Maren Morris

Maren Morris

Maren Morris is a singer-songwriter whose work sits between hard country, classic rock and hip-hop-influenced pop. She is from Dallas, Texas, and is active as both a performer and a songwriter.

Early life and first recordings

Born on 10 April 1990, Morris grows up in Dallas with a strong interest in music. She says she is singing along on the family karaoke machine by the age of ten. By 14, she learns guitar and begins performing professionally. She self-releases her debut album, Walk On, while still early in her career.

Her second album, All That It Takes, appears in 2007 after she strikes a deal with Smith Music Group. She writes or co-writes eight of the album’s 13 tracks. While attending the University of North Texas after high school, she self-releases a third full-length album, Live Wire, in 2011.

Move to Nashville and songwriting work

In 2012, Morris leaves Texas for Nashville to focus on her career. After winning an Artist on the Verge prize at the New Music Seminar, she signs a publishing deal with Yellow Dog and begins writing for other artists. Her credits include Tim McGraw’s “Last Turn Home” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Second Wind”.

She also increases her touring, sharing bills with Pat Green, Radney Foster and Marty Stuart, and performing in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Breakthrough with My Church and Hero

In 2015, Morris releases the digital single “My Church”, a song about the connection between music and driving. It becomes a viral hit, attracting more than 2.5 million streams in a little over a month. She then signs with Sony Music Nashville, which releases a five-song EP featuring the track in November 2015.

Sony later promotes “My Church” to country radio ahead of her debut full-length major-label album, Hero, which appears in 2016. The album reaches number one on the country chart. Morris receives several Grammy nominations, wins CMA New Artist of the Year, and appears on Saturday Night Live later that year.

Later releases and collaborations

In early 2017, Morris tours as both a headliner and with Sam Hunt. A deluxe edition of Hero follows, with additional bonus tracks. In October 2017, she releases “Dear Hate” with Vince Gill. The song is written in response to the mass shooting at Las Vegas’ Route 91 Harvest Festival, which she plays the night before the attack.

In January 2019, Morris releases “Girl”, described as an empowerment anthem, as the first single from her sophomore album.