she is the main act at amphitheaters like Bridgeport’s.
“It’s my first time headlining a lot of these amphitheaters. I always loved amphitheaters the most because every venue looks
and feels different. It doesn’t feel like you’re rolling into the same show every night.
“You get to, weather permitting, get to play under beautiful stars,” Morris told Hearst Connecticut Media. “Especially during the two years where we were so disconnected from one another, I did miss that feeling of connection with a bunch of strangers all coming together in the same place just to celebrate music that they love. That’s the most beautiful thing about live shows.”
Her latest album, “Humble Quest,” released in March, heavily leans into Morris’ country roots while embracing the plethora of genres that embody the singer-songwriter, like pop and R&B.
In the span of writing and recording the album, Morris’ world was shaken up by a number of lifechanging events, including the pandemic, the loss of her friend and music partner Michael Busbee and the birth of her son, Hayes, with country singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd.
“It was definitely a title that felt like it summed up particularly the past two years of my life — becoming a mom for the first time at the beginning of the pandemic and then having touring stripped away for so long, and feeling like I had this new purpose as a parent but purposeless as an artist for that moment in time,” Morris said. “I think just processing life and death, and everything in between, happened between these songs. I think my purpose as a writer is to write the truth of what happened in the years the album was created.”
Morris said these life changes that forced her to “rethink my dream a little bit” were “humbling” — hence the name of the album, “Humble Quest.”
“Emotionally, I accomplished what my purpose is, which is to document what happened to me in the most honest way. Laugh when you want to cry. Not taking things so seriously was also a big lesson in these past two years,” Morris said. “I think you hear a lot of moments of that on this record as well. It’s not all songs about babies and death. There is stuff in there that is funny, real life s***, too.”
The album and life events preceding its release also inspired Morris to chase her dreams, one of which is portraying Elphaba Thropp from the Broadway musical “Wicked.”
“Gonna send an audition tape in for ‘Wicked’ on Broadway. What the hell. Let’s see what happens,” Morris tweeted earlier this month.
Morris said she is “about to film [her audition tape],” adding that she “knows the songs in-and-out.”
“Something in the last couple of years just taught me to not be so precious with my pride,” she said. “Just do it. If you’ve loved the idea of doing it for so long and you’ve dreamt of it for this long, it’s like why not. Just give it a go. I mean the worst that they could say is no.”
As she waits for Broadway to respond, Morris continues on her train of success with “Humble Quest.”
The album debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 21 on the Billboard 200 after its release. It was also critically praised by outlets like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone.
Returning back to the road for her first fullfledged tour since the beginning of the pandemic, Morris said that fans can expect a mix of new songs from her album, as well as older tunes and covers in the setlist each night.
And for inquiring minds — yes, Hayes will be heading out on his first tour with his mom.
“He’s already good on the bus, so now he’s going to be a full-on tour kid,” Morris said.