Kirsten Morrell

Last updated

Kirsten Morrell
Kirsten Morrell in 2006.jpg
Morrell performing with Goldenhorse in 2005
Background information
Also known asKirsten Reade, Kirsten Reade-Morrell
BornDecember 1974 (1974-12) (age 50)
Hampstead, London, England
Genres
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, opera singer
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar
Labels
Member of Goldenhorse

Kirsten Morrell (born Kirsten Maccoll Reade; December 1974) [1] is a British-born New Zealand singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Goldenhorse.

Contents

Morrell is a trained operatic singer and performed as a national singer in the New Zealand Opera for two years. [2] In the early 2000s, she found success fronting the pop group Goldenhorse, which debuted in 2002 with the chart topping album Riverhead . The band found continued success with the 2005 release of Out of the Moon , which also went platinum. In 2007 the band released their final album, Reporter , before entering a long hiatus.

Morrell recorded her first album as a solo artist with the 2010 release of Ultraviolet , and returned to London to join the Crouch End Festival Chorus. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Morrell began writing new solo material, and returned to New Zealand in anticipation of her 2024 upcoming sophomore album, Morrellium . [3] [4]

Morrell has been an active spokesperson for equitable trade and environmental causes, including as an ambassador for Greenpeace, and backing campaigns by Fairtrade. [5] [2] [6] In 2005, she sang and appeared in the music video for Greenpeace version of "Anchor Me", which peaked at 3 on the New Zealand charts. [7]

Biography

Morrell was born to Tricia Reade in London, England, and was raised in Hampstead. [8] [5] [9] Her parents eventually left London to start an organic farm in rural Cornwall, where Morrell spent the later part of her childhood. [2] [10] Morrell and her family moved to New Zealand when she was 12, [11] uniting with her grandparents who lived in Taupō. [12]

Morrell attended Selwyn College in Auckland, receiving a music scholarship and classical training. [5] In her teens, she began an English literature degree at the University of Auckland, which was put on hold until she returned to study at 24. She subsequently became a qualified yoga teacher, and in 2013, began studying an arts management masters at the Auckland University of Technology. [5]

Career

Morrell has been involved in the music industry since the 90s, but has worked as a volunteer, a board member, executive and manager in various organizations, including People Tree, The Fair Trade Foundation, New Zealand Opera and Crouch End Festival Chorus, to name some. [13]

Morrell has been involved in the New Zealand Opera chorus for 12 years, performing as a core soprano. [13]

1999–2007: Goldenhorse

Morrell formed Goldenhorse in 1999 with guitarist Geoff Maddock. [14] In 2002, Goldenhorse released Riverhead to commercial success, going 3x platinum and topping the New Zealand charts. The album was self-funded and had been recorded independently without a label, using money from Morrell's mother and equipment loaned from Tim Finn and Neil Finn. [14] It was recorded on-and-off over a year, with most of the recording in a home studio in the Waitakere Ranges. [15] The success of the album subsequently lead to a record deal with Siren Records. [15]

With the assistance of veteran producer Murray Grindlay, Goldenhorse followed-up in 2005 with Out of the Moon , which peaked at number 2 on the charts and went platinum. The band promptly began touring, including overseas in London. [15]

In 2007 after returning from their UK tour, the band released Reporter to lackluster commercial sales, briefly entering the top 40 chart at 38. [16] Shortly after, Goldenhorse went on hiatus and has not reformed since, with the members moving on to different projects. [15] In 2013, Morrell claimed not all members of the band got along with each other, but that she still considered Goldenhorse an "entity." [5]

2009–2019: Ultraviolet and Crouch End Festival Chorus

In 2009, Morrell worked with producer Jol Mulhullond to record her 2010 debut solo album, Ultraviolet . [17] [18] It spent two weeks on the charts, peaking at 25, and was received with mixed reviews. [19] [20] [21]

Following the release of Ultraviolet, Morrell moved back to London, where she joined Crouch End Festival Chorus, a leading symphonic choir which has performed at the BBC Proms. [10] She has appeared on several of their classical recordings. [15]

In 2016 as a qualified yoga teacher, Morrell started a yoga business, SingingTreeYoga, in North London. [3]

2020–present: Solo return with Morrellium

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morrell began writing new solo material. She returned to New Zealand and setup a home studio in Auckland, releasing "Strawberry Fool" in 2023. [4] She is currently working on her upcoming sophomore album, Morrellium , [3] which is being produced by Clint Murphy, who worked with Goldenhorse on Reporter. [22]

Personal life

Morrell has family from England and from New Zealand, the latter originating from Lyall Bay, Wellington. [2] Morrell previously lived in Wellington and currently resides in central Auckland, but over the years has periodically lived in England pursuing music and opera. [2] [3] [4] Her mother, Tricia, lives in Ponsonby. [9] Morrell also has an older brother, Bryne Reade, born two years earlier, who is a journalist, filmmaker, and photographer. [23] [24]

In a 2013 interview, Morrell suggested that her success with Goldenhorse did not earn her much money, and that she was living in a rented home with three flatmates, stating "there are people who get paid to do their art, but I never seem to. At some point I was.'' [5] In a 2023 interview with RNZ, when asked if music was her full-time occupation, Morrell simply replied "I wish." [3]

Political views and advocacy

Morrell has been regularly involved in fair trade and environmental organisations, using her profile to support fundraisers and campaigns. [6] She was an ambassador for Greenpeace New Zealand, and has attended various events and fundraisers for the organisation. [25] In 2005, she sang and appeared in the music video for Greenpeace's charity cover of "Anchor Me" which peaked at 3 on the New Zealand charts. [7] Morrell has publicly opposed the mining of conservation land and the whaling industry. [11]

In 2007, Morrell fronted a fundraising campaign by Oxfam in support of fair trade for coffee producers. [26] In 2009, Morrel participated in the Auckland supercity hikoi protests. [11]

Morrell has been a supporter of Fair Trade Auckland and was actively involved in the organisation in the early 2010s, including as a signature collector for campaigns to support Auckland becoming a fair trade city. [8]

In 2014, Morrell worked at a call center for the "Get Out and Vote" campaign organised by the Council of Trade Unions. [27]

Discography

Albums

Singles

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References

  1. ↑ "FreeBMD Entry Info (Kirsten Reade)". www.freebmd.org.uk. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Steel, Gary (24 June 2010). "The Kirsten Morrell Interview". Witchdoctor. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Music 101 Live Session: Kirsten Morrell". RNZ . 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  4. 1 2 3 Morrell, Kirsten (19 December 2023). "Songwriter's Choice: Kirsten Morrell". AudioCulture. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Goldenhorse girl, interrupted". Stuff . 8 September 2013. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  6. 1 2 "Kirsten Morrell". Good Magazine. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  7. 1 2 "charts.org.nz - Greenpeace - Anchor Me". charts.nz. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  8. 1 2 Coom, Pippa (2012-05-11). "Fair Trade Auckland - we did it". Pippa Coom. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  9. 1 2 "Competition to mark National Farmers Markets Week". Ponsonby News. March 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  10. 1 2 3 "Kirsten Morrell (ex-Goldenhorse) releases 'Harry' from forthcoming album 'Morrellium'". www.muzic.net.nz. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  11. 1 2 3 Yeoman, Paula (4 May 2010). "Kirsten's Golden Journey". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  12. ↑ "Goldenhorse singer-songwriter Kirsten Morrell shares her favourite travel memories". The New Zealand Herald . 8 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  13. 1 2 Reade, Kirsten. "Kirsten Reade | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Goldenhorse". NZ On Screen . Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Steel, Gary (17 September 2013). "Goldenhorse". AudioCulture. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  16. ↑ "Reporter - Goldenhorse - Top 40 Albums". www.muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  17. ↑ "Kirsten Morrell - New Zealand Musicians & Bands". www.muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  18. ↑ Bond, Tracey (26 May 2010). "Kirsten Morrell on solo life". Stuff . Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  19. ↑ "Kirsten Morrell - Ultraviolet". charts.nz. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  20. 1 2 O'Neill, Shea (17 June 2010). "Kirsten Morrell | Ultraviolet". Sideroom. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  21. ↑ "CD review: Kirsten Morrell's Ultraviolet". Stuff . 26 May 2010. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  22. 1 2 "Kirsten Morrell – Strawberry Fool: 13th Floor New Song Of The Day - The 13th Floor". 13thfloor.co.nz. 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  23. ↑ "FreeBMD Entry Info (Bryn Reade)". www.freebmd.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  24. ↑ Reade, Bryn. "Bryn Reade | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  25. ↑ "Kirsten Morrell at Rainbow Warrior III Auction in Auckland". Greenpeace. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  26. ↑ "The dish: Goldenhorse singer does her fair share for coffee". The New Zealand Herald . 24 April 2007. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  27. ↑ "Parties' final push: Getting punters out to vote". The New Zealand Herald . 17 September 2014. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  28. ↑ "TV2 Song: I'm Free". TVNZ. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012.
  29. ↑ "Anchor Me | Music Video". NZ On Screen . Retrieved 2024-08-21.
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