Today we’d like to introduce you to Barb Morrison.
Hi Barb, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I started off banging on pots and pans on my mother’s kitchen floor. I have two older brothers who collected audio gear, so I always got their hand-me-downs. At one point, when I was about 12, I had acquired a DJ mixer and two cassette decks from them. I learned how to layer vocals and instruments on that setup. I was fascinated with that concept, that I could build stacks of guitars and harmonies.
After that, I graduated to a 4-track recorder called a Fostex X15, and from there, I started recording all my friends. Now, I’m in my third decade of being a music producer. It’s been a helluva career. I feel really lucky every single day when I wake up, even if I haven’t had much sleep, because I know I get to go into recording studios in the best cities in the world and help songwriters tell their stories. I’m always blown away by how deep the storytelling can get through song. Music makes me cry all the time. It’s the one art form that just comes in and TAKES ME.
I can’t imagine a day when I would ever stop being a producer, but recently, I wrote my first book called “Bottoming for god.” It’s part memoir, part NYC punk history, and part spirituality. So right now, in between recording sessions, I’m on book tour. My next reading is at the Bombay Beach Literary Arts Fest on March 23 in the Salton Sea.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in the music industry is the lack of representation of anyone who is NOT a straight-cis white dude. When I was coming up, there were barely any women in the industry. There certainly weren’t any women producers. And definitely the lack of queer/trans people in the studio was a glaring fact.
I didn’t really have anyone who I could look up to as far as identity goes, so I just kinda made my own path. I still to this day hear stories about how some LGBTQ singer was in a studio just trying to make some cool music, and a bro producer said something awful to them or made them cry.
About a decade ago, I realized I could potentially be making a difference as far as creating a safe space for queer / trans and nonbinary artists. The last few years, I’ve been focusing on moving those people to the front of the line so they can make important music and leave their legacy behind. It’s been really emotional at times just witnessing the way these artists are channeling music., especially with the legislation at state levels we have right now. Moving through the world as a trans or non-binary person can be terrifying, even if you’re just trying to use a public restroom. That’s why making art and getting our voices heard is more important than ever.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I like to focus on getting the songwriter/singer to their TRUTH. I’m originally an old-school New Yorker, so my demeanor doesn’t do well with small talk or shallow BS. I wanna get in there and rip the blinds open so the listener FEELS something.
That was the same approach I took when I wrote my book, too. I thought about what parts of my story might possibly help someone. How can this story give someone strength or help them feel not so alone?
That’s the best way to do art. First, do it for your own truth, then hopefully, someone will connect with it and identify it. Maybe it’ll be exactly what that someone needed to hear that day.
This world needs more queer stories. More gender nonconformists. More people just living in their truth.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share about living in LA with us?
There is something I really love about LA now. It took me a while of coming out here just to get away from the cold weather but the older I get, the more I’m into the vibe. I wrote almost my entire book, looking out my bedroom window at the Hollywood sign. It was never lost on me, while staring at that landmark, how many people come here to live a dream. The history of music, just from the Hollywood hills alone, is enough to be a massive inspiration.
LA can be a magical place if you make friends with it. And that’s the thing – YOU have to make friends with IT. It already has enough friends. You gotta lean in for the bear hug.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.barbmorrisonmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barb__morrison/
- Other: https://www.barbmorrisonmusic.com/book
Image Credits
Drey Kaun
Jaime Karpovich
Shelley Scillone
Dito Montiel
A Klass
Christian Cook
Jamie Gregson
