Billy Morrison will release The Morrison Project - his third solo album and first since 2015 - on April 19th via TLG/Virgin Music Group.
Earlier today, the official video for "Drowning", the first single from The Morrison Project, was unveiled and can be seen below.
“I reached a point two or three years ago where the information flow was so constant, so extreme and so polarizing to me that I couldn’t take it all in,” says Morrison of the single, speaking to Spencer Kaufman of Consequence Sound. “Too much news, too many pundits and opinionated idiots. I felt like I was drowning in negativity. My previous solution was to numb out, get loaded, feel nothing, so this time I wrote the song as a cathartic way of dealing with what I was feeling at the time. That’s why the video is gritty, fast paced and hectic. It’s an attempt to illustrate what my head felt like at the time.”
Regarding the song’s music video, Morrison adds, “I drove everyone crazy with this video. First thing I said was, ‘We need underwater videography because I’m going to fall into a deep swimming pool with 20 lbs of weights attached. So I sink like a stone. I want you to film it! Once I had them on board with that, I threw in, ‘Oh, and we need to rent three huge cockroaches which are going to crawl all over my face’ — I’m sure they all think I’m crazy, but that sense of unease in the video captures the essence of the song. Information overload. We all feel it!”
The British guitarist, singer, and songwriter - primarily known as Billy Idol’s rhythm guitar player for the past 15 years alongside lead guitarist Steve Stevens, and for his previous role as bassist in The Cult - has assembled an electrifying 12 songs including guest performances by Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, DMC, Al Jourgensen, Steve Vai, Steve Stevens, Linda Perry, Tommy Clufetos, John 5, and more. The album’s first single, “Drowning”, is out February 23rd. Pre-order “Drowning” here.
The Morrison Project was produced by Billy Morrison, mixed by Barry Pointer, and mastered by Dave Donnelly. All the songs on the album - recorded in Los Angeles at various studios - were written by Billy Morrison in collaboration with his guests.
“One of the greatest things about writing this album was being able to let my guest singers do their own thing,” says Morrison. “I would send them the track with no guidelines and just had them do whatever they felt. I think that gave those songs an energy and a life force that would not be there if I had tried to get involved in their lyrics or their melodies. And I loved everything they all did!”
He adds: “With the songs that I sing on this record, I wanted to write from an observational standpoint about the state of the world, the news outlets, the information flow (or lack of it) and the general sense of dis-ease that seems to be all-pervading right now.”
How did The Morrison Project come together? “I truly believe that making music without any preconceptions or goals yields the most creative and enjoyable results. And that is exactly how this record came to life. Making music with Erik (Eldenius) and Jeordie (White) during Covid, and mixing different musical styles started my journey towards this collection of songs that ended up featuring a lot of my friends.”
The Morrison Project features 12 original tracks:
"Drowning"
(Written by Billy Morrison/Erik Eldenius/Jeordie White)
"Crack Cocaine"
(Featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens with Tommy Clufetos on Drums)
(Written by Billy Morrison/ Ozzy Osbourne/Steve Stevens)
"Its Come To This"
(Written by Billy Morrison/Erik Eldenius)
"The Ayes Have It"
(Featuring Al Jourgensen and John5 with Roy Mayorga on Drums)
(Written by Billy Morrison)
"Dystopia"
(Written by Billy Morrison/Erik Eldenius/Jeordie White)
"Incite The Watch"
(Featuring Corey Taylor and Steve Vai)
(Written by Billy Morrison, Erik Eldenius, Jeordie White, Corey Taylor)
"Puppets On A String"
(Written by Billy Morrison/Erik Eldenius/Jeordie White)
"Just Like A Movie"
(Featuring D.M.C. and Persia Numan with Erik Eldenius on Drums)
(Written by Billy Morrison/Erik Eldenius/Jeordie White/ Darryl McDaniels/Persia Numan)
"The Sound Of Freedom"
(Written by Billy Morrison, Erik Eldenius, Jeordie White)
"Mr. Dream"
(Featuring Billy Idol and Steve Stevens)
(Written by Billy Morrison, Erik Eldenius, Jeordie White, Steve Stevens, Billy Idol)
"We Are The Dead"
(Written by Billy Morrison, Erik Eldenius, Jeordie White)
"Chasing Shadows"
(Featuring Linda Perry)
(Written by Billy Morrison)
Further details to follow. Stay tuned.
(Photo - Jane Stuart @JaneStuartPhotos)
