Marking Charlotte Morris’ latest album, ‘both sides’ is the kind of record that deserves to be listened to repeatedly, each time picking out a different detail, or identifying hidden imagery that wasn’t obvious before. Highly nuanced and evocative, ‘both sides’ showcases everything that the Philadelphian songstress stands for: purposeful, meaningful storytelling delivered through luscious, elegant vocals. The result is an album packed with nostalgia, yet one that finds its rightful place in the contemporary Folk and Americana landscape.
Featuring thirteen stunning nuggets of lyrical honesty and aural catharsis, ‘both sides’ flourishes on a range of influences and moods: from the playful pride-infused Country territories of ‘raised by a woman’, to the acoustic, string-enhanced poignancy in ‘back to you’ – there’s something for everyone in it. And that’s just to start with; there’s much more to discover, like in the bluesy and soulful ‘devil & me’. Morris’s songwriting is personal and precise, with each song never being wasted on hypothesis. Instead, she often speaks from personal experience.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Morris to learn more about her artistry and future goals… Interview below!
Hey Charlotte, how is it going? Thanks for chatting with us! I appreciate your honest, vulnerable take on songwriting and music-making. Would you consider writing music a necessity for you? If so, where do you usually look for inspiration?
Absolutely—writing music is a necessity for me in every sense. Songwriting is how I process the world and navigate my emotions. It’s how I first learned to express myself growing up, when I didn’t feel able to do so through just talking; and while I am now much better at talking through my feelings (thank goodness!), songwriting has become a lifeline to total emotional exploration that I would feel lost without. No matter what I’m going through—whether heartbreak, healing, growth, or rediscovery— writing has helped me make sense of it all.
In terms of inspiration, it truly comes from everywhere: mostly from my own experiences and the people I love; sometimes from stories that aren’t mine but speak to something deeply human; on occasion, it’s the smallest thing that triggers an idea, like a coat I bought from a thrift store one time. My inspiration always starts with a feeling, and there’s usually a musical hook or a lyrical phrase I can’t get out of my head, like “as is,” which eventually became a full song. I try to stay open to those little moments and let them lead me.
We’ll focus on your wonderful album soon, but first, I’d love it if you could pinpoint some of your greatest musical influences growing up. How did you get into Folk? Is there anything else that you secretly enjoy listening to?
I grew up with a wide range of musical influences, from folk to classical to musical theatre to pop. On road trips, we would listen to a lot of Peter, Paul & Mary and Simon & Garfunkel. My parents’ record collection consisted of theatre classics like Jesus Christ Superstar; in fact, performing musical theatre was my first taste of the stage, and has shaped who I am as a storyteller & a performer. I remember one Christmas, maybe when I was 10 or 11, I was given deluxe CD sets of Elvis and Aretha. I listened to a lot of Carole King’s Tapestry album, and would jam out to Green Day, Good Charlotte, Britney Spears, and more as I got older. So truly, my exposure to music of all genres was endless.
With that said, when I think back on what I would consider the soundtrack of my childhood, it is folk music. Furthermore, as I’ve gotten older, folk has continued to resonate with me more than any other genre – the musicality, the lyricism, the vulnerability. Artists like Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, and The Chicks have shaped not just my sound but my sense of storytelling. I actually had the chance to tour with Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey (both of Peter, Paul, & Mary), George Grove (of the Kingston Trio), Tom Chapin, and more, as a part of Lonesome Traveler, a concert experience that celebrated the history of folk music.
Getting to share the stage and sing the music of my childhood alongside the people who shaped folk music absolutely deepened my love for the genre. In truth, folk music has always felt like home. It feels familiar and comforting, while at the same time allowing space for exploration, growth, and resilience.
‘both sides’ is your latest album, a nugget of honesty and vulnerability steeped in soothing Folk tones and nostalgic melodies. Is there a specific common thread that ties the songs to each other? How long have you been working on them?
Yes – ‘both sides‘ is about duality. Every song explores some kind of contradiction: joy and grief, strength and softness, anger and grace. I wrote these songs over the last two to three years, during a time of deep personal growth and transformation. Each track captures a different moment in that journey—some my own, some inspired by others. But they’re all rooted in truth. I wanted this album to hold space for the messiness of being human and offer a sense of comfort in that complexity.
The title ‘both sides’ is namely inspired by Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’. Does she have a special place in your heart?
Without a doubt. Joni Mitchell has been one of my biggest artistic inspirations for a very long time, but even more so once I hit my early 20s and started to grapple with what it meant to face life as an adult. Her ability to capture emotional nuance in such a poetic, raw way is something I’ve always aspired to. “Both Sides Now” has grown with me—it’s taken on new meaning as I’ve experienced more of life. Including a cover of it on this album felt like coming full circle, honouring where I’ve been and where I’m headed. It’s a tribute, but also a reflection of my own evolution.
From a production standpoint, how did the recording process unfold? Are you satisfied with the final result, and – if you feel like being bold – do you have a favourite song in it?
The recording process was really collaborative and grounding. Each song demanded something a little different emotionally, so we took care to honour that in the arrangements and production choices. I wanted the sound to feel intimate but layered—something that draws you in but also leaves space to breathe. Out of all of my releases so far, this album feels the most authentically me, not just in the songs I wrote, but in the way we brought them to life in the studio.
No song feels like a facade or an attempt to create what I thought would play well to audiences. Everything feels genuine to the emotion and story of each song. Everything feels authentic to how I feel, not only as an artist in this moment, but as a person. As for favourites… It’s hard to choose, but “living & loving” holds a special place in my heart. It feels like the most accurate reflection of who I am, and hopefully who I’ll continue to be: someone who grows from the setbacks, rises through the rejection, and faces life with resilience and hope.
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
I love both for different reasons, but I definitely lean towards preferring to write alone. Writing alone allows me to fully dive into my thoughts without a filter and without fear of exploring my deepest emotions; it can be really cathartic and therapeutic. However, as much as writing with others can be scary at times, it also pushes me to be a better writer. Hearing another person’s perspective when writing always pushes me to think and create in ways I wouldn’t necessarily find when alone. That kind of collaboration can be magic when it clicks. And I’ve been lucky enough to find a friend and collaborator in Jake Arthur, with whom I wrote “as is”, as well as my 2024 summer single “Single in my 20s” and numerous other unreleased songs.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
Honestly? Learning how to sit with discomfort—and then write about it. The past few years forced me to reckon with parts of myself and my past that I hadn’t fully confronted. That’s emotionally taxing, but it’s also where the deepest songs come from. As a part of that, I’ve gone through spurts of writer’s block. I’ll go months without writing anything I love or feel connected to, and then hit huge moments of inspiration where I write like a fiend, ending up with song after song that I adore in just a week or two.
During the lulls, I often find myself questioning my talent, my writing prowess, and my creativity. I worry that I’m unable to write because of [insert excuse here], and then I get in my own head, which makes it worse. I won’t claim to feel totally at peace with the process yet, but I have found myself growing in these periods: allowing myself the space without pushing to create just for the sake of creating. Little by little, I’ve learned to treat them as a rest & recovery from the heavy emotional exploration, vs seeing them as a failure.
The last 2 years have pushed me to accept that, in all aspects of life, whether my art, love life, or family, growth doesn’t look like a straight line; vulnerability doesn’t always feel good in the moment, but it’s essential.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
Definitely! I’m working on bringing these songs to life on stage, and hopefully sharing them with as many people as possible through my 2025 touring. I also have a few other projects brewing—some visual content to accompany the album, as well as work on my next release. But before any of that, I’m just really focused on letting both sides breathe and find their people.
