Stacking The Deck with Kendra Morris

Stacking The Deck is a feature exclusive to Adam’s World where I bring packs of 1991 Pro Set Superstars MusiCards to artists, and we discuss who they find in each pack. 

Sometimes the most important person we have to trust is ourselves, and this is something NYC-based soulful singer-songwriter Kendra Morris has come to fully embrace.

“The more that I’ve listened to my gut, the more that I have followed my gut, and not followed the herd, in whatever way I express myself – whether it’s through music, through something I’m wearing, through something I’m creating – the more I listen to myself, the louder my gut is. Eventually I realized it’s right, because it’s my story. I’m not trying to write somebody else’s story.”

Her latest album, Next, was just released via Colemine / Karma Chief Records, and not only was it accompanied by a handful of colorful, and creative self-made music videos, she turned the gatefold of the vinyl release into a board game.

It’s the game of Life, Kendra Morris style, and it’s a life that – despite the occasional twists, turns, flat tires, rejections, and bills – she’s happy to be leading.

“I’ve had a lot of ‘No’s.’ I’ve been at this forever, and I just don’t know how to not do it now. I’ve done it so long that making art, making music, being on the road, whatever angle, whatever it is, I don’t know how to not do it. I love it. There’s never an end. It’s kind of just being in the middle, and being present with it.”

I caught up with Kendra before her recent show at StageOne at FTC to open up some packs of MusiCards, and the artists we found sparked conversations about creating her artistic world, as well as what inspired her trademark oversized glasses. There was also mention of guys in black nail polish, and puppets. Yes, puppets!

Cher

Let’s start with Cher. What made you pick Cher? 

She’s an icon. She’s classic, a legend, timeless.

She’s reinvented herself numerous times.

She had a variety show, and I want to have a variety show someday.

What would your variety show be like? 

Me 2.0. It would be like some weird puppets, and a lot of outfit changes, a couple sketch comedies. It would be like Cher, but me, but I wouldn’t have a significant other do it with me. Just me.

What if you and one of the puppets end up getting together? I mean, you never know, right? 

That’s what happens sometimes when you work too close with people.

You also mentioned reinvention with Cher. Do you feel like you’re someone who reinvents yourself, or are you looking forward to reinventing yourself at some point in time? 

I think for me, I constantly continue to evolve. I think as an artist, you should continuously challenge yourself.

She’s reinvented herself, but always remains true to herself. Like you always know it’s Cher. There are certain things about her that have always remained the same, and I appreciate that about her.

She definitely has always stayed relevant, and forward thinking.

Ozzy Osbourne

Another icon.

He didn’t reinvent himself, be built himself, and created like a universe around himself.

I think he’s incredible. He worked with a lot of amazing people. I think Ozzy, he was a true and true artist.

He also never sold his soul to corporate. Even when he had his TV show with his family, it was still like, that’s Ozzy. Kind of like Cher, another artist that’s iconic, and stays true to themselves.

I have so much respect for him.

You mentioned he created a world around him. When you think about the world you’ve created around you, what are some of the specific details that you’re either most proud of, or that you love the most? 

For me, one of the things I really believe in is making the most of what you have. I guess you could say it’s DIY aesthetic.

I learned how to make music videos because I never had a budget for music videos, but I always wanted – as somebody who’s inspired by the visual world, and the way that art is a fluid thing, and it connects with itself – I just always knew that visual art was another way to express myself, and that there had to be a way to connect it with my music.

I think that’s something that, as I built my world, it’s become very cohesive, because I just think of myself as like, I like to make stuff, so I make songs, but I also love to create the visual universe with those songs.

And you have a board game. 

I do! I have a board game now, officially since yesterday.

That’s another extension.

I wrote all the songs first. It wasn't like – I’m going to make an album that’s going to be a board game.

I spent a year building out the demos for the songs. Some of the songs I had had, like, in my back pocket, and then I rebuilt brand new demos, and worked on them. Some of them I wrote right there and then.

I built all these demos, and then took them to my band.

They went through a lot of phases.

We recorded the album last July, then we decided it was either rush the record and put it out, or – I really believe in letting things stew – have like an eight month lead time.

So then it was like, let’s make the most of this. Let me think of a concept.

Then the board game idea came out.

I was like, how many board games are there? Tons, but what’s my board game? Then it was using the board game as a framework, as a stepping stone to further bring my fans, and new listeners into the whole Kendra Morris artistic universe.

That’s why I have videos that are a part of the board game that also connect to the songs. You can play the game, and be in the world of it.

Tina Turner

I picked all the icon cards.

She was just a powerhouse of a woman. She really got put through the wringer, and nothing stopped her.

When I think of her, I think of someone who just had the will to stick it out.

Great, I mean, amazing songs.

What she represents for me, too, is I love her power in her live act, and I really like bringing a great stage show for my live performances, so she inspires me.

Eric Clapton

We’ll go with Clapton next. I didn’t expect you to pick Clapton, by the way. 

Well, it’s funny, he was randomly on my Instagram (feed) today. Somebody posted that their son had asked their Dad, “Who’s Eric Clapton?,” and the guy who posted it was like, “Wow, I feel old.”

The reason I picked him is I believe, even with this new record, I built this record around wanting to write great songs. I wanted a record where there was no skips. It wasn’t like an ego driven record, just great songs, and when you think of Eric Clapton, (he had) some of the most beautiful songs.

And the occasional song about a friend’s wife. 

Yeah, and that, too. But I mean, there can’t be rules, there cannot be rules in songwriting, or you’re not gonna make a good song.

So he just wrote what he was doing.

Extreme

Man, I remember that video (for “More Than Words”). That was the first video where I saw a guy with black nail polish. I was like – wow, he’s so edgy.

It was like a black and white video, and he’s singing, and his nails were painted black. Then I saw Carson Daly do it on TRL.

Did that ruin it for you, or did it make it better? 

Carson Daly was such a turd. I think it ruined it.

But Nuno Bettencourt was OK. 

Yeah. Way cooler than Carson Daly.

I picked them because I love that song, and I don’t know, good for them.

That’s the only song I know of theirs. I’m sure they had a lot of other great songs. That’s the one they got to cash the check.

You can also tell what era this was based on the hair and the clothing. 

Yeah. Early ‘90s. Very unique look.

You have a very unique look, as well. 

Thank you.

How have you developed that look over the course of your life? 

I’ve always just kind of dressed to express myself, and I’ve never really cared much about what other people think.

I grew up with brothers, and I grew up being picked on through their friends, and I just realized it’s such a waste of time to care about what other people think, because it’s really your own universe. It’s your own life. So I don’t think I’ve ever followed a trend before. If I see like a trend, I’m like, I want to go the other way.

When my eyesight started getting poor, I don’t like having like (traditional) frames, and I was like, you know, I love the term “go big, or go home,” I’m gonna go as big as you can. I’m gonna go with the biggest glasses I can, so people won’t forget me.

As fellow glasses wearer, is it hard to get new lenses for those? 

It’s a good question, because I actually need to get them. These used to have a pink tint to them, and I wear them so much that the tint has worn off.

For more Kendra Morris, check out kendramorrismusic.com.