In 2003, Morris recorded and released an independent album titled, UnSpoken.
He performed at 2008's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and, on September 23, 2008, released a five song EP entitled "Backstage at Bonnaroo and Other Acoustic Performances".
In fall 2008 he toured extensively with Joan Osborne.
Morris is currently signed as a recording artist to Tennman Records. His debut album on Tennman, When Everything Breaks Open, was released on January 12th, 2010
What is it that separates Matt Morris from so many other recording artists? When you peel back all the layers – the diverse moods, styles and topics he sings about – there is one common denominator: They reflect Matt’s dedication to living and writing about a meaningful life.
In an increasingly rushed and rude world, in which politicians and talk radio hosts hurl epithets and insults, where honest disagreements are shouted down by dishonest rhetoric, Matt Morris gives voice to our best instincts. “We’re looking for a way to make it better/Looking for a way to change the weather,” he sings in “Live Forever” from his new album When Everything Breaks Open on Tennman Records. On the album, Matt embraces the personal and political, the romantic and the spiritual, in a way that recalls Stevie Wonder’s 1970s streak of masterworks.
He can build epic emotional epiphanies such as “Forgiveness” and “Eternity,” and switch gears with the rhythmic “Money.” He is bold and fearless with sarcasm on “The Un-American,” where Morris holds up a mirror to the demagogues of divisiveness and asks: “What if you’re the un-American?” The dynamic singer is also at home with the ambitious “Don’t You Dare”, on memorable love songs like “Just Before the Morning,” and shows his compassion with his message in “In This House.”
When Everything Breaks Open was produced in Austin, Texas, and in Los Angeles by Charlie Sexton and Tennman label founder Justin Timberlake – two names you wouldn’t intuitively expect to team up in the studio. “Charlie and Justin can be seen as representative of different sides of my music,” Morris says. “There is an earthy, rooted, sometimes melancholy side to some of my writing that is in line with Charlie’s personality and approach. There is a playful, high-energy, soulful side that speaks to who Justin is, as a person and producer. The two people are very different from one another, but they both have impeccable instincts.”
Morris has known Timberlake since the early 1990s, when the two were child co-stars of that era’s edition of “The All New Mickey Mouse Club.” Morris was on the show for four seasons, from 1991-1995. Even before what was popularly known as MMC, Morris was a stage savvy performer. His father is country artist Gary Morris, former Broadway actor and once one of country’s biggest stars. His parents divorced when he was young; he lived with his mother in Denver, but on summer vacations, he would often join his father not just on the road, but on stage.
In addition to Timberlake, Morris’ friends and contemporaries from the show included luminaries such as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, and JC Chasez. While many of his cohorts leveraged their Disney Channel exposure to successful pop and acting careers, Morris craved teenage normality, and the family headed back to Denver. “At 15, all I really wanted to do was hang out, get my learner’s permit, and not work” Morris says. “I didn’t want to be a celebrity; I wanted to be a kid."
During the summer between his Junior and Senior years in high school, Matt worked as a volunteer health activist for the non-profit organization, Amigos de las Americas. He worked in a remote village in Paraguay, South America, teaching hygiene to locals and assisting with sanitation. Matt’s experience with Amigos was a precursor to the work he would do as a partner artist with the Flobot’s non-profit, FightWithTools.org, an organization committed to providing support on many levels to communities in need.
Morris reunited as a collaborator for some of his fellow Mouseketeers as they pursued their music careers. Morris and Aguilera co-wrote five songs on her Stripped album, including the hit “Can’t Hold Us Down”; they also wrote Kelly Clarkson’s hit, “Miss Independent.” Morris teamed up with Timberlake to craft “The Only Promise That Remains” – a duet performed by Timberlake and Reba McEntire for the Reba Duets album. The pair also wrote “All Over Again (Another Song)” produced by mega-producer Rick Rubin, for Justin’s 2008 FutureSex/LoveSounds.
“To write for another person is to channel that person’s artistic vision,” Morris says. “I work to become aligned with their intentions, and allow my words to speak as close to their perspectives as possible. I think that’s why it is so easy for me to write with Justin, and why my time with Christina yielded so many songs. I know them; we have a shared context.”
Morris’ own music occupies a time and space entirely different from the songs he has collaborated on. In 2003, Matt released the DIY album, UnSpoken, and over the last couple of years has toured with Grammy award winners The Indigo Girls and Joan Osborne. In 2008, he performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, which spawned a five song EP – Backstage at Bonnaroo and other Acoustic Performances.
All these years of work paved the way for When Everything Breaks Open, which was conceived in a Middle Eastern restaurant in New York City. “Justin had just performed on “Saturday Night Live” for the first time, and I was there to support him and watch the show. At dinner after the show, he told me he was going to start a label of his own, and that he wanted to sign me as his artist. He said he was going to help me share my music with the world, and I believed him.”
On When Everything Breaks Open, Matt Morris has grown from an award-winning songwriter to a multi-talented recording artist with the first ambitious release of 2010.
In This House
Matt Morris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like dandelion seeds,
They spring up where they please.
The buildings grow up and they come down,
Changing the landscape of the town,
Whats inside them is what counts, to me.
Is there love, in this house?
You can fill it up with shiny things,
Flashy fur, designer jeans,
But is there love, in this house?
When it costs too much to eat,
And the airs too hard to sleep,
I lie awake and think.
The rain goes up and it don't come down,
Poor people who move it now,
No one makes a fuss about it.
Well is there love, in this house?
Is there love, in this house?
You can fill it up with shiny things,
Flashy fur, designer jeans,
But is there love, in this house?
Ohhhh...
I tell ya, I don't know.
Is there love, in this house?
Is there love, in this house?
Can we be the change we wish to see,
Realize our hopes and dreams?
And is there love in this house?
Ohhhh...
I say what we gonna do babe when the money runs out,
What we gonna do babe?
What we gonna do babe when the money runs out,
Tell me.
Matt Morris's song "In This House" is a moving commentary on the trappings of modern-day life and the importance of love and human connection above all material possessions. The song is a reflection on the rapidly changing urban landscape, with buildings springing up like weeds, and emphasizes the need for homes to be filled with love, rather than simply shiny things. Morris asks the crucial question, "Is there love in this house?" and implores listeners to consider the deeper meaning of what it means to have a home.
The song's lyrics also touch on the issue of economic inequality and its impact on individual lives. Morris paints a poignant picture of the struggle to make ends meet, with the cost of living rising and the air becoming more difficult to breathe. Amidst this struggle, Morris still maintains his focus on the importance of love and connection, as he asks listeners to consider how they can be the change they wish to see in the world. The final lines of the song, "What we gonna do babe when the money runs out, Tell me," drive home the message that love and human connection are what truly matter when everything else falls away.
Line by Line Meaning
These buildings grow like weeds,
The buildings in the town are growing rapidly and without control, much like the way weeds grow uncontrollably.
Like dandelion seeds,
Just as the seeds of a dandelion are easily dispersed and can grow anywhere, so are these buildings springing up wherever they please.
They spring up where they please.
The buildings are appearing wherever they are permitted to without any careful planning or management.
The buildings grow up and they come down,
Buildings are constantly being built and torn down, changing the physical appearance of the town.
Changing the landscape of the town,
The buildings are altering the appearance of the town, and it's not always for the better.
What's inside them is what counts, to me.
Regardless of the outward appearance of a building, what's inside of it and the people who live there are what truly matter.
Is there love, in this house?
The singer wonders if there is genuine love within the walls of a building.
You can fill it up with shiny things,
It's easy to decorate a house with flashy, expensive items.
Flashy fur, designer jeans,
The singer references trendy, high-end clothing to represent materialistic possessions that can fill a house.
But is there love, in this house?
Even though a house may look fancy or impressive, the singer questions if there is love present in the home.
When it costs too much to eat,
When the price of food becomes difficult to afford,
And the air's too hard to sleep,
When the air quality or other factors make it difficult to rest,
I lie awake and think.
The singer can't sleep and is left to contemplate the state of things.
The rain goes up and it don't come down,
A metaphor for the cycle of poverty where those who are struggling continue to struggle without any relief.
Poor people who move it now,
Those who are experiencing hardship are often the ones who have to find a way to persevere despite their circumstances.
No one makes a fuss about it.
There is often little concern or attention paid to those who are experiencing poverty or other hardships.
Can we be the change we wish to see,
Rather than simply hoping for change, the singer suggests taking action to create the change we want to see in the world.
Realize our hopes and dreams?
By taking action, can we make our dreams a reality?
I say what we gonna do babe when the money runs out,
The singer questions what will happen when the money is gone and financial stability is no longer present.
Tell me.
The singer is seeking an answer to this important question.
Contributed by Katherine L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.