Kristen Lee Morris peddles a brand of down-home blues and rock & roll swagger that makes him the perfect support act for Corey Harris' upcoming Australian tour, Corey's first in 16 years.
Kristen is excited to be to support an artist who has played alongside the likes of BB King, Buddy Guy, Tracey Chapman and the Dave Matthews Band. “I'm really stoked for the opportunity [to support Corey Harris]. It's great for the chance to learn some things, to see how he goes about his business, and to soak it up a little bit and hear some great stories,” Kristen says.
“That's one of the things I love when I get to tour with people like that. To have a chance to talk stories with someone like that is a great opportunity. I've had the chance before to do a little run like this and there’s a little camaraderie that comes with it. We’re in it together.
“I know what my job is, which is to set-up a great night. Hopefully a friendship is formed and we're in the business of putting on a great show. That part of it is just fun to me. I live to play and I'm really looking forward to it.”
The tour comes off the back of Kristen receiving positive reception from publications such as Rolling Stone for his work with Eagle And The Wolf; a musical collaboration with his partner Sarah Humphreys.
The duo each bring their own style to the project with Kristen having a blues background and Sarah coming from the indie-folk world. “It shouldn't work, but it really does,” Kristen says. “In terms of when we do stuff together, she brings more of a sense of melody to what I do, and I probably help to bring a sense of power and rawness to what she does. We definitely bring different things out in each other and we both love it.
“We made this record and we had a little hunch it was special, but you just don't know whether you're going to drop the record and it's just going to be crickets chirping. The fact that people have latched onto it, get it, and feel some of the same things we feel in it is awesome. It's great.”
Kristen splits his time between Eagle And The Wolf and his solo work, which has been described as raw, heartfelt and honest. His late 2014 album, ‘Ruins’, was recorded at Nash Chambers’ Foggy Mountain Studios, situated in the Lower Hunter Valley of NSW. “I was going through a bit of a tough time and the writing of the album was a direct connection to the stuff I was going through. I think the sound of the record is very raw. We recorded it pretty much live in a couple of days. It was pretty special.”
The album carried some emotional weight that Kristen says was a cathartic process exploring. “There were some themes in the songs that confronted some pretty heavy truths and I knew that committing them to the record was like drawing a line in the sand. There was no turning back once these songs were on the record. Personally it meant a lot.”
Kristen is looking forward to bringing these songs to the live stage again for the tour. “It's absolutely where I belong. I never play anything the same way twice. Being in the moment is like catching a big wave. There's a sense of adrenaline and electricity about it which I absolutely love.”
Written by Edward Johnstone
Corey Harris with Kristen Lee Morris Tour Dates
Fri 19 Aug - Caravan Music Club (Melbourne)Sat 20 Aug - Harvester Moon Cafe – (Bellarine)
Sun 21 Aug - Lizottes (Newcastle)
Tue 23 Aug - Brass Monkey (Sydney)
Wed 24 Aug - Harmonie-German Club (Canberra)
Thu 25 Aug - The Basement (Sydney)
26-28 Aug - Gympie Music Muster*
*Corey Harris only
