Boulder local Christopher Morse is making ripples through the local music scene with his new single, “Nobody Else.” The tune brings elements of pop and folk music to the table, with a slightly upbeat vibe and the thematic tension of desire. A topic that nearly everyone finds relatable, Morse describes the depths of love and what it drives humanity to do. He’ll be showing off the tune on Friday, Oct. 25 and Black and Blues Music and Brews in Loveland and Saturday, Dec. 7 at The Tavern at Red Feather Lakes.
Morse’s musical inspirations come out of a lifelong journey through music. He grew up on the East Coast, with two classical musicians for parents. By the time he made it to middle school, he was already in a music-centric school, surrounded by students with an affinity for sound. As he got older, he attended the American Boychoir School and toured the country, making stops at iconic destinations like Carnegie Hall. “That was a sort of first deep dive into performing at a really high level,” he said.
As Morse evolved, so did his music tastes and inspirations: “I’ve always loved pop music. Growing up in my house, it was all classical music all the time. So it wasn’t until middle school when I started hearing more current [music].”
Now, his music reflects many of those pop elements, but it folds other genres into the mix, too. “Maybe song structure and chord wise I held onto the more folk elements. As I’ve grown as an artist, I’ve come to love the Nashville sound that’s country adjacent. It’s almost country but not quite. I love the sound lyrically and melodically. So I’ve tried to emulate that as well.” He also hopes to connect with listeners of all ages, from kids to people in the later stages of life.
Morse was a vocalist for as long as he can remember, but he didn’t pick up the guitar to accompany his vocals until John Mayer’s first album came out in 2001. “Room for Squares” was one of his greatest early inspirations, and it drove him to diversify his musical skills. Now he often accompanies himself with guitar.
“From there, I started learning songs and in college, I started playing coffee houses and stuff and gradually started playing my own songs,” he reflected.
His latest creative endeavor, “Nobody Else,” is the first release of four. “They’ll be spaced out about a month apart,” said Morse. While he explained he’d love to release a full album, “As an independent artist, it’s so much easier to do it in small chunks just because of the timing and the cost involved.” Like many lesser-known musicians, Morse’s current struggle revolves around the expenses associated with releasing a full album.
Still, he continues to play local shows regularly: “I play all over Colorado — up to Fort Collins and down into the Springs. Roots Music Project, here in Boulder, has sort of been like a second home for me. That’s a great venue. I book and host the songcraft and songwriters series.” Morse has also been working to scale his dreams and reach new listeners by touring in new locations. This year, he traveled nearly 1,000 miles and included portions of the Midwest on a tour. Since moving to Colorado, he’s even made his Nashville debut by playing at the Music Row Freak Show, which is best known for adopting new artists and providing them with a place to fully express themselves. And Morse is just getting started.
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