Ken Will Morton

Kickin' Out the Rungs with the Devil

originally published August 20, 2008

If only every artist could find his own Rara Avis Records to support him, then musicians could go back to being musicians, and this crazy industry would be all the better for it. Maybe then all artists would speak of their craft with the same carefree amicability as local singer-songwriter Ken Will Morton. He has two decades of music experience behind him, and he sees nothing but endless roads and possibilities up ahead.

"Some people say music is a big competition," says Morton. "I don't feel that way. I think you put your art out in the world, and if it's quality stuff, people will connect with it, pass it around and you'll be successful... It's not a race. I'm in no big hurry; just smellin' the roses."

Rara Avis was founded this year by Morton's longtime publicist and manager Michelle Roche as an avenue for releasing his music. With Roche behind him, Morton seems almost passively calm and confident about the direction he's headed. It's a rare find these days to hear an artist who says he feels "no pressure" to learn the new digital marketing game himself. Roche, on the other hand, rattles off Morton's achievements, accolades and future plans with unmatched devotion. It must be a huge relief to have such unwavering support from a label. It hasn't been like that for long.

Two years ago, Morton was tied to Fundamental Records, the label that released King of Coming Around. Although the record was well received by the media (thanks to Roche), the release didn't go as well as planned. Morton doesn't elaborate on the details of his departure from Fundamental, but he says enough to suggest a messy falling out.

"It was a really frustrating experience because no one did what they said they were going to do… That whole experience - signing a contract with a strange company when you think it's not a strange company when you sign it - it did make me more trepidatious about signing something else."

That explains why it has taken so long for Morton to release the fantastically energetic live rock album Devil in Me, which was recorded back in 2006 with his old backing band the Wholly Ghosts. Although that lineup has since, in Morton's words, "imploded," the record successfully captures a great live band at its prime.

"Both Jason Bradberry and Brandon Hicks are such killer musicians in their own right, they inspired me," says Morton. The album was recorded live in Hicks' basement, and although the budget was tight and the resources limited, Hicks' recording ingenuity got the band "a big sound for very little dollars."

Devil in Me has lots of powerful, chugging guitars and Morton's distinct Southern rasp leans more toward Springsteen or Petty than Dylan on the spectrum of classic American sounds that he's always scaled gracefully. For a live record, the production is impressively clean; stand-out tracks "Devil in Me," "Faith Healer" and "Alcohol" even gleam with the possibility of radio success. It wouldn't be a surprise if we heard these songs popping up in films or television either, as Morton has already had some success with licensing in the past. Just in April, his track "Oh Lord" off of King of Coming Around was featured prominently on the Discovery Channel show "The Deadliest Catch."

What's more, Devil in Me isn't all Morton has to show for the past two years. It wasn't enough to make a comeback with just one record - Rara Avis also put out another full-length this summer called Kickin' Out the Rungs. While it is somewhat unconventional to put out two albums at once, these dual releases do serve to illustrate the true scope and diversity of Morton's songwriting ability. Where Devil in Me rocks, Kickin' Out the Rungs rolls. In the absence of his Wholly Ghosts, Morton digs deep into his folky soul and unearths 10 organic tunes that are full of warmth and disarming sincerity. Plus, Morton admits, going solo isn't such a bad financial move these days.

"I'm really glad that I've got the skills I have to entertain by myself with gas prices as they are... you can eat and travel for one a lot cheaper than for four of five."

Morton is the sole signing of Rara Avis for now, but Roche says she is just testing the waters with these two releases and hopes to work with other artists she is "genuinely a fan of." With that kind of support, no artist is really solo, anyway.

You can get a preview of Morton's live show by tuning into 90.5FM WUOG on Thursday, Aug. 21 for his performance on "Live in the Lobby." If you can't make it out this weekend, you can also catch Morton at the Terrapin brewery on Thursday, Aug. 28.

Michelle Gilzenrat

WHO: Ken Will Morton
WHERE: Rye Bar
WHEN: Saturday, August 23
HOW MUCH: FREE!