Upbringing: Rae Morris
Part of DIY’s Class of 2015, Rae discusses her first steps, from singing the ‘Sound of Music’ theme to playing the Albert Hall.
As part of this year’s DIY Class of 2015, Rae Morris stands out as an artist who’s taken her time before reaching the top. “I’m really glad that I stayed in Blackpool for two years while I was still touring and understanding what it was that I wanted to do,” she says, in an extensive interview that covers the ins and outs of the Atlantic-signed artist’s first steps. After being “gently forced” into theatre and dance, she went on to pursue music after having the odd epiphany. Being in a band didn’t quite work out, so she decided to go it alone.
A few years on and she’s ready for bigger things. A couple of years back George Ezra supported her on a UK tour, and the tables recently turned when she backed the chart-topper’s recent run of dates across the country. It’s testament to the fact that Rae hasn’t rushed into things, biding her time for the spotlight.
In an exclusive Upbringing interview with DIY, below, Rae talks through the aspects of her early days growing up and getting into music that we might not yet know about. From first musical obsession to best ever gig, it’s all covered.
What’s the first gig you can ever remember going to? Describe the experience.
I remember going to see S Club 7 at what was then the Manchester MEN Arena. I was ten years old. We were so high up in the cheap seats that I spent half the gig concerned about falling.
Can you remember the first song you ever developed an obsession over?
I remember watching the scene in the Sound of Music where the kids are leaving the party to go to bed over and over again as a child, and singing the high bit as high and loud as I could.
What’s the best and worst show you’ve ever played?
The best show i’ve played so far was probably supporting Noah and the Whale at the Royal Albert Hall. I remember it so highly because I really don’t remember it at all! It was such a blur.
And the worst was probably a time that i played a festival in Germany, solo, and hired a keyboard that wasn’t mine. It had been transposed down a few tones so i had to play every song of mine in a totally different key. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I actually thought i’d gone a bit crazy!
What’s the best piece of advice anyone’s ever given you?
My parents are always my go to people for advice. My dad likes to quote Mark Twain and his most used one that has helped me a lot is ‘I have spent most of my life worrying about things that have never happened’.
If you could be any band from the past two decades, who would you be and why?
I would have loved to have been in a 90’s pop band like B*Witched. That time must have been a really crazy time to be touring the world and experiencing pop in that way. I loved them.
If there’s anything you could tell the person you were when you started writing music, what would it be?
I’d urge me to just sit back and relax a little more. Maybe have that extra glass of champagne in the moment and not worry about the hangover the next day. I’m getting better at doing that now!
Rae Morris is in DIY’s Class of 2015, featured in the Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 issue, out now. Her debut album ‘Unguarded’ is due out 26th January.
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