Interview: Chicagoan Pop/RnB Artist Morgan Gold Discusses Her New Single "Up All Night"
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We recently featured a very DOPE track entitled “Up All Night” by Chicago based Pop/RnB singer-songwriter Morgan Gold, so it’s only right that we follow that up with an exclusive interview with her. During our Q&A with Morgan, we discussed the J. Khaga produced single, what we can expect from her soon-to-be-released album “I’ve Seen Enough, I Know What It Does”, and much more.
After reading our interview with Morgan Gold, be sure to connect with her on social media so you’ll know exactly when her album will be dropping!
You've mentioned that your music is inspired by both Chicago and Toronto; what specifically makes these cities special in relation to your music's creative process?
Both Toronto and Chicago have an ethereal energy to them. Toronto brings this sheer, rolling intensity that I’ve always admired. It commands your attention. And with Chicago, I noticed how the environment fed off of the energy I was putting into it. I’ve never seen a city directly correspond with its citizens like that.
Both of these cities, too, I feel are very community-driven. There’s a lot of pride in the way they present themselves, but there’s also this acknowledgment of surrealism that relates to every performer individually. That surrealism, to me, stimulates an immense amount of curiosity.
Congratulations on the release of "Up All Night", which was produced by J. Khaga; how did you and he connect to create this track and what are you most proud of with it?
Thank you! It’s crazy because I wrote the song, and produced a very simplified version of the track on Garageband last April. I gave it to J. Khaga shortly after we became friends, and he added a slightly more distorted vibe to the track. We didn’t even touch it again until late November when we were deciding what the fifth track of the project would be. We already had the track-list, title, and the overall layout at that point. I wanted to save “Up All Night” for a full-length album because I was so attached to it. But once I went back and read the lyrics, I knew that it was the missing, most important chapter in the story. And when he added that signature, cinematic Khaga sound to the track, we knew immediately that it was to be the first single.
What can you tell us about your upcoming project “I’ve Seen Enough, I Know What It Does”? Do you have a release date in mind for it?
“I’ve Seen Enough, I Know What It Does” is the project I’ve always dreamed of putting out. That dark, moody sound is something I’ve always been influenced by. I think there’s something to be said about creating darkness that is beautiful and appealing. That is temptation’s true form. I feel like all my life, especially through my art, I’ve silenced my true self by giving into the temptation laid out in front of me. And as I’ve gotten older, that piece of me that I left to rot is coming into the light. I think “I’ve Seen Enough…” portrays that beautiful temptation through my own lens. I see it as my ultimate wakeup call, and a newfound understanding of self-destructiveness. You’ll get to hear that project very soon, in early March.
Would you say that "Up All Night" is indicative of what we can expect from the project sonically and thematically?
“Up All Night” is the statement of the new era. I knew I wanted to release a single that would properly portray this alluring, yet in-your-face energy that we’re creating. Just after hearing the single, you know that there’s some sort of madness going on. Whether the listener gets the story right away or not, that madness is very clear. I love “Up All Night” because of how raw the subject matter is, but also how accessible the sound is.
Going into the process, we (J. Khaga and I) wanted to create something powerful and authentic. I also felt the need to close this very scary chapter I was going through personally. Naturally, the project began to mirror that journey in real time. I compare a lot of the project to Dante’s Inferno, and how his perception of evil evolved alongside the perception of himself. “I’ve Seen Enough’…” is my recognition of self-destruction, and confronting that temptation. We want to tell this story as honestly and as lively as humanly possible.
How would you say that “I’ve Seen Enough, I Know What It Does” is different than your last EP? Would you say that you've matured a lot as a singer-songwriter since that release?
Well for starters, I think this project is pretty thunderous compared the last EP. “I’ve Seen Enough…” further progresses that story of guilt and regret, transitioning into that final stride of anger just before the closure kicks in.
As a songwriter, my lyrics have just gotten more honest. I want that uncomfortable, raw darkness to be portrayed in a way that makes sense to as many listeners as possible. I’ve been learning to listen to myself, and that’s been very apparent in my writing.
Working with J. Khaga has also challenged me to see the big picture in what I’m trying to say. As soon as I started being honest with myself, that’s when I was able to make that proper transition, and finish writing the project. You’re not properly telling your story if you don’t know what you’re talking about. When you stop giving into fear and let your thoughts express themselves, no matter how distorted or dark they are, you’ll start telling your story properly.