Morgan Wade Is Finding Her Way Ahead of New Album “Psychopath”
When Morgan Wade very first appeared on the independent country scene, she had us all really excited. Here was an authentic songwriter from Floyd, Virginia playing earnest songs acoustically that could fill the void of women at the top of the independent country insurgency. She was the female version of Tyler Childers, we all surmised.
But when her debut album Reckless came out, it wasn’t exactly that. It wasn’t bad, but there were more rock and pop moments than what we had expected. It still went onto to be very well-received, and find a wide and appreciative audience, even if that audience only rubbed elbows with independent country as opposed to hitting the bulls-eye.
Maybe the problem wasn’t Morgan Wade though. Maybe it was the expectations we had impressed upon her simply because she came up playing acoustic songs, was swimming in tattoos, and was from Appalachia. Now as a major label artist and a large concert draw, Wade is becoming that female headliner we were looking for, even if it’s not exclusively in the independent country world.
Ahead of her new album Psychopath coming out on August 25th, you were sort of preparing yourself for her to go full-blown pop. After all, Wade has been talking a lot about the importance of her pop influences to the press. And with the way she moves and presents herself on stage, you felt like if her new music had any roots at all, it would be a victory. Then Wade said ahead of the ‘Psychopath’ song and album announcement,
“Regardless of what people say about ‘Psychopath,’ I’m proud because I feel like it showcases where I’m at with my sophomore album. I have no choice but to be authentic. And I have to feel what I feel. And right now, I’m really feeling the music.”
…almost like she was setting us up for a dramatic sea change.
But the song “Psychopath” feels right in line with the sound that Morgan Wade and producer Sadler Vaden have crafted for her, and that has earned her a loyal fan base, including with elements of independent country. Though the title might sounds a bit raw and intimidating, the song is actually a grateful love story. Some moog-like pulsations drift into the mix giving it some pop flavor, but this is still the rootsy singer/songwriter approach Wade is known for.
You continue to see Wade on the lineups of a lot of independent country festivals around the US, even after signing with a major label. She still feels like a part of the groundswell of artists reshaping the country music narrative, even if she doesn’t fit snugly in that crowd. Like American Aquarium and other more country rock outfits, it’s not a perfect fit. But if it’s good music, it belongs somewhere.
Psychopath is now available for pre-order.
May 23, 2023 @ 9:38 am
Sophomore albums always seem to be very hit or miss. I hope Morgan’s lands and is similar to her first which had regular play for me. She does seem to have a wide range of influences though and has been writing with a bunch of different artist.
May 23, 2023 @ 9:39 am
This is dime a dozen coffee shop singer songwriter stuff.
May 23, 2023 @ 1:54 pm
A bit of the same sentiment. I was hoping for a lot more lyrically with the new song. I’ll still give the album a listen.
Thanks for the balanced coverage of female artists, Trigg.
May 26, 2023 @ 9:21 am
Ben must like to getting his ass kicked!
May 23, 2023 @ 9:41 am
Also, she must have some serious self loathing to have done that to her body.
May 23, 2023 @ 10:35 am
Post a pic of your body so was can make a judgement about your psyche.
May 23, 2023 @ 11:26 am
Why? I’m genuinely curious. Thank you in advance. How can someone’s degree of tattoos give you an insight into their degree of “self-loathing”?
May 23, 2023 @ 11:29 am
Obviously they’re trying to cover themselves up. It’s clearly a sign of psychological distress. No other reason you’d fuck up a perfectly good body.
May 23, 2023 @ 11:38 am
No other reason. None at all. That’s based on empirical evidence, I’m certain. Also, people can get tattoos and not believe they will “fuck up their body.” Opinion and fact are different things.
May 23, 2023 @ 12:00 pm
I could make the exact opposite: she has enough self-confidence and self-love that she wants her body to look the way she wants it and she doesn’t care what ben thinks.
May 24, 2023 @ 2:49 am
This is going to be unpopular but that level of tattoos is the ink equivalent of taking a razor blade to your forearms. It does seem like a cry for help.
May 24, 2023 @ 6:09 pm
You dont know much about her so why comment.
May 23, 2023 @ 11:58 am
Tatted up people try to justify their choices in many ways, but in the end it’s a symptom of something wrong and rather than getting actual help, they pay money to ruin their body.
May 23, 2023 @ 1:21 pm
I have tattoos and I don’t have to justify it or try to justify it to anyone, especially not you. Seriously dude, just stfu already.
May 23, 2023 @ 8:59 pm
I have been reading this website almost daily since 2013 and have never posted until now. Congrats ben. I have to say is that this comment, and the others that you have made on this particular page, are asinine and ignorant. Just because the actions of one person, of which have absolutely zero effect on you or others, do not align with your particular way of life, doesn’t mean you get to attack the actions of that individual, and a not-insignificant portion of the population, by saying such things as “No other reason you’d fuck up a perfectly good body” or “they pay to ruin their body”.
If you would like to educate yourself on the very extensive history of tattoos, I suggest you do a little research. A quick review of Wikipedia’s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tattooing page states that “Tattooing was not a simple marking on the skin: it was a process that highlighted cultural connections to Indigenous ways of knowing and viewing the world, as well as connections to family, society, and place.” Perhaps that is what Ms. Wade is trying to accomplish here (excluding the word “indigenous”)?
I for one deeply resonate with some of her songs, even cried the first time I listened to her acoustic release of “The Night” as I found it highly relatable and was even a factor that pushed me to seek the help that I needed. For the record, I have one tattoo that cost me $50. What a waste.
@Trig, keep up the good work. This week’s comments section in particular has been a cesspool of idiocy, just know that there are a ton of people that read and appreciate everything you do.
May 23, 2023 @ 9:01 pm
Thanks for reading.
May 24, 2023 @ 2:54 am
@Three Chord, no one is deriding having a single tattoo. It’s covering every single inch of one’s skin that is the point of contention here. Getting offended doesn’t mean you are automatically right.
May 23, 2023 @ 11:58 am
I think Ben’s original comment was quite unnecessary and mean spirited, but if you listen to her music the self loathing is very evident, you don’t need the tattoos to make that assumption. Still a rude judgment to make on appearance though
May 23, 2023 @ 10:48 am
Do what exactly? Morgan’s fitness level rivals that of a pro athlete. She is insanely fit. She takes care of her body in a way most of us will never get close to. If she wants some ink, how does that hurt you? Drop the judgment friend.
May 23, 2023 @ 10:55 am
I’m happy to judge people that do that.
May 23, 2023 @ 12:40 pm
Internet psychologists must have some serious self-loathing to judge people on such random ass reasons.
May 23, 2023 @ 5:51 pm
You’re just being an asshat, but I’ll answer as though you were serious. She’s literally put out multiple songs about her struggles with mental health and addiction, this is not remotely news. She’s also talked in interviews about having an addictive personality and that being why she always has to get another tattoo or keep up those crazy workouts. And if that’s what works for her, I say go for it.
May 23, 2023 @ 6:36 pm
I’m not kidding.
May 23, 2023 @ 6:47 pm
Nobody said you were kidding, just that you’re an asshat. I’m sure you take your role very seriously.
May 24, 2023 @ 2:41 am
Many popular tattoos (tramp stamps, barbed wire, chinese symbols, etc) from the 90’s were looked at as “tacky” in he the subsequent decades. Why will this not happen to the current trend of tattoos, especially considering it’s commonplace for tattoos to take up way more skin?
All I know is when I am walking down the street, nothing is less intimidating than a millenial or gen Z man with fresh tattoos. It’s all so very “unearned” like they are trying to purchase orginality; like everyone else.
May 24, 2023 @ 10:02 am
Gen Z is actually getting far less tattoos than their predecessor generations, especially Millennials, who almost half are tatted. Part of that is many of them not being of age, and not being able to afford it, but also because they just am not that into it, which is just fine. They’re also buying far less alcohol and hard drugs, though they are smoking weed like chimneys.
May 24, 2023 @ 6:15 am
agreed. I’d say that’s as good a way to put it as any. Altho, the constant look of indifference on her face and the lyrics in her songs are also pretty good indicators of self loathing. I do find it funny however how people get so bent out of shape when other people criticize tattoos and tattoo culture. it’s not like she was born that way. she made a conscious decision to do that to herself. I have a firm policy of never judging someone by their appearance, but I will judge a person by their bad choices in a heartbeat. Oh and her music is just ok. couple good songs. I don’t really give her much thought one way or another.
May 24, 2023 @ 3:24 pm
I just don’t understand the need for people to criticize tattoos. But I also don’t really give a flying fuck what people do with their bodies. Wanna get ink? Cool! Wanna dye your hair? Have at it. Wanna get fake jugs? You do you.
May 25, 2023 @ 8:13 am
with a couple of well placed tattoos, I don’t usually have an opinion one way or another. If you’re one of those people with neck, face, hand, or whole body tattoos, I usually take that to mean you love being the center of attention and have a story to tell that no one is asking to hear. I generally avoid people who make spectacles of themselves. Anyways, I also have two young sons. I hate that tattoos have become so mainstream. I don’t want my children thinking that sh*t is normal.
May 27, 2023 @ 2:59 pm
If someone wears bright yellow clown shoes to work every day, in every context, you’d say something about it, yes? To the gym, to the office, in the snow, to the beach, in bed, etc. They never take them off. Maybe they wear the clown shoes everywhere because they think the shoes have some inscrutable deep meaning. But they’re still clown shoes.
This is no different.
May 28, 2023 @ 6:18 am
That may be the worst analogy I’ve ever encountered. You seem to struggle with basic logic and reasoning.
May 28, 2023 @ 11:22 am
Do their clown shoes impact me? Nope. Therefore I don’t care.
May 24, 2023 @ 12:00 pm
Yeah, and someone needs to tell Lynyrd Skynyrd to cut their hair!
May 24, 2023 @ 6:26 pm
Pretty obtuse if you can’t tell the difference between not getting haircuts and permanently ruining basically all your skin. There’s a wide, wide gulf between the two.
May 24, 2023 @ 6:45 pm
As someone who has zero tattoos, and isn’t even the biggest fan of Morgan Wades music, I just found your comment bizarre considering all the great artists who also have tattoos. I reckon I’ll just curate a “self loathing” playlist full of 49 Winchester, Mike and the Moonpies, Sierra Ferrell, Jesse Daniel, Vandoliers, Nikki Lane, Hank III, etc.
May 25, 2023 @ 11:55 am
I mean some people go out of their way to make tattoos a central part of their appearance/identity, so I don’t think critiquing them is off limits. The way a person projects themselves both through their modified physical appearance, as well as the stories they tell through their lyrics paints a certain picture.
May 23, 2023 @ 9:53 am
If it’s good music, it belongs somewhere, is a sentiment I endorse. Her debut was good music and an enjoyable listen. I am looking forward to this album.
May 24, 2023 @ 6:43 pm
As someone who has zero tattoos, and isn’t even the biggest fan of Morgan Wades music, I just found your comment bizarre considering all the great artists who also have tattoos. I reckon I’ll just curate a “self loathing” playlist full of 49 Winchester, Mike and the Moonpies, Sierra Ferrell, Jesse Daniel, Vandoliers, Nikki Lane, Hank III, etc.
May 24, 2023 @ 6:46 pm
Apologies, WuK. Replied in the wrong spot.
May 23, 2023 @ 10:12 am
Reckless absolutely rules even though i do wish it was a bit more rootsy and twangy. Psychopath is the exact same approach which like you said isn’t really a bad thing. Idk i go back and forth about Sadler as a producer and will forever wonder what Reckless would have sounded like with more roots production. That being said its still one of my favorite albums of the last few years and I’m fired up for this next record. The label seems to be supporting the hell out of her so hopefully its full of bangers and sends her into the stratosphere.
jpr real hard
May 24, 2023 @ 5:55 am
I really liked Reckless as well despite it not being as rootsy as the earlier stuff… I’d often wondered about a different producer as well but that’s *my* personal preference of music – as long as she’s happy with how it turned out and got to make the record *she* wanted to make then more power to her.
Was a bit concerned with the direction it appeared The Night Part2 was going but Psychopath sounds like what i was hoping to hear from her
May 23, 2023 @ 10:13 am
Reckless is probably my #1 album of 2021 so I’m very excited for her follow up. Also really enjoyed her acoustic EP.
May 23, 2023 @ 10:35 am
I love Morgan Wade and her debut album is still a regular spin for me. Psychopath is definitely more enjoyable for me than the pop stuff she’s been putting out recently and I hope it continues that way.
I hear something imperceptibly different in her voice though. It feels like she took a little bit of the edge off – slightly less accent, slightly different enunciation. The way she sings Wilder Days or Northern Air just sounds a lot better to me than Psychopath but I can’t quite but my finger on the difference.
May 23, 2023 @ 11:34 am
Wow, so Edgy, Gothy, “country”.
She does realize this schtick is So 1999, 2000?
May 23, 2023 @ 12:12 pm
Big announcement from Morgan today involving breast cancer on her Instagram.
May 23, 2023 @ 12:22 pm
Involving markers for breast cancer, not breast cancer itself.
May 23, 2023 @ 2:23 pm
Yes. Figured it best to let everyone read for themselves rather than try to explain her situation.
https://www.instagram.com/morganwademusic/
May 23, 2023 @ 12:37 pm
Maybe it’s because I haven’t read much of the press but I fully expected it to sound similar to Reckless, which was my favorite album of 2021. Not sure why you felt the need to assume the worst.
May 23, 2023 @ 1:00 pm
I definitely don’t want it characterized that I was “assuming the worst.” I think a lot of folks were expecting Wade to continue to move more toward pop and rock influences since that has been the trajectory of her career, and are happy that “Psychopath” sort of sits in her established sound. Granted, it’s just one song. But the point of the first song of an album is to get folks excited about it, and I think “Psychopath” accomplishes this, at least for Morgan Wade’s established fans.
May 23, 2023 @ 3:34 pm
Really really love her stuff. Lyrics and songs can be love song themed yet has more maturity and complexity than just fluff generic stuff. Love her voice and really anything she puts out. I think she’s original and authentic.
Trig, she did decent song with diplo which made me nervous too about next step, but I’m def here to see what’s next for her.
May 23, 2023 @ 4:10 pm
Well I for one like what I hear, I think she has a good sound, and am looking forward to hearing more.
May 23, 2023 @ 6:21 pm
Is she related to Wade’s grocery stores in the New River Valley??
May 23, 2023 @ 7:01 pm
I have a feeling that she will be a SuperStar, give it time.
I love her voice, you go girl.
Tell family hi.
May 24, 2023 @ 12:49 am
I don’t know; I guess we’re grading today’s female artists on a curve or something. They all seem to have that breathy, baby voice now. I remember when female artists were distinctive. One reason why Patty Loveless is going into the HOF.
May 24, 2023 @ 1:59 am
I really love 80’s country. And Patty Loveless is my favorite female singer.
May 24, 2023 @ 6:05 am
are we listening to the same artist? Morgan has one of the most unique, distinctive voices in the industry at the moment. She sounds even better live, which is rare nowadays.
May 24, 2023 @ 7:11 am
Gotta wholeheartedly agree with KD on this one. She doesn’t sound like anyone else. The first time I heard “Wilder Days” I immediately ordered “Reckless” on vinyl without listening to another song before pushing the purchase button. Figured if the rest of it was just her singing nursery rhymes with a xylophone accompanying I’d still love it. Have damn near worn it out since. That voice is everything. Digging her return to a more Americana sound with this new one for sure.
May 24, 2023 @ 7:59 am
I find her voice irritating. Like she’s trying to be Country Kurt Cobain.
May 24, 2023 @ 1:54 am
On a first listen it sounds like a good song and the lyrics seem well crafted. I will quickly turn off a song on the roots radio station if the lyrics suck. And this is Different from Zach Bryan’s ADD-incongruent-rambling-teenage-emotion lyrics. Because there is a cohesive theme about it.
After being forced to endure an hours of Zach Bryan’s music I borderline hate it. All of it. I know this isn’t a Zach Bryan post but his popularity has made his style important. I am starting to hate Whiskey Myers after being forced to hear too much of their music.
May 24, 2023 @ 3:54 am
watched her on the Stagecoach Festival live stream, she did a lot of cheesy bachelorette type covers like The Outfield’s Your Love..same cheeseball pop country just a lot of tattoos
May 24, 2023 @ 7:15 am
I loved her last album, and am very excited for this one! I guess I’m a Sadler Vaden producer fan because Drayton Farley’s latest is my favorite album of the year.
May 24, 2023 @ 5:43 pm
As someone who doesn’t care about her tattoos, I’m tired of being shamed for being disappointed when an artist pulls a musical bait and switch. She introduced herself as a very striped down, raw, lyrically driven artist, then releases an indie pop country album. I certainly don’t expect musicians to stay stagnant and release the same album every two years, but an organic evolution would be nice at least. She can release whatever she wants but nobody should feel bad for expecting something else and being subsequently turned off.