Lauren Morrow offers her take on the world of social media with her catchy new song, “People Talk,” premiering exclusively with American Songwriter.
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After spending more than a decade as part of the Atlanta-based duo, The Whiskey Gentry, Morrow is now based in Nashville working as a solo artist. The psychedelic pop number is a personal take on people who love the sound of their own voice, opening with unflinchingly honest lyrics people talk a big game / When they need someone else to blame / For what they lack inside / What they wish they had / What they want to hide. The song offers social commentary about the toxicity of online culture wrapped around an eclectic melody of dance-worthy drums and synthesizers.
“We’re constantly bombarded with other people’s opinions and voices,” Morrow shares with American Songwriter about the meaning of the song. “Now that everyone has a platform to shout from, it feels like there’s never any silence.”
The melody and lyrics for the chorus came to her out of the blue while washing dishes one day. It “started a waterfall of thought about the internet and social media and how people use that as a tool to hide behind or create someone who they aren’t,” she explains. This is evidenced by the lyrics People just want their voice to be heard / They’ll speak the loudest while saying no words / People talk anyway / People talk even when there’s nothing to say.
Sonically, Morrow says that “People Talk” is a deviation from her previous releases. She told co-writer and producer Parker Cason that after writing the melody and chorus she kept hearing a “dance vibe” in her head, akin to 80s bands like New Order. That’s when Cason brought in the keyboard and synths and they recorded it with a live band in Nashville. Morrow’s husband, Jason Morrow, and musician Rob Crowell added the upright bass and saxophone in the bridge that she compares to David Bowie’s sound.
Another intriguing sonic element takes place in the bridge, as Morrow’s friends can be heard reciting comments people have made about them either online or to their face, ranging from “she’s an icon” to “are you making fun of my denim jacket?” while layered over a saxophone solo by Crowell. There’s also audio from the crowd at an Alanis Morissette concert. Morrow describes the bridge as a “fun moment” that provides “ear candy” on the record.
“I’ve been made fun of either to my face or trolled online by bullies, and I really think the latter is one of the absolute lamest things you can do as a human,” Morrow asserts, citing closed doors, unseen / Everybody’s tough behind a screen / But who cares what they say? / It’s nothing but noise as the most vulnerable lyrics. “People use the internet as a way to hide who they are or make themselves into something they aren’t, and I think it sends a really dangerous message out to the rest of the world. I try to use my online presence as a way to show people who I really am, flaws and all, and if you don’t like it, then don’t look at it.”
Morrow says that it was “important” to maintain the honesty and vulnerability in “People Talk,” which is present in the rest of the album of the same name. Writing the song also brought to mind Morrow’s 12-year-old niece and how she’s growing up in the age of social media. The singer hopes the song serves as a message of self-empowerment to her as much as it does to other listeners.
“I hope it reminds people that someone else’s opinion of you, either good or bad, is just their opinion,” Morrow says of how she hopes the song impacts people. “Everyone has a platform these days to express themselves, yet some people use that as a way to belittle others or spread false narratives, because they don’t have to do it directly to your face anymore, and their facts go largely unchecked…What truly matters is your personal character, integrity, and the confidence you find within your own self. Your skin has to be tough, but your mind must be tougher.”
People Talk will be released on March 31.
Photo Credit: Jace Kartye/Courtesy of IVPR
