Morgan Myles believes music is therapy, and so is her new album. Myles hopes that once you hear her new album, you will understand why she named it “Therapy.” The fight to release her first full album was a difficult journey for the singer/songwriter, but for Myles, the struggle was worth it. Once you listen to this album in its entirety, I think you will agree with Morgan. The lyrics are impactful and relatable, and Morgan’s vocals are powerful and moving. “Therapy” is undoubtedly the best music the singer/songwriter has released since moving to Nashville. However, her journey to get here was full of ups and downs.
Morgan Myles’s Musical Beginning
Morgan Myles’s path to a music career began in Pennsylvania. Unlike many singer/songwriters, Morgan said, “There is no one in my family that is musical, but my mom always wanted a piano in the house. It was basically for decoration.” Myles continued, “I guess I was around three years old, and I began sitting down at the piano and just played. When I was six years old, my mom started taking piano lessons with me so that I could start earlier.”
Myles has always been a singer. Morgan said, “My mom said I never stopped singing.” She learned to hone her vocal prowess by listening to the divas of the 1990s. The singer/songwriter said, “My dad was a 6’3”, veneer factory guy, who owned two CDs when he bought a stereo with a CD player. He had Jackson Browne, and the other was Mariah Carey’s “Music Box” album. I learned a lot about singing from listening to that Mariah Carey CD.” When you hear Morgan Myles sing, you can hear those soulful singers from her childhood.
Morgan Myles: Cultivating an Artist
Musical theatre is an avenue for many singers to become more comfortable performing on stage. Morgan said, “I was into musical theatre. As a freshman in high school, I played the role of Dorothy in “The Wiz.” Myles continued, “One of the musicians in the pit was Dave Brumbaugh, who was my guitar teacher. Dave was very hard on me but made me into the guitar player I am. It also connected me to my voice. He taught me not to be a diva, allowed me to play with his band, and opened me to music that was not popular at the time.”
A surprising fact Morgan’s fans may not know is that she was also a dancer. Myles said, “My mom had me into everything. I was a dancer, but I was awkward on stage. My dance teacher, Billy Ross, had me doing the most insane steps. I didn’t know what to do with my body. However, through dance, I believe I learned how to connect my body musically. All that I have done was cultivating an artist.”
Music as a Career
To Morgan Myles, music is therapy. However, a career in music is also the only thing she wanted to do. Morgan said, “It has been an uphill battle.” When she was younger, she said, “my mom would pick me up from school and take me into New York City to cut a demo and come back home. I would be in school the next morning by 7:00 AM.”
Independent artists have a learning curve that can be a challenge. Myles said, “It was a bit of a whirlwind, like what are we doing because we didn’t know. We thought we had made it walking into a meeting at IMG Publishing, but we weren’t even close. It was part of the process. I went where there were opportunities, which is what brought me to Nashville ten years ago.”
The Nashville Songwriting Community
Since moving to Nashville, Morgan Myles has made a name for herself in the music scene. Myles has one of the best voices in Nashville, but she is also a great songwriter too. The singer/songwriter said, “The songwriting community in Nashville is incredible. Nashville is where you learn how to tell that three-minute movie. I don’t think there is anywhere in the world that has a writing community like Nashville.”
Technology has changed a lot about how we live and work, and this is also true of songwriting. Myles said, “The ability to record anywhere has changed a lot. Now you can have these writer’s retreats.” For example, a group of songwriters could rent a chalet in the mountains for a few days, with the purpose of writing and recording. Morgan said, “I love writing in Los Angeles too, and I have been writing there more often.”
It is fascinating to watch the growth of songwriters in Music City. New people move to town every day to chase their dreams in Nashville, and the chance to work with and learn from songwriters help them improve their writing. For Morgan, this was also true. The singer/songwriter said, “Truly, I learned a lot when I got to town, but I am still learning how to be a better writer. I am learning how to tell a story better.”
Why Music is Therapy?
For songwriters and performers, music gives them an outlet to express themselves. Music provides them with a sense of purpose and is their passion. Myles said, “I love performing live! I love that natural high, that energy you get from playing. However, I also love that incredible release after writing one hell of a song. That excitement is just two different spectrums.”
Songwriters begin writing for different reasons, but a common theme is writing songs gave them a way to deal with traumatic events are just everyday drama. Morgan said, “I wrote my first song when I was around nine years old. I think it was called “Everybody Hurts,” but I can’t remember the chords. For me, it was a way to talk my way through school and drama. It was Therapy! Not to plug my album, but it was therapy.” For Morgan Myles, songwriting has remained therapy.
For listeners, a song can take you into another world. A song can trigger a memory or make you confront something you are feeling. Songwriters who are willing to be vulnerable in their writing can connect with their audience. Myles said, “The business as an artist or singer/songwriter is tough because you have to be vulnerable to be genuine and authentic. Every artist wants to connect with their audience. It is our job to make you feel like we all go through things. I feel like God gave me this voice for a reason. It’s what keeps pulling me through my ups and downs. He is giving me these words to attach my story to others so they can heal.”
Fighting for What You Want
After years of struggling to get noticed in the country genre, many women are forging a path for themselves. Morgan Myles is one of those women. Myles said, “I decided to do singer/songwriter and not fight the country genre. I belong with the Brandi Carlisle, Patty Griffin, and Grace Potter. I got tired of fighting to get on country radio. You can make a good living doing what you love and have more control.”
Myles is proud of her new album, “Therapy.” However, getting to this point was not an easy road for the singer/songwriter. The easiest part for Myles was the songwriting and the recording. Morgan said, “I wrote seventy songs in five months for an August deadline. The recording process was effortless.” Producers Corey Crowder and Jason Mater and all the musicians were a significant reason why the recording process went so well.
After the album was complete, issues arose with her former management company. This struggle would test the singer/songwriter, but Morgan kept fighting for the music to be released. Myles said, “At the same time I was fighting for this music, my cousin, Mack, was diagnosed with brain cancer, and he went on hospice. I think this was the first time I battled depression. The album became toxic for me because I was associating it with the situation.” The singer/songwriter continued, “I stayed away from it for three months. Once the album costs were paid, I started listening to it again. I was crying song after song and thought this is good music. That was the silver lining, and why I fought for it to be released.”
“Therapy”–The Album
Myles hopes this album speaks to you. The singer/songwriter said, “I want these words to influence people, because when you are hurting in life and you feel isolated and not good enough. You feel like nothing matters, and it is a scary place to be. Sometimes when you are isolated, the only thing you can do is pick up a book or listen to a song because you don’t want to see anyone.”
As a fan of music, I can attest to how many times I have listened to a songwriter play a song that I needed to hear at that moment in my life. Myles hopes, “when you hear that song, hopefully, it will pick you up. Even if it is a sad song and you are on that level, it will make you start realizing you are not alone. You are not the only person in the world who feels like this, and you will begin reaching for help.”
As much as Myles believes in this music, she said, “I don’t think this album is about Morgan Myles.” The singer/songwriter continued, “The album is about therapy, and I want people to hear these words.”
Why are the words so powerful?
Every song on this album speaks to me for different reasons, but I chose a few of my favorites to highlight. These four tracks stood out to me: “I Believe,” “Empire,” “Sanctuary,” and “Therapy.”
“I Believe,” written by Morgan Myles and Brandon Rogers, brought up memories of my life. The words of my grandfather giving me advice through the years filled my mind. I was reminded of the lessons of work ethic and being willing to take a chance that he taught me through the years. The beauty of this song is it will mean something different for everyone.
“Empire,” written by Morgan Myles, Steve Pasch, Greg Bieck, and Brian White, is an inspirational song that reminds us to believe in ourselves. As the song says, “There is a champion in everyone.” The lesson this song gives is to always chase your passion in life. I didn’t ask Morgan about the order in which she released each single, but it was genius to release “I Believe” and follow it with “Empire.” The message in those two songs goes hand in hand.
“Sanctuary,” written by Morgan Myles and Steve Pasch, is a song about a love that brings you peace. True love should not be stressful; it should be easy. Everyone can relate to wanting to find that particular person, who, when you have a terrible day, provide a soft place to fall. My grandparents were my sanctuary for many years, and when I lost them, I lost myself. Music became my sanctuary.
“Therapy,” written by Morgan Myles, Steve Pasch, Kim Tribble, and Darius Mines, is about hearing that song that makes you forget about your problems or making you deal with them directly. Everyone has listened to a song that spoke to them in a way that is not possible without music. Music can be the remedy for what ails us.
Thank You, Morgan!
Undiscovered Nashville is thankful to Morgan Myles for allowing us to tell this story. We are also grateful that she fought to release this album. We hope that “Therapy” impacts our readers and her fans as much as it affected us. Undiscovered Nashville and Morgan Myles believes music is therapy. Why are you waiting? Get some help today, Morgan Myles’s “Therapy,” available now.
