Yesterday, Spotify released the latest episode of their new podcast series, “Spotify: Mic Check”- a series aimed at connecting listeners and fans with the world’s biggest creators. The podcast features exclusively intimate conversations with musicians and podcast creators from around the globe.
This week’s episode welcomes rising Country star Morgan Wade to the mic to share with listeners some of her personal stories, from her decision to quit drinking and the painful breakups that inspire her music to how her genre-bending vocal style has helped catapult her rise with country and rock fans. You can listen to the full episode here.
Available to stream for free exclusively on Spotify, please see below for interview highlights in the episode:
- Morgan Wade on her earliest musical inspirations.
- “My earliest inspiration for music was definitely Elvis Presley. I discovered him when I was about seven years old. I just thought he was the coolest thing I’d ever heard or seen. And he was so different from anything else I had ever laid my eyes on.
- Morgan Wade on her journey from classical violinist to Country/Rock guitarist.
- “I first picked up an instrument when I was about eight years old, classical violin. And I hated it — every minute of it. And my grandmother got me a guitar. I started playing that when I was probably 11 or 12 and I never performed before. I didn’t tell anybody; Hey, I’m writing songs. It was just something that I did for myself. And so, my first time actually playing out loud music with a band was when I was 19. It was my freshman year of college and I went through a breakup.”
- Morgan Wade on the power of vulnerability.
- “We all have parts of us that we don’t want the world to see, but if we could talk more about that. Everything from addiction, to mental health, we could not feel so alone. So I think that it’s less painful to be transparent, even though it is hard in a society that just wants the perfect stuff to show.”
- Morgan Wade on her decision to quit drinking
- “You know, I would not be sitting here talking to you right now if I didn’t quit drinking. When I first started playing music, I wasn’t always getting paid, but 90 percent of the time, you had a bar tab. And so I really did start to take advantage of that. So that was really my first introduction to drinking.”
- Morgan Wade on what inspires her to write.
- “I write when I’m inspired or when I’m going through something and I try to write and come up with something every day. The other day, I sat down and I wrote three songs and they’re three songs I know I’m going to use. When something’s supposed to come to me, it comes to me and I try not to push it too hard. I don’t want to feel like a machine. That’s why my stuff can be as authentic as it is because I only write when I really feel something.”
- Morgan Wade on how Spotify has helped fans discover her music.
- “It’s just crazy because to see to get added to these different playlists and having people be like, Hey, I discovered you because of a Spotify playlist. It’s awesome. And, you know, people in Sweden are listening to my music. I’ve never been to Sweden, but there’s somebody over there that knows who I am.”
- “It’s just crazy because to see to get added to these different playlists and having people be like, Hey, I discovered you because of a Spotify playlist. It’s awesome. And, you know, people in Sweden are listening to my music. I’ve never been to Sweden, but there’s somebody over there that knows who I am.”
The Country Music Association’s CMA Fest in Nashville, TN is country music’s biggest annual gathering. This year, Spotify is back at the fest with a stellar lineup to satisfy every country music fan’s cravings.
It’s summer time and with that comes many ways to enjoy country music in the great outdoors, from backyard barbecues to lakeside bonfires to countryside hikes. To pay homage to one of the Heartland’s great summer outdoor traditions in a truly unexpected and unique way, Spotify Hot Country has produced four exclusive custom-designed crop circles featuring three superstar country artists as well as the Hot Country logo.
Country music has long been a significant part of this country’s cultural fabric, and what better way to commemorate our nation’s birthday than with one of music’s superstars performing at one of the most iconic US holiday destinations! On July 4th, Spotify will bring the Heartland to NYC’S famed Seaport District, to celebrate the launch of Hot Country Live, the new live concert series that will serve as an extension of the popular flagship Hot Country playlist, which features more than 4.5 million followers worldwide. Multi-platinum selling and seven-time Grammy Award winning global music superstar Carrie Underwood will headline the inaugural Hot Country Live concert at the Seaport’s The Rooftop at Pier 17 concert venue, performing her biggest hits, including her current single “Cry Pretty,” from her first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville, which will be released on September 14. Chart-topping country music duo Dan + Shay, whose self-titled third studio album will be released on June 22, will open the concert event. Additional artists will be announced at a later date.
The common thread among country music artists and fans is the ability to relate to the songs and stories that connect them. Songs about real people, real stories, and real lives. Spotify is committed to being the connection point for these shared experiences, and thanks to Spotify’s recently re-launched, enhanced 
When you discover a new artist, you don’t just want to hear the song, you want to know everything—what their name means, where they’re from, how they started, what their process is like, which music they listen to. Whether their struggle was real or they’re an overnight sensation, it’s the stories that truly bring the music to life.
