Matt Morris Brings Justin Timberlake and Charlie Sexton Together

Posted on Jan 6th 2010 4:00PM by Ashley Iasimone
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When Matt Morris stopped by Spinner's New York office, a couple facts about him were known prior to the visit: He was a Mouseketeer with Justin Timberlake back in the early '90s, and he is now signed to Timberlake's label, Tennman Records. Timberlake's support is an indication that the singer is someone to keep an eye on, but Morris really showed how well-versed he is as an artist with his introduction.

The songwriter's sound is influenced by '70s soul and the vocals of Jeff Buckley, and it includes both guitar and big, piano-driven arrangements. Wondering how it all exists on the same album was a natural question to arise.

"It just takes the right ear," Morris told Spinner. "I always knew Justin had the right ear for it. Out of maybe anyone I've ever worked with or anyone I've ever known, he hears a snip of something and he understands all the complexities of what it could be. He is so tapped into music in all of its forms, in ways that I don't think anyone really ever anticipates."

And Morris was pleased to discover that Timberlake wasn't the only one who understood his musical vision when he had the opportunity to meet up with Charlie Sexton, who's best known for backing Bob Dylan on guitar. The meeting resulted in Sexton co-producing Morris' debut album, 'When Everything Breaks Open,' with Timberlake.

"I was really amazingly surprised when I met Charlie, played him the songs and he got it too," Morris said. "He started using the same language to describe the songs and what they could become that Justin had always used."

Morris graced our space to perform a handful of tunes from his upcoming album, including 'The Un-American,' 'Money' and 'Bloodline.' While Patty Griffin joins Morris on vocals for the recorded version of 'Bloodline,' Morris treated the staff to acoustic solo takes of each song that he played.

The album is due out on Jan. 12, but in the meantime, check out the exclusive video below to get a taste of Morris' music, as well as his memories of growing up in Denver.