Proust-ish Questionnaire: MORGXN

Another day, another stupidly hateful action in my beautiful state of Tennessee: namely, the news that our Governor signed a resolution last week that June - aka Pride Month - will now be designated as "Nuclear Family Month," celebrating households that consist of "one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children." To go out of your way to basically make a spite holiday due to your homophobia and transphobia is horrifying, disturbing and completely on brand for the bigot toddlers who run things around here - but luckily we have artists in Nashville like Morgxn who are making music to both fuel the revolution and remind us all that every last one of us belongs here, and is deserving of love.

"When all that you worship is power and money," Morgxn sings on "God Coded," is God even in the room with us?" It's a track off the deluxe version of his gorgeous, and at times heartbreaking, album Heartland, released last month. It's a collection of songs about belonging and the fight to get there, but it's really an album about love and the people we surround ourselves with who offer it up, unconditionally. After all, as Morgxn sings on "Heaven Knows," a tender meditation alongside Tenille Townes, "there's more light than dark."

To celebrate the release of Heartland (Deluxe), we asked Morgxn to answer our Don't Rock the Inbox Proust-ish Questionnaire. Read on to learn about his love for Vince Gill, Brandi Carlile and his perfect country song choice (which, honestly, I agree with).

The Don’t Rock the Inbox Proust Questionnaire: MORGXN

1. What country album is your idea of perfect happiness?

Old Time Feeling by S.G. Goodman.

2. What’s your greatest fear about your career?

That no one will hear my songs.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in other artists?

Pick me energy.

4. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Pick me energy.

5. Which living country artist do you most admire?

Vince Gill.

6. What is your greatest extravagance on tour?

Literally any comfort on tour is an extravagance I hope to afford.

7. What is the most overrated virtue in the country music world?

That you can’t speak up for trans kids.

8. Which of your past aesthetic choices do you dislike most?

I straightened my bangs in 2009.

9. Which country artist, living or dead, do you most despise?

Pull up a chair…

10. Which words or phrases do you most overuse in your songwriting?

Broken.

11. When and where were you happiest?

When I finished a song my heart needed.

12. Which talent would you most like to have, other than music?

Baking. I’d love to bake.

13. If you could change one thing about your career so far, what would it be?

I wish I had a career.

14. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Singing with Sara Bareilles on Jimmy Kimmel feels high on my list.

15. If you were to die and come back as another country artist, living or dead, what would it be?

Brandi Carlile.

16. Where would you most like to live if you didn’t have to be tied to one particular place for work (if you are)?

I really love Nashville even though Tennessee keeps trying to f*ck me and my friends.

17. What is your most treasured musical possession?

I own and wrote most of my album HEARTLAND on the piano I grew up on… 

18. Which historical figure in country music would you most like to collaborate with?

I’d like to collaborate with Brandi Carlile.

19. Who are your heroes in real life?

Anyone trying to create beauty in this chaos.

20. What is your greatest regret?

Not believing in myself or loving myself for too many years…

21. What is one perfect country song, to you?

‘Cowboy Take Me Away’ by The Chicks