Aphera Music

In the latest installment in the “Apheraware” series we bring you a very promising new artist. His name is Jack Morgan and his music immediately presents itself as a work of skilled craftsmanship. The songwriting tells an interesting story while the music tickles the ears with the sweet sounds of instruments recorded by someone with a penchant for good production. Even more, the songs contain the emotional subtlety that only a solo artist like Elliott Smith or Nick Drake can attain. But don’t be mistaken, there is certainly something more going on here than there is with your average singer/songwriter wielding a good voice and a good guitar (not to say anything of Smith or Drake, just helping you past the stigma). This is evident in the intricacies of his harmonies and lyricism. Just give it a good listen.

Click HERE to listen the Jack’s tracks “Furtherance” and “No Strain.”

Click Here to buy the Jack’s EP Sleep In Heavenly Peace, from which these songs came.

Here’s a short interview exchange that occurred via email:

George Woskob: What is your current status as an artist? Searching for record deals?

Jack Morgan: The internet was an important sounding board… I put my demo tracks up on forums as soon as they were done. You should expect that friends and family will respond positively to your stuff, even if it’s mediocre, but people on music forums have no reason to hold back criticism. Before putting my songs on the web, I had very little concept of them resonating with other people, but actually I received a lot of enthusiasm and encouragement.

“There’s a guy in Argentina who emails me about the songs, signing off with “your fan”… I think that’s amazing.”

There was an Australian indie label, wanting to start building an artist roster, which offered me an EP deal, so it’s weird, after making songs for personal catharsis, I’ve been encouraged to feel like there’s actually a place for them on people’s iPods or whatever.

GW: What are you doing to promote yourself?

JM: In terms of something to flog, I’ve bundled 6 of my demo tracks into an EP, “Sleep in Heavenly Peace”, which I’ve put on all the digital music stores through a service called Zimbalam, and I’ve sent a few CD copies to things like XFM Unsigned and BBC Introducing. Hopefully the online “release” will give things an air of legitimacy and I’ll be able to extract some blog/zine reviews before I send off press packs to labels/producers I’m interested in.

GW: Are you playing shows? Where?

JM: I’ve started playing gigs around London, aiming to do at least 1 or 2 a month. I’ve played the Bull and Gate in Kentish Town, the Miller in London Bridge, The Good Ship in Kilburn, and the Cavendish Arms in Stockwell.

My first set was a bit difficult…I played in a busy pub during a boxing match (…on TV, not around the bar). But a young couple who were listening invited me to play their wedding cocktail reception, which was crazy, especially as they insisted I played my own stuff. When I actually did it, even at my most trite it felt very strange singing “you are the one I love and always will be…well probably”.

GW: What do your songs represent? Are they reflections of inner feelings or are they artistic statements? Social commentary? Something more profound?

JM: I don’t know if there is, or should be, an umbrella concept to the music, but I kind of wish the songs were under an artistic brand distinct from “Jack Morgan” (maybe I’ll think of something…), because while they’re necessarily personal, I try to collect different voices and perspectives. If someone listened to the song “Event” and made a literal connection to “Jack Morgan”, they’d think I was a demented school shooter…Anyway, some of the lyrics on “Sleep in Heavenly Peace”, at least in the abstract, deal with losing comfortable mainstream frames of reference, and having to confront a derailed future with lots of guilt, confusion and pining. I like the song “Furtherance” because it’s so muddled in its message – and because there’s something so vague about the word itself – and it was on my mind especially because at graduation you’re presented with the privilege of being able to “further” yourself, essentially towards other privileges, but the question prickles: where am I actually leading and who for?

Well I sincerely hope you enjoy this “Apheraware” pick as we take it upon ourselves to make selections that will let you say “Hey, I heard about these guys before they were famous.”

Enjoy!

Jack Morgan’s current web location.

EDIT:

And he’s incredible live. Here is his song “Futherance.”