‘There's No Going Back' is the eagerly anticipated debut EP from fast rising Nashville based country artist Morgan Johnston. Morgan has developed an impressive live show pedigree in recent years, performing regularly with the Song Suffragettes in Nashville and also supporting names such as Lainey Wilson, Dustin Lynch, Sawyer Brown and Madison Beer.
Morgan has an incredibly sanguine approach to ‘There's No Going Back' that other artists could learn from. “I have been in Nashville writing songs for six years,” she says about the creation of her new EP. I’ve written stories for others, I’ve tried to write the perfect song specifically in hopes others would like it, I’ve tried to execute a song in a way that might grab the attention of publishers in Nashville, but this project, these songs, they were written for me. My story, my words and feelings, all in the way I would say them to someone in real life. This project portrays the complexity of life and the reality of contradicting emotions, it showcases the funny and quirky side of me I always try to stay close to and embrace and it tells stories of the deepest parts of my heart. I hope you relentlessly chase your dreams and make a choice to say “There’s No Going Back”.
Across the EP you'll find smooth Pop/Country vibes, a little Taylor Swift and some Bluesy honky-tonk all sitting side by side as comfortable bedfellows. EP opener, ‘The End' is a funky, infectious track reminiscent of early Maren Morris in its style and cadence. It's a ‘something borrowed, something blue' style love story that highlights Johnston's vocal ability and her lyrical relatability too. That snappy vocal delivery can also be found on ‘Don't Say I Didn't Warn You', a kind of ‘buyer beware' type of song about being unapologetic about your foibles and failings. ‘I know I can be a handful,' Johnston sings at one point, ‘but that's what God gave you hands for!' This track is another slick, Pop/Country number that will be relatable to many folks out there.
‘After Me' and ‘Circle of Love', meanwhile, delve deftly into that kind of post-relationship territory that can be both uplifting and painful at the same time. The former is a song about how it can hurt to see your ex moving on after the end of a relationship and taking everything you've taught them with them to someone else! It's a clever song that looks at that kind of dynamic in a fresh and unique way. ‘If I had you after you had me……I'd have the man I knew you could be.' Ouch! It's a mid-tempo, fragile yet intense heartbreak song full of yearning and regret. ‘Circle of Love' comes across as the kind of sister song to ‘After Me'. It's an intense, atmospheric ballad with more than just a passing hint to early Taylor Swift about it. We're in post-relationship territory again here, this time addressing the dynamics of how people fall in and out of love. ‘My broken heart is someone's brand new start,' Johnston muses, with a sense of wisdom that belies her age and experience. It's another relatable song that that makes you think and want to sing along at the same time!
Whilst we're talking wisdom we need to talk ‘Kids for a Minute'. This is a haunting piano ballad about the passing of time and how hard it is to be an adult riddled with pressures and anxieties. It's thoughtful yet uplifting and the plaintive guitars are augmented by what are probably Johnston's best vocals on this project. A real killer track with a great deal of intelligence behind it too.
The honky-tonk and fun part of this EP can be found on ‘Cupid's in a Dive Bar' and ‘Don't Be a Dick.' The former evokes late night hotel bar feels as Johnston drowns in the Blues whilst pondering if Cupid is AWOL somewhere in a dive bar. It's a stylish Pop/Country track with a real classy edge to it. ‘Don't Be a Dick', meanwhile, is a rabble-rousing, fun bar-room song with a big heart. Some cracking gang vocals on the chorus and a kind of ‘we can disagree but still all get along,' clarion call for unity means that quite a sensitive subject, the divisiveness of modern America, is handled in a light-hearted way without coming across a trite or flippant. Harmonica, guitar and those gang vocals combine to create what should be a live staple in Johnston's set for a while to come!
‘There's No Going Back' is a slick, smooth classy project with a ton of heart, a smattering of wisdom and a wry take on human relationships and behaviours. Johnston can move between ‘big sister' mode through to ‘scorned woman' with ease and when you throw in her Taylor Swift / Carrie Underwood kind of fierceness and her ability not to take herself too seriously at times as well you've got a set of songs that are both fun to listen to and yet will make you reflect and think at the same time. This EP is a great listen for ‘the now' but it should also go a long way to show some of the gatekeepers and power-holders in Nashville that Morgan Johnston is a talent that might well be worth investing some serious label time on in the future too.
Track List: 1. The End 2. After Me 3. Don't Say I Didn't Warn You 4. Circle of Love 5. Cupids in a Dive Bar 6. Kids for a Minute 7. Don't Be a Dick Record Label: Self Produced Release Date: 21st October Buy ‘There's No Going Back' now
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