Morgan's SongBlog

I've got a new exclusive FREE download for ya of my song "Drown"!

2011-11-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Buy my new album NOW!

2011-10-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

End of Cinderella Cover Art!!

2011-08-22T22:18:00.000-07:00

End of Cinderella Ships THIS Week!

2011-08-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

It's been a while since I've blogged. My apologies. Although, I'm pretty sure life and other responsibilities have kept your mind from wondering, "Where is that new post from Morgan?" hehe

Actually, I've been quite busy this summer!! I've been all over the West Coast and Southeast with Lovechild Zombie (Joel Jacks), made an EP, learned to play some concertina, and finished my looooooooooooong delayed album End of Cinderella.

That's right - it's FINALLY complete! Through the help of supporters via Kickstarter, I was able to financially afford to complete the project the way I wanted to. I'm really thrilled with the end product! So many people had a hand in creating this album, including Grammy-nominated producer John Merchant to A-list Nashville players Bif Watson, Kenny Greenberg, and Mike Brignardello. I was also very fortunate to partner with some incredible writers on this album, including Pete Sallis,
Chris Boardman, Michele Meyers, Jeff Lockerman, and Mark Carson. In a way, it's felt like orchestrating a major production, much like Cirque du Soleil, but without the clowns. Well, maybe one or two clowns, so to speak. :')

And (I can hardly believe this part) the final product, the album itself, is shipping on Wednesday of this week!! Yippy Skippy! So, I wanted to tell you guys. Please, tell everyone! Share this blog! Direct your friends to my website at morganbracy.com. I will have digital downloads available via Bandcamp and iTunes eventually. Once those are up, i'll let you know! But I must say, the artwork is beautiful, and to me, there's nothing like having the physical copy. ;" )

Here's what some critics have said about End of Cinderella already:

"End of Cinderella is a brilliant piece of work." SKOPE

"Bracy's soft vocals will bring listeners in by the barrelful, while the smartly-crafted instrumental arrangements highlight all of Bracy's unique qualities...Pick up this album today." Neufutur Magazine

Superfly Bungalow House Concerts: Lovechild Zombie - Saturday, July 16th

2011-07-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

Superfly Bungalow House Concerts: Lovechild Zombie - Saturday, July 16th: "We're excited to welcome Morgan Bracy and Joel Jacks , a.k.a. Lovechild Zombie , to the Superfly Bungalow! I met them at the Durango Songwr..."

New Duo!

2011-02-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

Typically, when you've been up all day with a three year old, running around here and there, doing laundry, playing, and even trying to get them to brush their teeth, you're completely exhausted by the time they finally hit the hay. Except for this weekend.

Nate and I have been been burning the midnight oil with energy left to spare, working on something. Something fun, something fulfilling, something worthwhile. No, I'm not the real-life Dexter, knocking off killers and finding places to hide the bodies (although that would be fun...hehe), I'm talking about my new duo with Joel Jacks!

Lovechild Zombie is the name. I wanted to let you all be the first to know, as you are my friends. We've got the starts of a Reverbnation account going. More to come in the following weeks! You cna view it and "fan" us at www.lovechildzombie.com

(We also have a myspace account, but there's a technical glitch. We're working on that now, and I'll let you know when we have it ready.)

I'm really excited to share this news with you. You can check out our first tune "The Ghost" at the website now!

Spread the word!

Morgan :')

God Whispers

2010-09-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

GOD WHISPERS

I SAW IT FROM THE WINDOWSIL
A SINGLE YELLOW DAFFODIL
SURROUNDED BY AN APRIL SNOW
DETERMINED STILL TO SOMEHOW GROW
RISING THROUGH A FIELD OF WHITE
REACHIN’ FOR THE MORNIN LIGHT
LONGIN’ FOR THE WARMTH OF THE SUN

SLOWLY I BEGAN TO SEE
IT’S LIKE HE PUT IT THERE FOR ME
TO REMIND ME THAT THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE
IN A WORLD THAT’S SOMETIMES BITTER COLD
AS THE SUN BROKE THROUGH THE CLOUDS
I KNEW IT THEN I KNOW IT NOW
THERE’S NOTHING TOO SMALL OR INSIGNIFICANT

SOMETIMES GOD WHISPERS
AND YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR SOUL
HE DOESN’T HAVE TO SHAKE THE EARTH OR MAKE A MIRACLE
TO LET YOU KNOW HE’S HERE, OH HE’S EVERYWHERE
JUST LISTEN ‘CAUSE SOMETIMES GOD WHISPERS

YOU CAN HEAR HIM IN A LULLABY
THAT GENTLY CALMS A BABY’S CRY
IN THE BUTTERFLY THAT SOFTLY LANDS
IN THE PALM OF YOUR RIGHT HAND
IN THE SMILE ON A STRANGER’S FACE
THAT VOICE INSIDE YOU SAYIN’ WAIT
JUST A LITTLE LONGER FOR LOVE

SOMETIMES GOD WHISPERS
AND YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR SOUL
HE DOESN’T HAVE TO SHAKE THE EARTH OR MAKE A MIRACLE
TO LET YOU KNOW HE’S HERE, OH HE’S EVERYWHERE
JUST LISTEN ‘CAUSE SOMETIMES GOD WHISPERS(Repeat)

IT DOESN’T TAKE A THUNDER STORM
OR THE WAVES CRASHIN’ ON THE SHORE
TO SPEAK TO ME

SOMETIMES GOD WHISPERS
AND YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR SOUL
HE DOESN’T HAVE TO SHAKE THE EARTH OR MAKE A MIRACLE
TO LET YOU KNOW HE’S HERE, OH HE’S EVERYWHERE
JUST LISTEN ‘CAUSE SOMETIMES GOD WHISPERS
WAYNE/KENNARD

I wanted to share with you this song that my friend and co-writer Jennifer Kennard wrote. It's called "God Whispers." Wow. How true.

I was just thinking of all those shouting billboards, bus station bench ads, spam emails (I receive droves of them daily), and any entrepreneur I know that's trying to make something of themselves by starting their own business. There's a lot of noise: shouting, blarring sounds, whistles, beeps, ringtones, "look up here's" (as the Three Amigos would say). They may get my attention sometimes, but they mostly just give me a head-ache, throw me into a state called "checked out", and leave me looking for a quiet corner where I can hopefully just hear MYSELF think. Of course, that would have to mean ditching my iphone, my laptop, and erecting a sound-proof barrier.

Our world yells at us. We yell at each other. We want to be seen, heard, acknowledged, and remembered. There's an urgency in getting attention. It's now or never. Maybe because of that, we sometimes yell out just anything, whatever's on our minds or "hot" at the moment. Whatever might sell us. After all, we are our own product. If consumers don't like me, they probably won't buy anything from me. I must sell myself to sell this...well, you name it.

But maybe - and I believe this – some things have never changed since the beginning of man. If you're a Christian, you read the words in Genesis: God said, "Let there be light, and there was light." He just said it. He didn't shout to the elements. It was done, as easy as saying the word. Even today, I believe God just speaks. I may not always hear him, but when I do stop and tune out everything, I hear the whisper of His voice, and I'm more naturally sensitive to situations and people around me. You can call it discernment or being in tune. Whatever you call it, it's a real phenomenon. Maybe it's an ancient piece God put in us, the gift of altruism, the gift to connect to other people and life around us.

I've been woken up in the dead of night by an inner voice telling me to pray immediately for a friend or family member. I had no idea that anything was going on with this person. All I knew was I had a strong inclination to pray. Within days, I heard of what had been happening in their lives. I don't believe it's a coincidence.

My friend, Jennifer's story is about the rescue of a severely abused dog, Angel…

“Several years ago, while watching Oprah’s show, she mentioned a phrase “GOD WHISPERS”. It has become a phrase I’ve come to recognize and know very well. It’s where I get some of my faith, strength and guidance and has motivated me to write a song called “GOD WHISPERS” (see link below).

“Shortly after the devastating loss of our 13 yr old Shepherd, Keynu, I read about a terribly abused puppy. She had been set on fire, badly burned, and left for dead. While completely set on never trying to replace our Keynu, this poor puppy’s story kept tugging at my heart. I reluctantly followed her story, as I just couldn’t get her out of my mind. It seemed reminders and thoughts of her were everywhere. After reading that even though months had passed, “Angel” had not been adopted, it was all I could stand, and finally my husband and I went down to meet her. While many families tried, they did not meet the strict requirements the shelter had set for her. In addition to their stipulations, the shelter was set on letting Angel “choose” her own family. “God’s Whispers” brought us to Angel. After dozens of families tried, and even though we didn’t “want” another pet, He led us to each other. The first time we met and unlike she had done with any other family, as well as to the amazement of the shelter staff, Angel squeezed her badly scarred head under my right arm and nestled it into a comfortable and accepting position on my lap. Angel made her decision. She chose us. As it turned out, “God Whispered” to both of us. Angel is now 3 and is 60 lbs of affection and forgiveness. She wears her physical scars as confident and as beautiful as, an Angel. Copy and paste link for pictures of Angel and hear the song “GOD WHISPERS”.
.http://myspace.com/godwhispersandangel

one

I'm on a Knoxville Music Blog!

2010-08-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,

I'm here in Knoxville, TN, for the Indiegrrl Festival and Conference. I just saw this blog that I'm included in by "Urban Blues Agn". It's from a show I did today for the Indiegrrl Festival.

CHECK IT OUT HERE: at http://www.stuckinsideofknoxville.blogspot.com/ !

Over the last three days, I've had 4 showcases here...starting Thursday at Shonos in City (Market Square), then Friday at the chic Sapphire (Gay St). I was also honored to play a Main Stage Showcase slot Friday night, and I finished up with a show today at Downtown Grill & Brewery (Gay St).

In addition, I've jumped from venue to venue catching some wonderful artists playing, such as Eleanor Dubinsky and Vito Tanga, Merry Ellen Kirk, Christina Horn in HudsonK, Leo & Lauren, Elana Harte, RJ Cowdry, Sonya Heller, Allisong Smith, and others. It's been great, and I'm exhausted.

In fact, what am I still doing up?

"Burden of Proof" with Joel Jacks at Bluebird Cafe

2010-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

"The Ghost" performed at Bluebird Cafe Friday the 13th

2010-08-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

"This Wall" @ Bluebird Friday the 13th

2010-08-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Peak Before You Boo

2010-06-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

I'm out here in the Hidden Valley of California, enjoying some amazing songwriting, fun time, friend time, show times. A very memorable trip indeed here with Joel and Karen Jacks.
So, I've been staying at their lovely home and have worked my way in as one of their family members...for a week. They're so comfy to be around.

So, yesterday, I was taking a shower, getting ready for a day of writing. I got dressed and was about to dry my hair when I heard someone outside the open bathroom window. I thought, "Surely they know I'm in here. I'll show whoever it is not to hang out outside the bathroom window when someone's getting ready (The Jacks are cool...I knew any of them could handle it). So, I ripped open the curtain, and in my finest "Princess Bride" / lame Renaissance Festival actress Cockney accent, I yelled, "BOO" (which, in that dialect sounds more like "BAAEEEEWWW!).

To my utter shock, it wasn't any of my friends, but a completely innocent Terminex bug sprayer who was simply trying to spray the windows.
The most hilarious part was, even though I gave it gusto, he never even flinched. Can a person really be that unaffected???

I mumbled out my apology, stumbling over every word as if I'd forgotten the English language, further making me look like a blubbering idiot. I ran out of the bathroom totally embarrassed and laughing so hard no sound was coming out.

Life Lesson #1: It's always a good idea to peak before you "BOO".

It's Just a Toenail...

2010-06-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

Some of you have heard this story, but I wanted to blog it for the rest of you who haven't. So, Thursday of last week, my two and a half year old daughter and I were driving into Nashville for her to have a play date and me to write. She had a pink bow in her hair and her cute little girly pink shirt on and she just looked as cute as a cupcake. We were talking and singing on the way up. In between I noticed that she was chewing on something. I asked her what it was, and she wouldn't respond. Between our little conversations, I kept asking her. Finally, exasperated, she answered, "It's just a toenail!" As if it could have been something gross, but it was benign. :') She doesn't understand the things we walk through in any given parking lot with our sandals on... The germs that cling onto our toes as we step across a retail store. "It's just a toenail."

To bring it into perspective, it wasn't a battery or a screw or a bug, so all's well. But I can learn something from the flipside of that, too. Maybe sometimes I minimize my actions, justifying that it could be worse... At least I'm not telling the homeless man I ignore to "Go to H$*&." I'm just ingoring him. At least I'm not robbing a music store, I'm just ripping one or two songs (I don't really do that one!). At least I'm not killing anyone, I just don't give a $1 donation to St. Jude when the lady at the Kroger checkout asks me. "It's no big deal." Well, maybe a lot of "no big deals" could make a major impact if I did them. Yeah, maybe I won't get the gratification my daugter does when she chews on her toenail (:') ), but it wouldn't kill me to extend myself past my own justifications for laziness sometimes.

Morgan :')

The Great Flood

2010-05-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

I use to think of my backyard as a swamp. Being in a new development, we're on the brink of nature. So, it's not a surprise if snakes and mice and moles travel through our backyard.

Not until yesterday morning did I see my thoughts become reality. We opened the blinds and found a growing river right outside our door! I mean a river! I'm sure if we had cast out a line, we'd have caught something - maybe a bass or some lawn chair or a small pet.

Needless to say, news reports and pictures began "flooding" the news, showing similar and worse picture of people stranded, cars submerged, a house floating down the interstate.
Someone build an ark already!

I have never seen or experienced anything like this in my life.

I was happy this morning to be leaving the house to head to Atlanta for '500 Songs for Kids" at Smithe's Old Bar. I was excited to get out of the glum and monsoon until I found out that we are leaving only to be heading into more tornado / flood fun.

Maybe we'll be sleeping at the bar tonight...haha

Playground Dads

2010-04-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Taking my daughter out to the playground is a excursion she can't get enough of. In fact, if we are driving to the bank or the grocery and we pass the park, she yells, "Turn here, Mommy! The Park!" She loves swinging, climbing up the clubhouse, sliding, and interacting with the other kids. She likes to introduce herself to them...at 2 1/2! But, already I digress.

Typically, the playground is swarming with screaming, laughing kids and clusters of moms - some catching their child as they come down the slide, Some sharing a park bench, catching up on life while their kids expend energy. But that's the only demographic - Moms and kids.

In the last year, I've noticed more and more dads in the middle of the day at the playground with their kids. At first I thought, "Maybe he's a stay at home dad and his wife works," but more and more I've noticed the number of Dads vs Moms change. Sometimes I'll even see whole families at the park together on a Tuesday or Thursday late morning.

My initial reaction is to feel bad for the men, as they most likely lost their jobs. And I do feel for them. It's a tough, tough time right now for America, and everyone I know has felt the impact of this recession. So many people have lost their jobs, their homes, or have walked away from their houses because it's easier than trying to sell it when they really need to sell it and it just won't sell. My generation has never seen a time like this. My peers were raised to be working professionals. And what are we doing? Getting laid off, getting let go.

My initial reaction was to feel bad for these men, but I don't feel that bad for them. They are smiling, laughing, running around with their kids in the middle of the day at the playground. They are probably more than ever a part of their children's lives during those active hours of the day. And, when those dads are stressed and worried about work, they are most likely leaning more on their families and weighing in on just how important these precious few are to them. The ones who won't lay them off, let them go, or tell them, "It's not personal. It's just good business."

These dads are changing history for their kids and for themselves. Maybe unintentionally, but changing it anyway.

There are always blessings, maybe even moreso in the bad times.

Getting Dirty

2010-04-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my husband Nate, daughter Addison, and I went to Grandma's house to landscape her front lawn. We got there Friday night, greeted by a hardy meal of homemade lasagna...MMMM mmm! The sun went down quicker than we thought, and so we decided not to delay any further. As Grandma and Addi slept, we dug up her front yard - a trench for the edge of the flower bed, holes for the holly bushes. And even though I was doing all this manual labor, I realized that I wasn't tired. I was invigorated. finally around midnight we went to bed, because there was much to do the next day.

Saturday, we planted flowers, shrubs, and hammered a border into the ground. We spread mulch around everything. After all was said and done, the exhaustion hit me. Oh man, but it felt so good. I don't get dirty and move heavy things around in the sun most days. It seems that American luxury is not having to lift a finger, except to text. But there's something to this digging in and getting sweaty thing. It really makes me feel alive.

Maybe it's the fact that the stuff in the dirt makes the flowers grow. Maybe when it gets underneath my fingernails, it breathes a fresh sense of live into me.

Hunting Eggs

2010-04-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Today we were with my family in my hometown, celebrating Easter. It was a gorgeous day. I remember as a child it seemed like every Easter was rainy, but not today. Hardly a cloud in site...a bluebird sky. After church and a delicious Southern lunch at Grandma's, the egg hunt was on for little Addison (2 1/2 years old). She carried her basket down the steps of the porch, not knowing what to expect, twirling it from side to side. All of a sudden, she spotted one...a bright pink one. "OH!" she squealed. And from then on, she understood why we were looking around the yard. Every time she found another egg, she squeaked, "OH!", as if it were the first one all over again. It was a surprise each time. She had so much fun!

I wonder if I look too far off for blessings. I wonder if there are treasures right underneath my nose and so close I often step on them instead of stumble upon them. I wonder if I miss many gifts because I've got my vision set so far in someone else's yard that I cannot see the green grass in my own. Is it possible that some prayers God just answers? Maybe some treasures He just lays in front of us, at our feet, wide open in a flat lawn, bright pink, shining in the sun, screaming, "Here I am! Over here!"

I think I'll try looking here, right here where I am, more often for blessings. I hope you might, too.

Morgan :')

I Don't Wanna go Out Like That...

2010-02-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

I was driving home at around 4:30 on a Wednesday afternoon from a writing appointment. I pulled over, gave in to my hunger, and got a bean burrito at Taco Bell. As I merged back onto I-65, I "delicately" tried my best to unroll the paper from the tortilla so as not to bite into paper. As I was rolling through Franklin's wonderful two-lane slow down, I tried again (hunger telling me to scarf it / brain saying,"Don't eat the paper!"). I swerved and almost hit someone.

It dawned on me then that I don't want to go out like that - eating a bean burrito. I can see the papers now, "Woman Causes 4 Car Pile Up because She HAD to Get Another Bite of that Sloppy Bean Burrito Officials Found Smeared Across her Face." Ok, the title probably wouldn't be that long and a good journalist wouldn't use that many adjectives, but it would still be a bad way to go.

Yeah, not me. I'd rather not be smashed like a pancake, sandwiched in between two cars, smothered and covered with a burrito...or any other food.

Note to self: Eat and drive separately. Focus. :')

Harry

2010-02-09T12:06:00.002-08:00

When I was 4 months pregnant with my daughter Addison, Nate and I decided to go on a cruise to the Bahamas as a last vacation. In addition, we would, aboard ship, open the envelop that contained the answer to the riddle of what gender our child was. We would wait three days without peeking until our anniversary date - May 25th, and then we all would be revealed. This was Nate's idea...I wanted to find out at the DR's office.

We boarded the cruise ship, and began looking over the many excursion options. I'd always wanted to see the Mayan ruins, and we didn't get to last time we went. So, that was # 1 on my list. Before we'd been on the ship an entire day, it was time to sit down for our first dinner. When we did, Harry introduced himself. He was our "maitre 'd" throughout the cruise. He was an Indian man who, despite his accent, had a deeper understanding of what we needed than most. Quickly, he noticed that I was pregnant, and he became our best friend, our guardian angel on the trip. While everyone ate apple pie, he brought me chocolate (without me asking). He was all smiles and very genuine, seeing a need and quickly, quietly getting it.

The next morning, we made our way to the breakfast buffet, as I was starving. Crowded. Lots of people waiting. I poured myself some orange juice into a bumpy opaque plastic "glass". I went to sit with Nate, when out of no where -truly -emerging from behind a curtain where I'm sure the magic of how things got done on the ship lied, Harry popped out with a special glass of chocolate milk for me...just what I wanted! I never asked, it was like he magic!

Later, we went to register for our Mayan excursion, and lo and behold, Harry came to our rescue. "Not a safe trip for you, Momma. Too much hiking and riding around on bumpidy roads." You stick to town excursions! After all Harry had done to secure our happiness, we trusted him. So, we stuck to the town excursions (more on the Key West one later).

Everyday of our trip, we were visited now and then by Harry...more than a dinner maitre 'd. More like our personal guardian.

Nate and I will never forget him and his kindness, above and beyond what his job called for. I hope he is well.

Peace, Harry, wherever you are.

Morgan :')

New Yorkers

2010-02-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends! Welcome to my SongBlog. It could also be called a story blog, as I hope you will begin and feel free to share your stories here.

Here's a little one for ya...

Nate and I went to New York this past year. We wanted to visit my friend Ashley, see the sites, and drink coffee in local places. You know, Seinfeld style. (As long as I looked, I could never find the soup nazi). Anyway, I believe the New York transit authority created the subway system not only to transport folks from A to B (stopping at C - D -E-F -and let's not forget G in between), but also to make some extra cash. If you've been to NYC, you know what I mean. A college degree cannot help you unlock the key to the subway. They'll give you a few "easy-to-figure-out" stops as freebies. However, most stops are not so simple. I think the ideology behind it is this: if they can confuse people enough to make them ride the train to what they think is their destination, only to get off and realize it's not, then they will have to pay to get back on. You'd think it'd be easy, but the signs could almost be posted in Sanskrit and it wouldn't make a difference. I think New Yorkers may just memorize their stops. :')

Anyway, Nate and I were headed somewhere in a hurry (can't recall where now), but the maps and signs seemed to be opposing one another. Two of us couldn't figure it out! We jumped on a train (let's say the C train), and stewed over our map. A local man came over to help us decipher where we needed to get off, then another local woman did. The man sat with his eyes closed on his afternoon train back home, only opening them at each stop to tell us, "Don't get off here...not yet". I could swear he was asleep in between the stops! He woke up a final time and said, "This is your stop. You two have a good day." In all my life, I've heard stories of New Yorkers being cold, rude, and hateful - NOT the case in our experience. This man didn't have to help us, and the lady at Walgreens didn't have to search in the back of the store to look for a less expensive umbrella for us when the monsoon began to fall and she thought the ones they had at the counter were too expensive. We met friendly New Yorkers, willing to help and give great tips. I hold a different opinion in my head now, and I love that city.

It reminds me of a song that my friend Jeff recently reminded me of.
Radney Foster's "The Kindness of Strangers."

You can read the lyrics here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-kindness-of-strangers-lyrics-foster-radney.html

Wow.

Morgan :')