It’s been a huge few weeks for Perth singer songwriter Morgan Joanel. Smouldering Americana/Rock track and new single ‘Fallin” dropped on June 20th, receiving high praise from fans and peers alike and now Joanel prepares for two shows this week supporting three-time ARIA winners The Superjesus, after being short listed by the band and winning a public poll to play gigs at The Carine & Rosemount Hotel in Perth.
We caught up with an excited Morgan to talk about the new single, the forthcoming shows and what the rest of the year has in store for her.
Sean: Morgan, finally we get to catch up!
Morgan: Hey Sean, yeah finally.
Sean: Thank you so much for your time. It’s an exciting chapter for you. The next few weeks are enormous. First of all, new single out Friday, ‘Fallin’, which I’ve been listening to this evening. So congratulations on that. Tell me a little bit about the song. I’m vibing a lot of Stevie Nicks in that vocal. It sounds fantastic. I read that it’s one that nearly dropped off the radar and you managed to pick it up and have created this beautiful piece of music.
Morgan: Thank you. It is pretty special. I like that you picked up that 70s bohemian rock n roll vibe because it is probably a sound that I have been trying to get to for about 100 years [laughs], but it feels good that I’ve finally achieved that. I wrote the song with my ex-partner, who is a musician as well and we had a band together and were going to record it and release it. Then about three weeks after writing it and starting a tour of WA I was involved in a massive car accident and when he visited me in hospital he fainted, which resulted in him having brain surgery so what that meant was that the two of us, as individuals going through physical recovery and then mental, emotional, every kind of recovery meant it took the song off the radar, the band off the radar, it took the relationship off the radar, no bad feelings but just moving in different ways. I think it was only about a year ago that I started playing the song at solo shows and suddenly thought, “You know? I really do want to hear it.” So I asked Laurie Luke, who was the musician I wrote it with, I asked if he would be ok with me recording it and releasing it as my own song but using his riffs and using the music that we wrote together as so I did that. I pulled a band together and created my version of what I always envisaged it as.
Sean: It’s such a powerful story to hear and one that we don’t want to dwell on too much, especially about the accident…
Morgan: …yes, of course…
Sean: …but it’s incredible that you have continued to write and record, and both move your journey’s forward even after such a traumatic time in your lives. And that leads us nicely to the next exciting segment in the musical life of Morgan Joanel, The Superjesus supports. Many people have got to know you through your solo performances but now its time to step back out with a full band. How excited are you for this?
Morgan: Yes, well I am very excited that we’ve managed to pull this off and I have played with a lot of bands over the years, especially when I lived in Sydney and toured over there but in Perth I haven’t done anything like this in so long. So pulling the band together and recreating some of the songs that I have done solo, we are redoing them. They are kind of like covers of my own songs just to fit this rock n roll vibe.
Sean: And I can totally believe you when you say that, especially after seeing some of the footage from The Superjesus tour so far. The rooms look electric and they are just smashing it. That must bring you even more of a buzz.
Morgan: I really can’t wait [excited laugh] and I’m looking at Sarah McLeod and the guys and thinking “Right, am I stage diving? What the hell am I going to be doing on the night?” [laughs]
Sean: Well, the 3rd of July sees you at The Carine up in the northern suburbs, then on Friday 4th you are nearer Perth city with a show at Rosemount Hotel with tickets available for both shows via Oztix.
Morgan: I feel really lucky that we have got to opportunity to do two shows as well. It makes it way more exciting!
Sean: Do you know how long you have set-wise?
Morgan: Yeah, we have around 40 – 45 minutes so that’s a good length.
Sean: Nice.
Morgan: I was worried it might only be something like 20 minutes but when I found out it was 40 – 45 minutes I was like, “Guys, these are all the songs we are going to be adding to the set!” [laughs]
Sean: I’ve noticed across your socials of late that you have been in the studio with Dave Parkin, recording new tunes. What can you tell us about those sessions? I’m guessing ‘Fallin’ was one.
Morgan: Yes, well we have already completed the next two up coming singles and I’ll be back in the studio with him later this year to record some new music to be released next year too. I’ve worked with Dave for basically my whole career, even when I was signed with Sony I ended up scrapping what they had wanted to realise with their producers and literally came back and recorded with Parko. He’s the greatest translator I’ve ever worked with in terms of taking what I think in my imagination and turning it into something really special so yeah can’t wait for more.
Sean: There must be an amazing chemistry there. So, how does the song writing process work for you? Is it something that comes easy?
Morgan: I tend to find that I write songs in groups of three. There is usually a really cheesy one, there is a really heartfelt depresso one and then there is one that stands out and that’s the one that survives [laughs]. I mix it up from actually picking up my guitar and if I’m generally strumming chords then the melodies and lyrics come out then. Other times, when I have my loop pedal I often like to just create vocal humming and backing vocals, which I can then jam over and which eventually turns into something. So, there are a couple of different avenues that I go down for song writing, depending what kind of mood I’m in.
Sean: We look forward to what the rest of 2025 and also 2026 has instore for you music wise. I also notice you have an affection for the UK, and try to get out there each year. It must be like a second home for you now [laughs].
Morgan: I would love to move their permanently because I have such a beautiful group of friends and musicians and creatives and artists, but I wouldn’t want to be there in the winter [laughs]. But a half year here and a half year there is just perfect. I do a lot of music over there, I work on my own fashion brand over there and work with creative friends who have their own fashion brands and we go to music festivals. We all just kind of share and collaborate, whether it is leather work or hat work, playing gigs, playing around Camden, going to festivals. Its the most amazing collection of gypsies and pirates I’ve even met and never felt more at home so I love splitting my time with the UK and the beaches of Australia.
Sean: There is a Morgan Joanel album title right there – ‘Gypsies & Pirates’.
Morgan: [laughs] I love it. You taking twenty percent commission for that? [laughs]
Sean: I’ll take a tour tee shirt and back stage pass for when you go global and play stadiums [laughs]. So where did this journey of yours start? Where did this passion for music begin?
Morgan: I started dancing and singing onstage when I was five years old. I was always performing in the spotlight but when I got to eleven I had a school teacher who played a lot of guitar and sang a lot of songs form the 60s and 70s with our class and it made me want to learn so I started to learn, I did it through school and then I discovered Jewel (Kilcher) and I had never heard anyone play guitar and tell stories. It felt like musical poetry and I also discovered The Doors and Jim Morrisons poetry album ‘An American Prayer’ and that’s when I realised you could tell stories with music and that’s what I ended up using my guitar for. When I was seventeen a friend of mine said, “There’s a café I work at someone else plays acoustic music, would you like to do it?” And it just became the only job I have ever had. I was lucky enough to go from one thing to the next to recording music, to touring, to signing record deals, to forming a band, etc, etc. It really has been a flow on effect. Performing is actually my most favourite place in the world, whether it is a stadium stage or a tiny little bar, if I’m in that space it’s everything.
Sean: We can’t wait to see you out there with The Superjesus for those two shows. I’d love to finish with a couple of general questions. If you could invite three musicians, dead or alive, to join you for dinner, who would you invite to sit at the table with you?
Morgan: Jim Morrison, David Bowie and I think Jimi Hendrix. I think all of them together would piss each other off but also offer a lot of intelligent views and there may be a little political debate and then we would all end up jamming so it would be great [laughs].
Sean: What was the last album you listened to?
Morgan: Ah, I’ve become obsessed with R. L. Burnside. I couldn’t tell you the album so probably not the best answer [laughs]. But yes, been listening to him a lot of late. There is also a UK band called The Heavy Heavy. They are a male and a female singer and she does this crazy Janis Joplin kind of scream every once in a while. I discovered them while I was over there and when I listen to them I realise they are impeccable every single song. Such a vibe.
Sean: Final question. If you could be credited with writing any song ever written, what song would you choose?
Morgan: ‘Dreams’ Fleetwood Mac. Story of my life [laughs].
Sean: Fabulous song to finish with. Morgan I can’t thank you enough for your time. We wish you all the best for the new single and for the Superjesus shows. I’m sure we will catch you at one of them, if not both.
Morgan: Thank you for your support Sean. Hope to see you there. Bye.
Morgan Joanel supports The Superjesus in Perth on July 3rd & 4th.
THURSDAY JULY 3rd
CARINE GLADES TAVERN
TICKETS
FRIDAY JULY 4th
THE ROSEMOUNT
TICKETS
