Sarah Morris has a habit of missing the forest. From the day the Minneapolis based singer-songwriter picked up a guitar, armed with the bone-deep memory of her parents’ well-loved record collection and rooted in the storytelling fire of a Mary Chapin Carpenter tune, she’s been too busy crafting love letters to the details of the trees. Sarah’s endearingly honest, expertly penned songs encourage audiences to pull away from the big picture and get caught up in the magic of our everyday minutia, the rainy day ache in her sunlit voice granting us permission to escape into stories at once hauntingly familiar and uniquely her own.
A graduate of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, Sarah spent the first years of her career in Nashville, losing herself in the art of writing timeless Americana melodies. “Sarah Morris [is] a bright, clear, brilliant songwriter,” wrote Jon Hunt of L’Etoile Magazine. “…pure and crisp and perfect.” In the years since her 2011 debut album, Lonely or Free, Sarah’s career, like her songs, has been overflowing with delicious details. Her albums Ordinary Things (2015), Hearts in Need of Repair (2017), and All Mine (2020) recorded with band mates Thomas Nordlund, Andrew Foreman, and Lars-Erik Larson with producer Eric Blomquist, earned international airplay and considerable critical acclaim, reaching notable positions on both the Americana Music Association and Euro Americana charts. In 2016, Sarah was a top four finalist in the NewSong Music Contest at Lincoln Center in New York City, 2nd place winner of the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC, and an Americana semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. In 2018, she went on to win the Kerrville New Folk Competition, collecting an honorable mention at the Telluride Troubadour contest along the way. More recently, Sarah was named Midwest Country Music Organization’s Songwriter of the Year for the third time.
In 2023, Sarah released her 5th album of originals, ‘Here’s To You’, which was recently awarded ‘Album of the Year’ by the Midwest Country Music Organization.
Produced by Dave Mehling, Dave Franklin of The Big Takeover said of Here’s To You,
“It’s a triumph. An album of space and restraint, any note played, every word uttered feels perfectly and purposely placed. The album is a beautiful blend of groove and grace, intimacy and entertainment, fun, and feeling. What more could you ask for? What indeed?”
“Rootsy singer Sarah Morris offers a Norah Jones-like approach to Americana, smoothing overs its rough edges with a butter-velvety voice and an intimate songwriting style.” Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune.
Inclined toward the intimacy of live performance, Sarah spends a remarkable amount of time on stage. Whether solo, backed by the country kick of her long-time band The Sometimes Guys (Nordlund, Foreman, and Lars-Erik Larson), in harmony-heavy collaborations with friends such as Vicky Emerson, or Matthew French, or hosting local and traveling musicians live online from her big green bathroom, her playful-hearted presence is both captivating and contagious. Amidst her steady performance schedule she has opened for greats like JD Souther, Suzy Bogguss, and Teddy Thompson – she’s had plenty of beautiful moments to revel in. And with a brand new album to share in 2023, she’s primed to offer us a few beautiful moments of our own.
Deeply committed to the Twin Cities’ life-giving music community, Morris hosted an online interview program called, “Hey, I Miss You,” to amplify the work of her peers, and currently can be found online collaborating with musicians for a Youtube series of under-rehearsed cover songs filmed in her laurel green bathroom. Additionally, Morris is head cheerleader for a local songwriting collective.
As a writer, lover, mother, and witness, Morris invites us to join her in missing the forest for the trees, with songs that count and celebrate the glorious details of our messy, magical, everyday lives.
Previous Performances:
Festivals
Minnesota State Fair – St. Paul, MN
Fischer Fest – Fischer, TX
Merlefest – Chris Austin Songwriting Competition, 2nd place – Wilkesboro, NC
Kerrville Folk Festival, New Folk Winner 2018 – Kerrville, TX
Roots, Rock, Rhythm & Blues Festival – Minneapolis, MN
Stone Arch Bridge Festival – Minneapolis, MN
Midwest Music Festival – Winona, MN
Silverwood OnStage – New Brighton, MN
Songwriter Serenade 2023 – Schulenberg, TX
Storyhill Fest – Deerwood, MN
Lutsong – Lutsen, MN
Rock Bend Folk Fest – St. Peter, MN
Venues (Local)
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant (headliner & opener)
The Cedar Cultural Center (headliner & opener)
Turf Club (headliner & opener)
Icehouse
The Parkway Theater
7th Street Entry
Fine Line Music Cafe
Hell’s Kitchen
Aster Cafe
The Hook & Ladder Theater – sold out release show
Bryant Lake Bowl – sold out release show
Lakeville Center for the Arts
Rieder Homestead
The Warming House
331 Club
Amsterdam Bar and Hall
Venues (Outstate)
Lincoln Center, NYC (NewSong Music Contest, top 4 finalist)
Blue Rock Studios & Artist Ranch – Wimberley, TX
Sycamore Creek Concerts – Dripping Springs, TX
Open Arms Concert Series – Austin, TX
Reif Center – Grand Rapids, MN
Hotel Donaldson – Fargo, ND
Douglas Corner Cafe – Nashville, TN
Belcourt Taps – Nashville, TN
Uncommon Ground – Chicago, IL
Cafe Carpe – Fort Atkinson, WI
Crescendo Music Cafe – Madison, WI
The Root Note – La Crosse, WI
Leo & Leona’s – Bangor, WI
Laughing Goat – Boulder, CO
Olde Glory Theater – Seward, NE
Hotel Utah – San Francisco, CA