A Chat with Alwyn Morrison (09.09.25)
Blending the raw intensity of rock with the electrifying hooks of pop, singer-songwriter Alwyn Morrison offers a sound that is scintillating, intimate and intriguing. We speak with the US-based musician about his EP, Heartsplit, what music means to him and more.
OSR: What drew you to music? What made you decide to pursue a musical career?
Morrison: I have been writing music for as long as I can remember. I must have been around 10 or 11, sitting in front of the TV and trying to write a catchy song like those playing on MTV. I had a very musical upbringing: I took piano, guitar, and flute lessons for many years, but I never really mastered any of those instruments. When I was in college, I joined a band, but back then, music wasn’t a priority for me, and being in a band just wasn’t the right fit, but I never stopped writing songs. It was later, when I started collaborating with other musicians, that I thought for the first time about recording and releasing music. Honestly, it was because one of my co-writers once told me that someone should record one of the songs we were working on. That song was so personal to me that it led me to slowly start recording, producing, and then releasing music.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Morrison: Where do I even start? Music is such a big part of my life. My first job while I was still in college was as a part-time music journalist. I loved researching and writing about musicians, their releases, and their influences. It was a lot of fun, and I got to interview some really incredible artists. I am the type of person who will try to listen to as many new albums and songs as possible every week. I love discovering new music and new artists, as well as stumbling upon an artist I never knew existed and diving into their sometimes already very long catalog. Music is my go-to when I feel down, and it is just as present when I’m feeling good. The fact that some people enjoy my music as much as I love other artists’ music is a very humbling experience, and it means so much to me.
OSR: You just released your debut EP, Heartsplit. What can you tell us about the EP? Is there a particular theme or backstory?
Morrison: I have never written as much music as I have in the last few years. It was certainly because I, unintentionally, started approaching songwriting as a vehicle for emotions that I didn’t know how to express to others or even process myself. Same old story: heartbreak leading to creativity. I must have written almost 60 songs for this project without even knowing if I would ever release any of them. After releasing a few songs, I felt like it was time to finally put this chapter of my life, one I had been thinking and writing about for such a long time, behind me. For some reason, it felt like the creative process would only be complete once I released some of the songs. I didn’t want to put out an EP filled only with sad love songs, so I tried to capture all dimensions of love: from falling in love, to struggling in a relationship, to overcoming heartbreak, and to looking back at a relationship with perspective.
OSR: What was the most exciting and most challenging part of creating Heartsplit?
Morrison: The most exciting part was probably how spontaneously some of the songs came together. There was no overthinking, no trying to do something other than what was coming to me and to my collaborators effortlessly when we were in the room together. I wrote some of these songs in just a few hours, and when that type of magic happens, it is thrilling. The most challenging part was probably coordinating everything as an independent artist, from songwriting sessions to studio time, to production, to trips between cities to work with different people, and planning as much as I could for a release. It is a lot of work, and as an independent artist, you need to be in the driver’s seat, which takes courage and resilience. At times, it can be difficult.
OSR: What does Heartsplit mean to you?
Morrison: Certainly, it is a nod to heartbreak, but I honestly just started imagining a cartoon of a heart doing the split. I found it interesting, the contrast between something being split, as in broken and doing a split just for fun. It is very figurative. I kind of fell in love with that word when I thought of it, and I knew I wanted to name my first album or EP, Heartsplit, from that moment on.
OSR: What do you hope people take from the EP and your music in general?
Morrison: The other day, someone told me that my EP was very complete. I am not sure what they meant, but I like to think of it as a journey through love. Heartsplit opens with a song about being deeply in love, ‘A Mile a Minute’. From there, it shifts into a reality check, because life loves to throw a little chaos and heartbreak our way. By the third track, we are in the territory of a relationship that has moments that are not easy to talk about, but that we all go through. Then there is ‘Lenox Hill’, which tells the whole arc of a love story in one song: the falling in, the falling out, and the emptiness that lingers afterwards. The following song is about what comes after heartbreak: the many ways we try to overcome it and find happiness again. It is not easy, but sometimes, even in the middle of it, you can still find a little fun. And finally, in the last song, ‘Maybe in Another World’, I look back at that chapter of my life and wonder, “What if?” It is the kind of question we never really get an answer to, but that we still ask anyway. I hope that people can find a connection in my songs, whether it’s just one track or the whole EP, and that it reflects a moment or feeling in their lives.
OSR: If you could change one thing about the EP, what would it be and why?
Morrison: Well, nothing, I guess. I am very proud of it, and it represents who I am, who I was, and I simply hope to still be proud of it years from now. It is like when I write a song and someone tells me to change something to make it better. My instinct is always to keep it as is, because that change would just turn the song into a different song, you know? And there is always time to write more music, to write a better song, to try a different production, or to sing it differently. If I want to change something, I just think I will do that on the next song. I guess I prefer to be future-oriented instead of overly picky about things that already exist. Imagine a painter who has just finished a canvas. He or she would probably just move on to the next one if inspired to do something different. I see music in the same way.
OSR: If you had to introduce a new listener to your music, which song would you recommend and why that song?
Morrison: That’s a tough one. Some of my songs are very pop, with catchy bridges and synthesizers, while others are more rock-leaning and electric guitar-driven. I see how different songs resonate differently with different people. I guess I would have to say ‘Chained’, which is a song that really changed my life in many ways. It is very raw and one of my most honest songs, and I never thought it would see the light of day when I first wrote it because it was so personal. I released it with no plans to even promote it at the time, but the response was so positive that it became my audience’s favorite song so far.
OSR: What advice do you have for new musicians entering the industry?
Morrison: You have to believe in yourself when no one else does; otherwise, it is just too difficult. Do not expect anything, but believe in everything, especially in yourself. And do it for you, not for others.
OSR: What’s next for Alwyn Morrison?
Morrison: I am so excited about my upcoming music. It fascinates me that sometimes artists are promoting their latest release, like I am, but are already working on new music. That new music is closer to where I am now, emotionally and even sonically, as I continue to write, record, and explore different ideas in the studio.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Morrison: Before you scroll out of here to stream my EP, which you absolutely should, I have to say that making music is my favorite thing in the world, but sharing it with others is what actually makes it so special. Whether you have my songs on repeat or you think they are not for you, the fact that you even gave them a listen means a lot. Heartsplit is a project full of insanely talented humans who helped me bring it to life, and I hope you give it a listen, feel it, and make it yours.
Many thanks to Alwyn Morrison for speaking with us. Find out more about Alwyn Morrison on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
