When pop singer-songwriter morgxn was first trying to make it as an artist out of his hometown, Nashville, there were a lot of difficult roadblocks in his way, preventing him from being the person he always wanted to be.
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“A manager sat me down one time and said ‘You will never make it in music as an openly gay man in Nashville,’” he recalled on a recent episode of American Songwriter’s Twitch show, Off The Record Live. “I think that 10 years ago was a different time… back then, that was exactly the truth.”
As difficult as it was to swallow, morgxn ultimately opted to pack his bags and leave for a more accommodating city and scene. He went to New York for some time (and even had a stint on Broadway as a part of the cast of Spring Awakening) and eventually ended up in Los Angeles, where he really started to make his name as an originator of organic and irresistibly fresh pop cuts.
Then, in 2018, he broke through—with his single “Home,” featuring indie-pop juggernauts, WALK THE MOON, morgxn had his first bonafide hit. Racking up millions of streams, the song went around the globe… even finding its way onto Billie Eilish’s list of six “songs that inspired ‘bad guy.’”
After this, morgxn had even more wind beneath his wings—then, in 2020, he struck gold again with his tune “Wonder,” which blew up on TikTok. Striking on the moment, morgxn utilized the amazing community of creative collaborators around him and made WONDER [reimagined], a full record featuring different versions of “Wonder.” This project eventually came to a climax when Sara Bareilles reached out with interest in cutting a duet version of it—this past August, the two sang the song live on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
All of this led to morgxn doing the one thing he’s wanted to do all along: move back to Nashville. Returning recently with a sense of triumph on his sleeve, he’s been busy working on his latest effort: Meridian vol. 2, the second half of his Meridian project which will be hitting DSPs on November 11.
Discussing everything from his upbringing to his current success, his process, his morning routine, his preferences for coffee, and more, the Off The Record episode gives viewers the chance to really get to know morgxn and the magic of his work. Playing a few songs, he even unveiled one of Meridian Vol. 2’s tracks, “Burden.”
Watch the full interview and performance below:
