Ahead of the August 2023 release of her studio album Psychopath, acclaimed singer/songwriter Morgan Wade talked with American Songwriter about the creative process that led to her latest project. Along with Sadler Vaden—producer, musician, and member of Jason Isbell‘s longtime band, The 500 Unit—the talented Virginia native crafted an intimate and expansive follow-up to her celebrated 2021 LP Reckless.
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[RELATED: Morgan Wade Pushes Her Own Boundaries With Psychopath]
The captivating 13-track record includes talked-about tracks “Fall In Love With Me” and “27 Club,” along with a special tribute to another influential woman in music. Penned with Vaden and accomplished songwriter Natalie Hemby, “Alanis” is a full-hearted celebration of alt-rock icon Alanis Morrisette. Wade’s song quickly earned the attention of its Grammy Award-winning namesake, who promptly voiced her appreciation on social media.
“Morgan, thank you for seeing me,” Morissette shared in a heartfelt Instagram post. “Your generosity and your ability to so powerfully, vulnerable, and empathically articulate your deep kindness. Deeply moved. Love you.”
Below, in her own words, Morgan Wade tells American Songwriter about the inspiration and meaning behind “Alanis.”
“We wrote the song before I even knew I was going to perform with her at the 2023 CMT Awards. Jagged Little Pill is amazing, and Alanis really changed a lot for females in music. She just came along and said all these things that weren’t being said. Sadler was like, ‘You know, there are so many songs written about other artists, but no one’s written one about Alanis.’
We sat down with Natalie Hemby, and I pulled out my phone and started reading old quotes of hers and things that had gone on in the media, how she said these things, and how people looked at her about that. She helped change the course of music. Her songs start playing, and people know those songs. We went with it there and to see what we could get. We’ve been playing live since about February (2023), and people love that song.”
Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association
