Around the same time, Morgan booked a landmark show at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, where she paid tribute to Nina Simone with a set of songs that were closely associated with the legendary artist. The incendiary show was recorded and released as the critically acclaimed Morgan James Live on Epic Records. It also proved to be the perfect segue for her first studio album, Hunter, which was released in June of 2014.
life affirming. That’s what I look for. You don’t often see a girl take this position, and that’s what I love about it!” Morgan assumed cowriting duties on eight of the collection’s eleven tracks and even performed all of her own background vocals and harmonies. From the empowering farewell of “Fed Up On You” to the mournful rumination of “You Never Lied,” she continually bares it all—both emotionally and musically.
“I always knew to make a neo-soul pop record,” Morgan says. “The foundation is all real ingredients, and those roots of soul and R & B are pretty strong. It’s the culmination of my musical life up to this point. The painful songs are straight out of a bad relationship with someone from my past. The joyful moments are wonderful memories. It’s all coming from me. I’ve lived every one of these stories, and I love the genres I’m representing. It’s one point of view—mine.”
“I sing like I’m never going to sing again,” Morgan affirms. “I wanted to capture that power and passion every time. At some moments, it might sound flawless; at others, it might sound like it’s going to break. I’m revealing something about myself with every song. You’ve got to do that. My favorite artists, whether Joni Mitchell or Michael Jackson, are and were always honest.”
The first single, “I Want You,” tempers electronic elements with her overpoweringly soulful delivery. “It incorporates that classic spirit with a modern framework,” she goes on. “It’s a fresh take on writing a love song. Lyrically, I really wanted to capture what it’s like to fall for someone and not be able to live without them.”
There’s a unique structure to the album. The first five songs boast electronic elements, while the last six don’t have any. “There’s a gradient of the record that goes down,” she says. “By the time you get to the last song, it’s just piano and voice. It starts with a song about power and ego, and it ends on one about surrender and selflessness. I have all of that in me. Maybe we all do.”
The title track and album opener, “Hunter,” boasts a seductive hook with cinematic noir flair. Flaunting the singer’s immense delivery and dynamic presence, it’s an undeniable and classy come-on that proves as animalistic as it does magnetic. “From a woman’s perspective, it’s such an empowering and sexy song,” she smiles. “It totally makes me feel like a warrior! Music is so sensual and
Ultimately, her honesty permeates everything that Morgan James does, and it’s why you’ll always remember her voice. “I want people to walk away from this album feeling fulfilled. That’s the way it used to be. Often, I think I’m from another time,” she says, her voice trailing off. “I just want to bring back the power of the singular legacy voice.”