Two years ago, Erica Morgan, then a sophomore, released her first country single “Did You Think.”
“It was all timing,” Morgan said, for not long after the UP reported on the song was Morgan then asked to open up for James Otto at FAU’s Homecoming Concert. Now, two years later, the musician, describing her music as ‘country-pop’ or ‘crossover’ has co-written a song with Grammy-nominated songwriter Dan Demay, recorded songs in Jay DeMarcus’ of Rascal Flatts private studio, and is back on her way to Nashville to write, sing, and record some more.
UP: What started you off as a musician and how has it escalated since?
EM: I started listening to country music at a young age. I was bullied a lot in school and just didn’t fit in. I decided to pick up a guitar and start songwriting as an escape. I opened up for country star James Otto in 2011. I met his producer and band at that concert. Before I knew it, I was flying to Nashville a few months later, in the home of Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, recording in his private studio, with Otto’s band and producer, who is now producing all my future projects. On that trip, I also co-wrote a song called “Masquerade” with Grammy-nominated songwriter, Dan Demay, who wrote one of Martina McBride’s songs. On my second trip to Nashville, my favorite singer from when I was younger, Josh Hoge, came into the studio and also sang background vocals on one of my songs as well as recording a male version of it. Which was the most surreal experience!
UP: Where you starstruck when all these famous country stars started singing with you?
EM: I think it was all just a blur. I didn’t have time to act starstruck. I was like, ‘Is this really happening right now?’
UP: What’s the songwriting process like for you?
EM: I write about what I experience. I go through heartbreak and love and rejection just like every other 21-year-old does. It’s easiest to write about love since it’s the one thing that every single person in the world has in common. I look at songwriting like some sort of supernatural force of nature. A melody will come at the most random of times. When it does, I run to my guitar and lyrics and melodies start spilling out and I have no clue where they come from. Fifteen minutes later, a song is born.
UP: What artists inspire you?
EM: Shania Twain and Dolly Parton. They inspire me because they proved that country music doesn’t have to be a male-dominated genre, both on the radio and for being a songwriter trying to get cuts.
UP: What projects are you working on right now?
EM: I’ll be in Nashville for Spring Break recording and writing some new songs. One of them is the most personal song I’ve ever written and is extremely country, so I’m super excited to show my audience the new path I’m going down in terms of my artistry. The other song, “Foolish,” is fun and country/rock-ish which will be dominated by electric guitars. I’m excited for that one! I plan to release one of the two sometime in April. I hope to make a music video sometime in late 2013. I’m also working with FAU’s commercial music department [Hoot/Wisdom Recordings] on a song of mine called “Just Like Hollywood” for their upcoming compilation album to raise money for music scholarships.
UP: What can listeners expect?
EM: One of the songs I’m recording in Nashville is one that’s very close to my heart since it’s about experiencing the feeling of falling in love for the first time and having things crash and end as randomly as they started, a feeling I didn’t experience until a year and a half ago. I’ve always loved mixing country and pop together in my songs. However, my roots have always been and will always be country. This song is going to be pure country and lyrically, something a 21-year-old would want to listen to, hopefully! It’s called “Bittersweet Mistake.”
Morgan currently has three songs available on iTunes. “The Real Thing,” “Because I Love You,” and “Did You Think.”
Official Website: www.ericamorganmusic.com
Twitter: @EricaMorgan3
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ericamorganmusic
