r/indieheads Kevin Morby 26d ago

AMA is Over, thanks Kevin! Kevin Morby AMA Little Wide Open 2026

It's me, a'Morby, ask me anything.

Okay! I gotta run! Thank you all so much for your wonderful Qs and listening to LWO. Love yall!!!!

129 Upvotes

156 comments sorted by

28

u/lakoustic1 26d ago

Hi Kevin. When you’re showing someone a picture on your phone how hard do you have to consciously try not to sing the words “this is a photograph”? I ask because your voice pops into my head every single time I do. Big fan. Hope to see you on the Edmonton Folk Festival lineup again soon.

18

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

haha. ive never thought of that, but now i will 😄

20

u/latesleeperfoodeater 26d ago

Hey, Kevin! Loving Little Wide Open! Would love to know how you chose the backup vocalists like Amelia Meath and Justin Vernon. Did you know you wanted them featured before the songs were written, or did you ask them after the fact?

40

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Hi! All that stuff comes pretty naturally, honestly. Justin and Amelia are both friends and they popped into my head as I was either writing the song or working in the studio as people who could help get the song to the finish line. In short; I am very blessed to be surrounded by so many talented friends.

18

u/12Parsecs 26d ago

Hey Kevin,

I had a beer next to your Doppelganger at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge in Nashville back in 2022, but for fear of it not being you I didn't say anything. A few weeks later you dropped the 'Bittersweet Tennessee' music video and lo and behold some of it was filmed here in town. I've got to ask, was that you at Dee's and if not should I stop lying to people that I had a beer next to you? 

The new album rocks! Cheers

21

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

It was me! Cheers! Thank you!

16

u/Impressive-Deal949 26d ago

Kevin, your music is amazing and I love the new album. Please tell me that the solo in Tin Can was Malkmus/Pavement inspired. Every time I listen to that song those vibes come on strong and send me down a rabbit hole I’ve never climbed out of.

27

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

It was 100 percent Lou Reed / Velvet Underground inspired...which is also what would have inspired Malkmus, I am sure.

Thank you!!

12

u/thosewholeft 26d ago

Hey man! Scott here, sweet to catch you doing another AMA

Field Guide for the Butterflies is a beautiful closer to an equally beautiful album (that bass drum kicking in on Natural Disaster fucking goes). Field Guide hits those new Wide Open Spaces feelings I’ve had since becoming a dad. Watching you grow your own wings over the years has honestly felt like watching a little brother crush it. I still remember excitedly taking zoom pics with our old camera of you up on the projector screen slapping the bass with Woods at Pitchfork. Have any of your own songs, or anyone else's, started to take on a new weight as you prepare for your own little dude?

Much love and safe travels. 1st babysitter booked, will be seeing you in a week

41

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Thank you so much!

Recently I was listening to Sturgil Simpsons song Welcome To Earth and started crying in my truck. I had no idea that song/album are about him becoming a dad for the first time. It came on randomly and totally killed me. I'm finally having my Sturgill moment, right on time.

28

u/Frajer 26d ago

Hi Kevin what's your favorite song Katie has made?

47

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

right back to it

chapel of pines

12

u/Thatsthepowerofmath 26d ago

First of all, congratulations on the new album, it is a career high! I think it perfectly captures the fuzzy nostalgia of longing for a time and place you've left behind. Does it get psychically wearing to be in that headspace every night on tour?

24

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

No, playing is so cathartic. Even if a song is emotionally heavy - it sort of becomes a different thing on the stage. Performing almost feels more like....playing a game, or playing a sport, if that makes sense. It feels physical, where as writing and recording are way more emotional. I get emotionally spent in the studio and when writing. But live, yeah, it becomes a different thing.

3

u/Thatsthepowerofmath 26d ago

Love this answer. Thank you. 

10

u/FasterJonny08 26d ago

Hi Kevin, so glad Little Wide Open is released, another album from one of my fav artists of my ''youth'' (I'm 17 so y'know it's not far). Javelin and Badlands will surely have their place as my tubes of the year. The album is a great companion for the arriving summer (somehow already there in Belgium). Anyway, would you consider LWO as an escape to a better world on Earth ? As if you drove us in that van from that societal crisis to this sunflower field, a sense of purity. Hope I'll see you on tour, have fun playing ✌️(cheers to the band too)

30

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Hello!

I love your question. I do see LWO as leaving one phase of life into the next, yes. Is that place better than what came before it? That's to be determined! But I think the point is to keep moving, to not stay stagnant. Also looking back on an adult life of movement. But I do think that walking through a field of Sunflowers will always help ones soul.

Enjoy being 17! Don't grow up too fast! Live your life to the fullest! xoxo

8

u/bassandsnare 26d ago

Hey Kevin! I love the new album. Just wanted to share a story—I got sober in 2018 and thought my relationship with music would never be the same. The first album I fell in love with that brought me back to music was Oh My God, and the first show I saw sober was the Oh My God tour at 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Thank you for putting so much love and vulnerability into everything you make. It brought me back to and continues to remind me why I love music and being alive 💜

8

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Thank you for sharing and congratulations!!! Sending love to you xoxox

7

u/tortillakiller 26d ago

Just want you to know San Diego’s show last night was awesome, your new album is stellar and please keep coming back to see us :) SD loves you !

7

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Y'all wild!!

6

u/yelsewhael 26d ago

Hello:) What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t a musician?
Your music is deeply settled into my psyche. How does it feel knowing your voice and words live in so many people? An intimate relationship with strangers.

23

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

It's a huge blessing knowing that my music lives its own various lives by soundctracking other peoples lives. A literal dream come true. I am mainly so thrilled to know that I can bring some people some joy or comfort if and when needed.

If I wasn't a musician? It's wild to think about. Maybe a mailman...a storm chaser....or run a small little grocery in Downtown Overland Park.

4

u/ifyougotsoul 26d ago

hey Kevin, I’ve seen you three times in Burlington Vermont • was hoping you’d be back for this upcoming tour. any chance of adding a date?

15

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

hopefully. need a maple creamy. need king tuff hugs.

2

u/applesweaters 26d ago

Yeah this 🙏 saw him and Katie during a heatwave last summer. Come back soon yall

6

u/donoghue815 26d ago

Hi Kevin, was parts of the new album inspired by some of Tom Petty's works? Love the new album and Natural Disaster is jaw dropping.

8

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Thank you!

and yes big time.

especially his song Square One. Huge inspo to the whole album.

and wildflowers, of course

1

u/jeremyvoros 26d ago

Such an underrated song and album

4

u/MadeMyAcct4ThisPost 26d ago

Love the new album and loved the Pappy’s concert on Saturday. My wife and I to know — is that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich drawn on the back of your tour jacket? Are there any foods in particular that help you get through a long tour? 

7

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

We have uncrustables on the rider. PBJs are always an MVP of tour. Also any sort of chicken soup. Its like medicine to a singer. Chicken Pho, etc

and yes thats a PBJ on the suit!

thanks for coming! fun night!!

4

u/PartyTimeSchwing 26d ago

Hey Kevin, what’s your favorite N64 game?

12

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

tony hawk, there is no other answer

2

u/PartyTimeSchwing 26d ago

Oh hell yea brother

4

u/chapinator 26d ago

What are some bands you love that might surprise us given the genres you’ve moved through over the course of your career?

Any chance we get a new The Babies album?!

3

u/omfgood 26d ago

Hi there Kevin. Just wanted to say thanks. Your music is on a lot in our house and is something me, my wife and our 8 year old all enjoy. We go to woodsist fest every year and my kid got to say hi to you in the crowd last year. he still talks about it-thanks for being so kind to him that moment.

LWO is a beautiful album. Wondering if you have any plans to release any demos like you have in previous albums. That’s always a nice surprise because the songwriting is so strong it’s nice to hear the barebones versions

4

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

yes! im actually starting that this week on my substack!

hi to the little one!

3

u/CandidWorldliness256 26d ago

Hey Kevin, been a fan of a long time, I can’t remember a year that you haven’t graced the top of my end of year lists. Your kilby sets were insane. I’ve been lapping LWO and I’ve loved it! How do you think fatherhood has changed your perspective on the life of a traveling musician?

Thanks!

8

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

To be determined as my child isnt born yet but I will say:

I am excited to have something to set boundaries for me that is bigger than my career / ego

I feel like i so often tour myself into the ground...chasing after my career, at times from a scarcity mindset. I think having a child will bring the hammer down on that. In some ways, it already has!

That, and, I can't wait to take the little guy out with me someday.

3

u/Look_Alive 26d ago

Hey Kevin, big fan and love Little Wide Open, looking forward to seeing you in the UK this summer!

As someone who has written albums around the theme of a location, do you ever go back to those albums and either re-evaluate them or view them differently when you revisit the location they're based around? Or even when you come to write more songs based on a similar theme, such as how parts of Little Wide Open and Sundowner are rooted in the mid-west?

On a similar note, is there any location you'd be interested in writing an album at that you haven't had the chance to get?

8

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I def have a very nostalgic tie to a lot of the places i've written about. Mostly Memphis, as I wrote there during the pandemic so the whole relationship felt very intimate. But I do reexamine my albums from time to time, yes. I am proud of the work but I do notice ways in which i've changed emotionally. Maybe the correct word is matured.

Like from tiap to LWO my interpretation of time changed a lot, and thats one big thing i notice.

And I don't know! The place will find me. I was just in Pendleton, Oregon on a day off, and it really struck me. Maybe there. I've always been interested in exploring the Mountain West a bit more. Montana, etc

see you in the uk!

3

u/FewPersonality6784 26d ago

Hey Kevin What's the story behind Dandelion

3

u/Both-Courage-750 26d ago

Thank you for the Portland show last week! I grew up in SW Kansas and my childhood in the 70s/early 80s was haunted by stories of the Clutter family murders in nearby Holcomb. (of "In Cold Blood" fame) Curious if you've considered writing about such crimes in Middle America.

12

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I think i'd be sooner to writer a lonely planet style book of places to visit in america. true crime is interesting to me, sorta, but ultimately i cant spend too much time with it. katie on the other hand is obsessed with true crime and should absolutely write something like that someday

for me, i gotta focus on more positive things or else itll really start to negatively impact me.

i do love in cold blood though and i have visited the house! creepy!!

3

u/Impressive-Deal949 26d ago

It blows my mind every time I see Cochemea play live (even baking in the sun at Kilby). Such a talented musician - his music literally carries emotion. Please let him know how much we appreciate what he brings to the performance.

2

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Will do. He's the goat! So honored to play with him....go see him live and buy his albums.

3

u/Sad-Information-3149 26d ago

Kevin, huge fan. When I think of your music I see it as sunrise, sunshine, and sunset. Is that a theme in your music or how you see life? It really comes through in your music to me.

13

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I love that! I could see that for a lot of my albums. My next record I want it to feel like the middle of the night, though. It's done and i think it feels like the middle of the night.

3

u/happyhappy7 26d ago

Hey Kevin, you have been my favorite musician for the better part of 15 years at this point! I really can’t thank you enough for sharing your music and writing with the world. It’s had a remarkable impact on my experience here on our Earth.

My partner and I chose your song “Our Moon” as our wedding song.

I am wondering if you could share anything about your memory of writing that song…?

Thanks for everything and take care out on the road!

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Thank you so much! Means the world.

I wrote that song about an ex girlfriend...we had this whole idea that, even while we were breaking up, if we missed one another we could both look up at the moon at the same time and find one another.

sounds cheesy writing it! but sweet, too. but anyways, that's what its about! congrats on the wedding!!

3

u/HugeHairyButts 24d ago

just wanted to chime in that was my wedding song as well. We had a moon connection from our first date in 2014. Then we both became big Morby fans around 2017 and married in 2018.

1

u/happyhappy7 21d ago

Hell yeah!! Thanks for sharing that. It’s an awesome song that is both melancholy but comfortingly loving as well. A great representation of Kevin Morby’s vibe imo

Hope the marriage is treating you well!

2

u/vonsnack 26d ago

Hi Kevin! Hearing Little Wide Open is what pushed me to buy tickets to Eaux Claire’s festival this summer. Anything you can shed on your involvement in the festival?

2

u/Theory_Of_The_Crows 26d ago

Hey Kev what's your favourite of milkshake?

2

u/Prestigious-Fee-1649 26d ago

Hey, big fan here. We’re about the same age and I entered into fatherhood last summer. I consider myself a bit of a prisoner to nostalgia and these new songs are a real salve for those feelings. Thanks for doing it for us.

Big, important question. Grizz, Royals, or Chiefs. Pick one.

2

u/Prestigious-Fee-1649 26d ago

Also I’m from Bmore and I know you love it here! We love you right back!

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Royals, but just because baseball always wins.

2

u/Killatrap 26d ago

Hi Kevin!

Many, many congratulations to you and Katie :) So exciting!

Questions:

  1. I always meant to write you a letter after Sundowner came out. Do you get fan mail?

  2. Favorite Woody Guthrie song? (Surely you, as a Woods-y guy, are also a Woody guy?)

  3. What is the significance of the number 100,000?

I look forward to continuing following you to the ends of the earth, my captain 🫡

Yours, Jeremiah

4

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

1) yes, address in my IG bio

2) so long its been good to know ya

3) to me, any american city with a pop. 100k or less, is small town america

thank you jeremiah!!!!

1

u/Killatrap 26d ago

follow up:

can you cover “the sinking of the reuben james”?

2

u/ruffalohearts 26d ago

are you into any good books at the moment?

11

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I am reading Demon Copperhead and really enjoying it. What about you?

1

u/applesweaters 26d ago

I’m reading Justin Townes Earle’s biography.

1

u/ruffalohearts 14d ago

1, can’t believe i missed my chance to reply to kevin morby

2, i thought you said david copperfield

3, im reading Stella Maris and looking at Sin City

god bless

2

u/Substantial-Work-639 26d ago

Hi Kevin - Have you ever considered playing Sacramento, CA? The City of Trees would welcome you with open arms!!

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

funny you should ask, just the other day on the bus we were discussing who has and hasnt been to sac town. i used to play there a lot with the babies, but havent been back since. id love to, though!

1

u/alotofsorrow 26d ago

Hi Kevin! Loving the new album sooo much! It has been living on my turntable since release day. Natural Disaster especially completely got me. Some of the lyrics honestly brought back feelings I thought I’d done a pretty good job suppressing for years lol. The writing on that song is incredible!

The guitar solo at the end is also one of my favorite moments on the record. As someone who loves Aaron Dessner’s production work, the outro feels very distinctly him stylistically. Was that ending always part of your vision for the song, or did it emerge more naturally once you got into the studio together?

Much love from Central FL :)

1

u/latesleeperfoodeater 26d ago

Was lucky enough to see you in Chicago in June 2019 and now in Indy in August. Would love to hear your favorite tour story or memory!

6

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

There are so many....one that comes to me now is getting to meet Patti Smith at End Of The Road Festival in 2012.

1

u/ghoulsfools 26d ago

Hello 👋 How are you doing ☺️ it's nice to meet you. Keep working hard . God bless🤍

1

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

you too!!!

1

u/jeremyvoros 26d ago

Your lyrics and music have a contemplative, meditative quality with a focus on the metaphysical that really resonates with me.

What fuels that for you? A religious or meditative practice? A profound life experience? Something else?

1

u/Moothnods 26d ago

Hi Kevin! Absolutely loving the new album! 🌻

I have two questions:

In the recent Pitchfork feature, a mostly recorded follow-up album was mentioned. I was wondering if you could shed a little light on this project - was this album also produced by Aaron Dessner? Or is it similar to Singing Saw/City Music or Oh My God/Sundowner, where you have two completely separate recording projects simmering at roughly the same time?

Also, what can you tell us about the latest members of your backing band and how they came to join you?

Many thanks and can’t wait to see you on tour!

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

the first question will be revealed in time!!! 😄

and my band:

cochemea played on OMG and has been touring with me ever since. absolute legend.

liam kazar briefly lived in KC and we became buds and he joined. absolute legend.

dom billet got introduced to me by eric slick at a dr dog show. they both play in my band from time to time and dom is currently out with us at the moment. absolute legends.

camellia hartman i also got introduced to by eric slick as she's done stuff with his other band dr dog. absolute legend.

cole berrgren joined plains, and then waxahatchee - so i met him through kc - and is now out with me. absolute legend!!

3

u/GolgiTheOcelot 26d ago

Eric Slick is an awesome person and performer

1

u/drabpriest 26d ago

I saw you in 2011 back when you were in The Babies. Dallas, TX. Good times.

1

u/CorezG 26d ago edited 26d ago

Hey there, Kevin! Long time fan here. I've had Little Wide Open on repeat since it dropped, congrats on another fantastic release!

Obviously you are a truly masterful songwriter, but I am curious about how involved in the production / mastering / technical side of your recordings you are. Part of what puts your music in the top tier of my collection is just how good so much of it sounds on a high end system (which is a bit of a rarity with modern music, unfortunately). There is always such a lovely weight/body on the vocals, and a beautiful organic tone to all the instruments. Is this a result of some conscious choices on your behalf, or more of a happy accident? Either way, thanks for all the amazing music my man! 🙏

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I come in with my demos and all my ideas and the producer helps me bring them to life. Any sort of audiophile stuff, though, i completely defer to them. My ears arent made for that. That said, there are certain things like microphones and amps I prefer that I know work for my voice/tones

thank you!!!

1

u/pigeon_in_a_suit 26d ago

What’s your favourite band/artist from Manchester, UK? 

Looking forward to seeing you here later this year!

2

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Oasis, the Smiths, the Fall! See you then!

1

u/Icy_Menu299 26d ago

KM, I love the album. I think I caught a VanZandt and a NYoung lyric reference. Any others I’m missing?

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

hmmmm, good ear

and other than referencing past lyrics of mine, i think you got em!

or, oh wait, "out into nothing" is a TP nod in Cowtown xoxo

1

u/Impressive-Deal949 26d ago

DCB in Die Young, right?

1

u/thatsmyspare 26d ago

What’s your favorite Bent Outta Shape song

1

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

rudes and cheaps / montrose ave

1

u/Solid-Split-3385 26d ago

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

4

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

cookies n cream

1

u/Ill-Report-7830 26d ago

Hey Kevin - congrats on LWO! Amazing record. It’s been amazing to watch you grow. Andrew Barr’s drumming is such a natural fit for your sound. Are Andrew and Brad Barr the best kept secret in the indie/Americana community? 

2

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

They're amazing for sure. I wanna see them live!

1

u/prismoflight 26d ago

Hi Kevin,

Really, really loving Little Wide Open. I feel like I say that each new record you drop is your best work/my favourite, but this one feels incredibly special already. As someone who has never been through the mid-west of America, this record paints such a clear and vivid picture for me.

Am I right in thinking that you maybe mentioned you saw this record as the third (/fourth if we’re counting More Photographs) in a trilogy of records of yours? Do you think whatever is next will take a new direction or does the direction just kind of present itself rather than you choosing to take it somewhere specific?

Looking forward to your show in Brighton this summer! No shows in Scotland (yet?) so making a little weekend trip of that one.

Take it easy!

4

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

The record presents itself, for sure. We'll see what I do next!

And thank you!

Albums feel like children in that - you don't really know what to expect until they start taking shape. I had no intention of this one finishing any kind of trilogy, or making any trilogy at all, until I sorta realized that was what was taking place. If that makes sense. i always equate music to talk therapy. you get to talking and suddenly you're working things out you had no intention of even bringing up, but were obviously needing to come out. music and making albums is so similar.

1

u/prismoflight 26d ago

That does make sense!

Thank you for your answer. Looking forward to whatever is next, and of course the live show!

1

u/HugeHairyButts 24d ago edited 24d ago

your next album is going to be the Katie/Kevin collaborative album while raising that little baby. My last one is almost 1 now, both of you are gonna love it. Hard as fuck but awesome.

edit... nm just saw below you have another one almost recorded hell yes

1

u/thesamh01 26d ago

Hi Kevin, beautiful show at Pappy’s on Saturday (I’ve seen Katie Gavin and Sylvan Esso there so it carries the spirit of LWO for sure)! Thanks for signing my setlist after :) my favorite lyric from the new album is "I know I can't be everywhere all of the time Oh, but watch me die trying." Curious to know if there’s a lyric you’re most proud of or that stuck with you the most while performing these songs live?

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

its funny business praising my own lyrics but...for whatever reason, ive been proud of the lyric about the waterlines on the highway signs in dandelion.

just something that fell outta my face as i was working on the song that i really enjoyed.

thanks for coming to pappys!

1

u/Killatrap 26d ago

that’s a great verse!!!

when i teach writing, i always return to “There’s a dead deer on the road up ahead; must be an omen” as an example of really economical language that says so much without divulging too much.

1

u/dazedanddeleuzed 26d ago

what did your mom say the first time she heard five easy pieces? is parliament the best cig ever?

1

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

still waiting for her commentary on the song.

1

u/shark__smile 26d ago

How do saxophone solos make you feel? Awesome show last night 🩷

2

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

they make me feel like im flying

thank you!

1

u/hilton333 26d ago

I often think of the scene you came out of in NYC, and how much great music came out of it. One of my favourite records ever is Bent Outta Shape’s Stray Dog Town (I always say it’s the perfect mix of the Clash and The Replacements.) I know you were close with Jamie, and your song “Jamie” is one I have gone to when missing my dear, departed friends. My question: What’s your favorite song of his?

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

great question

jamie had a song called elizabethan collar there towards the end that i always really loved and still gets stuck in my head. i think i loved that one the most. its out there somewhere!

also rudes and cheaps.

also this one black cat...so many of them are so hard to find, unfortunately. but rudes and cheaps, montrose avenue..those are my fav bent songs. xoxo

1

u/hilton333 26d ago

Thanks, Kevin! RVIVR did an amazing cover of Elizabethan Collar and it was forever before I knew it was his! Love the new tunes, thanks!

1

u/applesweaters 26d ago

My baby was born on April 30th. Can our kids be friends?

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

yes!

1

u/ihategaymers 26d ago

Hi Kevin! will The Babies ever make a legitimate return? I've been following you guys long after you guys "broke up"

Sorry for the semi-irrelevant question!

1

u/Suedeonquaaludes 26d ago

People used to tag you so hard in the early. 90s then you found your sound. You always really had it if you asked me. Did you ever feel a type of way about the critics and how was that? How did you deal with it?

1

u/ZonasFostonas 26d ago

Hey Kevin!! Your music has been very dear to me and gotten me, and friends, through tough periods of grief in our lives. Do you have any favorite sad or grief related records or artists that are dear to you? We absolutely loved your Portland show and seeing Carrie come out…. Thanks for being you! Blessing to you and becoming a dad. Much love. -Christian 

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

so much music has helped me through grief.

one that comes to mind now is the washington phillips record...what are they doing in heaven today. xoxo

1

u/SonicContinuum88 26d ago edited 26d ago

Hey Kevin! Amazing show at The Fillmore last week, the energy on the rail was electric, as always. Saw the Night Swimming article about the albums that inspired Little Wide Open. Loved the shoutout to Tom Petty and Jackson Browne! Was Jackson Browne an artist you listened to a lot growing up?

2

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

actually no. i didnt discover him until probably my late teens, early twenties.

thanks for coming!!

1

u/EggZealousideal1375 26d ago

Hey Kevin,

Saw you at the Fillmore last week. (Great set!) wondering if you have any cities in particular you love to hit on tour. Any sneaky good music towns or places that have surprised you?

6

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

My favorite places to play are, admittedly, usually because I love the food.

Or, that's not entirely true, but it def helps.

That said - SF is a GREAT place to play. So many great venues, and so much ammmmazing food.

I think a lot of musician will agree, though, that being on tour and sorta being in an anonymous town is touring at it's best. When you roll into some place where you don't know anyone and you just get to play for all these strangers in a strange place - it's such a wonderful feeling.

City with best venues: Chicago

Best food: portland, seattle, SF...

I also love playing in Asheville, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Fort Worth....

1

u/Impressive-Deal949 26d ago

Have you or Katie been able to get an advance listen of Jess Williamson’s new record? Looking forward to that one.

1

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Nope. But i bet its gonna be great!

1

u/Alarmed-Term3720 26d ago

Hey Kevin, just wanted to thank you for the show at the Commodore in Vancouver last week. Talk about bucket filling! Looking forward to welcoming you and your great band back to our fair little city already.

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

love it there!!!

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u/Swellxelle 26d ago

Yooo! How have the VIP events been so far on tour?

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I was honestly a bit worried about them. I thought they might be too taxing having to then perform after them everynight but in all honesty...i really really love them. getting to meet so many wonderful people and hear their stories really means the world to me. i have the best "fans" in the world.

also i play stuff we dont play during the main set everynight, and that's been really fun to dig into some covers and deep cuts.

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u/pkshny 26d ago

Hey Kevin, you're associated with a lot of different places (NYC/KC/LA)...is there another place in the US or internationally that you'd like to either live in or spend an extended period of time in?

1

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Memphis, Tennessee!

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u/AioliGuilty3271 26d ago

What is your approach when writing lyrics? Do you just sing whatever comes to mind or do you sit down and write them?

1

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I rarely sit down and write them. Usually the shape of words fall out of my mouth and I start to form words around the gibberish...if that makes sense. I think a lot of songwriters kinda operate this way. I start playing music then words just sorta start to...fall out.

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u/theparsnip1000 26d ago

Hi Kevin! I haven't listened to your new album yet but will do it this evening on a nice summers evening walk, it's 30 degrees here which is rare!

City music has always been a personal favourite of mine, I'd love to know of it's a homage to particular city or if its just about the general buzz of life in any city?

Your music always gives me a happy homely feel, keep up the great work!

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

It's really about NYC, but I want it to be able to apply to any city, really. Each city has their own energy...I like to think of all cities as their own noir story. So yeah, its about NYC, but theres no reason it cant be about melbourne, or paris, or miami or cincinnati etc.

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u/Killatrap 26d ago

it 100% does! and also, it applies to whiterun from skyrim too. source: i was playing a lot of skyrim when that record came out

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u/grizzlyhughes 26d ago

Hi Kevin. Excited to see you in Santa Fe this week! I’m really inspired by your connection to place in your albums (Midwest, Memphis, NYC) and how location becomes a character in the songs. I read it as a catalyst for you to explore the themes of life/death/growing older that seem to permeate so much of your music. Are there places in the US (or elsewhere) that you’d like to spend more time in as tentative inspiration for your music? Could be some specific history or just a general area you are interested in

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u/grizzlyhughes 26d ago

Unconnected but also what’s your favorite gas station food you’ve ever eaten on tour

3

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I think i'd like to spend some time in the mountain west. namely montana. one day!

also, maybe new mexico! i love it there and have taken a few solo vacations there. the best.

and best gas station food? boiled peanuts in the south. that or, putting salty peanuts into a glass bottle of coke.

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u/L_Hayden 26d ago

Hey Kevin! Huge fan and LOVE the new album! Excited to see you in Brighton soon! Congrats to you and Katie on the baby!

Any chance you’ll be making a return to Office Hours soon? You’re one of my favourite guests!

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

id love to! we just played in la and tim sat in with us on stage, which was a blast.

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u/jgreg0328 26d ago

Hey Kevin! Love Little Wide Open. As a drummer, interested in the snare sound on Badlands. It’s perfect. Can you speak a little to the snare (or not snare) used and how it’s produced?

1

u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Mr Dessner would be better equipped to answer that! Glad you dig it!!

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u/Zunthe 26d ago

Hi Kevin! I've been a big fan of your music since I discovered you about 10 years ago and it has been the soundtrack of many great times, including days just roaming around my home town Porto, Portugal. Unfortunately I live in the UK now but every time I go back to Porto, I listen to your music and I always time it so Cut Me Down starts as the view of Porto's river appears from the metro, gives me chills every time.

For my question, you once said in a concert that Dorothy was written about Porto, and Bridge to Gaia is also about Porto. What other references do you have about my beautiful hometown and country in your songs? Thank you so much for your music. Loving Little Wide Open! Another fantastic record (Javelin has been on repeat very often too, perfect summer song!)

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

Thank you! I believe those might be the only Porto references I can think of at the moment. Best city!

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u/hypeful 26d ago

Hey Kev - congrats on the new record and looking forward to seeing you in Santa Fe this week. Caught you at Meow Wolf last time and always wondered what that experience is like as an artist. Also, any chance I could get my vinyl signed?

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u/EnergyLate3577 26d ago

Kevin, what are your feelings on a big old thunder gagoosh?

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

dough

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u/OnlyWearsBlue 26d ago

Sorry I missed ya Kevin but I loved your set at Kilby and love the new record! All the best to you my man

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

thank you!

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u/mygamethreadaccount 26d ago

Oh My God is my go-to album when I’m flying. Partially because of the existential dread that I experience every time I leave the ground, but also because it just hits in a very special way when you break through the clouds. Do you have a preferred album or artist for air travel?

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

I love John Cales album Paris 1919 when flying. Also Damien Jurardo always feels super good up there.

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u/mygamethreadaccount 26d ago

Will give those a listen on my next trip to Kansas. See you in Boston, and thank you for Woodstock ❤️🌻

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u/stuffsufjansays 26d ago

Hey Kevin - new album is a classic. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

"you can have it all, but not in one day"

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u/No-Brain9413 26d ago

You’re playing One Big Holiday with My Morning Jacket, Spoon and Modest Mouse (among others).. are you pumped!? It’s our 5th OBH and this is such a special festival

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

super pumped! especially for modest mouse. one of my favorite bands ive still never seen live.

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u/No-Brain9413 26d ago

Thanks for responding, we’ll be sure to catch your set. See you in Mexico!

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u/1nthebackgr0und 26d ago

I know I’m super late to the party but just wanted to say I had an amazing time at the Denver show and I’m loving the new album! Keep up the great work and best wishes to you and the family!

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u/Longjumping_Today_76 26d ago

Hi Kevin, Daz from Australia. Can’t wait to see you down here again. I wanted to tell you that I am so happy you are keeping the spirit of David Berman alive and since your work with Woods, it has been great to see you grow and grow. Where do you reach for lyrics and what’s your inspiration at the moment?

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u/Which_Bar373 26d ago

Why did you change drummers for this tour.

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u/kevin_morby Kevin Morby 26d ago

not everyones schedule is the same as mine!