Morgan Kibby

Last updated

Morgan Kibby
White Sea at SXSW 2014--6 (15844560332).jpg
Background information
Birth nameMorgan Grace Kibby
Also known asWhite Sea
Born (1984-05-03) May 3, 1984 (age 40)
Utqiagvik, Alaska, U.S.
Origin San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Composer
  • producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Piano
  • keyboard
  • vocals
Years active1997–present
LabelsNone
Website morgankibby.com

Morgan Grace Kibby (born May 3, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former actress based in Los Angeles, California. She is best known as a member and collaborator of the French electronic group M83 between 2008 and 2015. Prior to joining M83, she was the frontwoman of the Romanovs, releasing one studio album in 2005. In 2014, Kibby began recording and releasing material under the moniker White Sea.

Contents

Following her departure from M83, Kibby began collaborating with Panic! at the Disco in a songwriting and session capacity, contributing to the albums Death of a Bachelor (2016), Pray for the Wicked (2018) and Viva Las Vengeance (2022). In 2019, Kibby contributed keyboards, moog bass and backing vocals to the title track of Harry Styles's second studio album Fine Line , and in 2020, she co-wrote and produced the orchestral interludes on Lady Gaga's sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), with a 26-piece orchestra. [1]

In 2023, Kibby provided the original music for the Amazon TV series, The Power . [2]

Early life

Born in Utqiagvik, Alaska to Charles and Lauri, [3] Kibby grew up in San Francisco where she took vocal training, as well as studied piano and cello in her teens. [4] She also performed as part of the chorus of the San Francisco Opera. [5]

In 2003, Kibby released an EP entitled Beggar's Alchemy, doing vocals, cello, and piano. Soon after the release she began performing with the musicians that would form The Romanovs, including Dan Rosa and Paul Wiancko.

In 2005, the band released the album ...And the Moon Was Hungry.... For a short time the group were just known as "Morgan" and soon after evolved into "Morgan and the Hidden Hands". [6] In 2007, the band started to re-mix and re-master their first release. Percussion, cello, violin, piano and vocals were added to former tracks as well as two new studio recordings titled "Fever Pitch" and "Mr. Okada". This was the first release with the band operating under their new name of The Romanovs. [7] In 2007, they won a Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best USA Band. The same year the band when on hiatus while Kibby joined M83.

M83

Jordan Lawlor, Anthony Gonzalez and Morgan Kibby in Berlin. Yann Gonzalez, Morgan Kibby, and Anthony Gonzalez in Berlin.jpg
Jordan Lawlor, Anthony Gonzalez and Morgan Kibby in Berlin.

Kibby provided keys and arrangements for M83 on their fifth full-length release, Saturdays = Youth , and co-wrote the songs "Kim & Jessie", "Up!", "Too Late" and "Skin of the Night". [8] Subsequently, she toured with the band throughout Australia, Europe and the United States in 2008. She continued to tour with M83 in 2009 as they opened for Kings of Leon in the UK, The Killers on their US tour and for some dates of Depeche Mode's Tour of the Universe. In 2011, Kibby contributed to M83's sixth full-length album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming ; providing vocals, keyboards and arrangements. She co-wrote the songs "Intro", "Midnight City", and "Reunion". [9] On collaborating with Anthony Gonzalez, she stated, "I take a lot of inspiration from watching him work and working with him." [10] In December 2015, it was revealed that Kibby was no longer part of M83. [11]

White Sea and solo career

Kibby has embarked on a solo project since touring with M83, called White Sea, which is a translation of her name. [12] Her first track, a remix of Solid Gold's "Synchronize", first appeared on her MySpace. A second track titled "Overdrawn" was released to her MySpace in March, revealing a new musical direction for Kibby. On September 30, a new track, "Mountaineer", became available for free download on the RCRD LBL website. An EP, This Frontier, was released on October 5, 2010, which she later described as 'a little scattered. Lots of disco references for the guitars. Still all layered with big, thick, '70s and '80s synths'. [10] Since the release of This Frontier, Kibby focused on remixing tracks for other artists and developing her style. The self-produced In Cold Blood, Kibby's first full-length album, was released in May 2014 via Crush Music and Songs Publishing, [13] and features songs co-written with Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson. [5] She described it as a break-up record where she "had to express myself through my music. It was the only way to purge myself of this extreme grief and loss". [14] The album was toured as support to The Naked and Famous. [12]

After In Cold Blood she has released a series of singles under a new maxim to share music freely, without the need for EPs or albums. Upon the release of the fourth of these singles, "Arcadia" (2016), she announced she would be releasing these singles with accompanying video components, starting with "Arcadia". [15] She also composed the soundtrack for Eva Husson's Bang Gang in 2016. [16] and featured on Big Data's song "The Business of Emotion" (2015). [17]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M83 (band)</span> French electronic music project

M83 are a French electronic music group formed in Antibes in 1999. Initially the duo of multi-instrumentalists Nicolas Fromageau and Anthony Gonzalez, Fromageau parted ways shortly after touring for their second album Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. Gonzalez remains the sole constant member of the project, as the primary songwriter and lead vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isobel Campbell</span> Scottish singer

Isobel Campbell is a Scottish singer, songwriter and cellist. She rose to prominence at age nineteen as a member of the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, but left the group to pursue a solo career, first as The Gentle Waves, and later under her own name. She later collaborated with singer Mark Lanegan on three albums. Her latest studio album, Bow To Love, was released in 2024.

Tony Hoffer is an American record producer, songwriter, and music mixer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greta Morgan</span> American musician (born 1988)

Greta Morgan Salpeter is an American singer-songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles, CA. Her career began in 2005 as singer/pianist of the Chicago-based band The Hush Sound. She later formed the band Gold Motel, whose debut album was released on June 1, 2010. Since 2014, she performs under the name Springtime Carnivore and has released two albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Meldal-Johnsen</span> American musician and producer (born 1970)

Justin Meldal-Johnsen is an American musician, record producer, songwriter and musical director. He is best known for his work with artists such as Beck, Nine Inch Nails, M83, Air, and St. Vincent.

<i>Saturdays = Youth</i> 2008 studio album by M83

Saturdays = Youth is the fifth studio album by French electronic music band M83, released on 11 April 2008 by Virgin Records. The album was produced by Ken Thomas, with co-production by Ewan Pearson and M83 frontman Anthony Gonzalez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Romanovs (band)</span> Los Angeles based band

The Romanovs are a band from Los Angeles. The band consists of Morgan Kibby, Ana Lenchantin (cello), Dan Rosa (piano), Wesley Precourt (violin) and Randy Cooke (percussion).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Seas (song)</span> 1984 single by Echo & the Bunnymen

"Seven Seas" is a single by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, which was released on 6 July 1984 by Korova. It was the third single to be released from their fourth studio album Ocean Rain (1984). It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 on the Irish Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Black Delta</span> American musician

Big Black Delta is a solo project by Mellowdrone vocalist/bassist Jonathan Bates.

<i>Hurry Up, Were Dreaming</i> 2011 studio album by M83

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is the sixth studio album by French electronic music band M83. The album was released on 18 October 2011, by Naïve Records in France and by Mute Records in the United States. The album was the last M83 album with keyboardist Morgan Kibby before her departure, and the band's first full double album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim & Jessie</span> 2008 single by M83

"Kim & Jessie" is a song by French electronic band M83. Written by Anthony and Yann Gonzalez with Morgan Kibby, it was released in July 2008 as the third single from M83's fifth studio album, Saturdays = Youth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Active Child</span> Musical artist

Patrick James Grossi, better known by his stage name Active Child, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album, You Are All I See, was released in 2011 and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid, and garnered substantial reviews from media outlets like Pitchfork Media and Drowned in Sound. In 2011, Active Child opened for British musician James Blake and for the French synthpop band M83. In 2012, his song, "Hanging On," was covered by English pop artist Ellie Goulding and later included on her second album, Halcyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Schuppan</span> Musical artist

Mike Schuppan is an American producer, mixing engineer and recording engineer. He is known for his work with Paramore, M83, Jimmy Eat World and others. He has been the long time engineer for Justin Meldal-Johnsen and served as his bass tech while touring with Nine Inch Nails and Beck. Mike has a private studio in Hollywood, California.

<i>Junk</i> (M83 album) 2016 studio album by M83

Junk is the seventh studio album by French electronic music band M83, released on 8 April 2016 on Naïve Records in France and Mute Records in the United States. It is the first album released by the band in a half-decade since 2011's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming and the first release since Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2007) without longtime vocalist and keyboardist Morgan Kibby. The album also features guest appearances from Mai Lan, Steve Vai, Susanne Sundfør, Beck and Jordan Lawlor.

"Wait" is a song by French electronic music band M83. The track was released on 5 December 2012 as the fifth single from their sixth studio album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011).

<i>Chromatica</i> 2020 studio album by Lady Gaga

Chromatica is the sixth studio album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on May 29, 2020, by Interscope Records and subsidiary Streamline. Gaga supervised the production with longtime collaborator BloodPop and a variety of other producers to create the album. Musically, Chromatica is a dance-pop record inspired by early 1990s house music, returning Gaga to her dance music roots and eschewing the stripped-down style of its predecessors Joanne (2016) and A Star Is Born (2018). The album's visual aesthetic saw Gaga adopt a cyberpunk-inspired persona.

"Alice" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga recorded for her sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020). It appears as the album's second track, preceded by a string arrangement titled "Chromatica I". It was written by Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Axwell, Justin Tranter, and Johannes Klahr, and produced by BloodPop, Axwell, and Klahr. The song references Lewis Carroll's 1865 children's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">911 (Lady Gaga song)</span> 2020 single by Lady Gaga

"911" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga recorded for her sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020). It appears as the album's eighth track, preceded by a string arrangement titled "Chromatica II". It was written by Gaga together with Justin Tranter, BloodPop, and Madeon, with the latter two also producing along with Benjamin Rice. It is a Eurodisco, synth-pop, and electropop song with influences from techno and funk. Gaga sings in monotonous, robotic vocal effects for most part of the track. Lyrically, "911" talks about mental health and the antipsychotic medication Gaga takes.

"Sine from Above" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga and English musician Elton John from the former's sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020). It is included as the album's fourteenth track, and is preceded by a string arrangement, "Chromatica III", which leads right into the beginning of the song. It was produced by BloodPop, Burns, Axwell, Liohn and Johannes Klahr, and had a wide array of songwriters involved. It is an electronica-influenced electropop song with a drum n' bass breakdown, and lyrically it talks about the healing power of music.

"Angel Down" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. It serves as the concluding track on the standard edition of her fifth studio album, Joanne (2016). Influenced by the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012, it was written by Gaga and her long-time collaborator RedOne, during the initial recording sessions of the album in 2015; he also produced its work tape version. In late 2015, she played "Angel Down" to Mark Ronson, who later produced the official rendition of the track, along with BloodPop. It is a torch song, as well as protest song against shootings of African Americans in the United States. The piano ballad also touches on topics of social media.

References

  1. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (June 16, 2020). "Lady Gaga Collaborator Morgan Kibby Discusses 'Chromatica' Interludes". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Morgan Kibby Scoring Amazon's 'The Power' | Film Music Reporter" . Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ Colville, Alex (April 30, 2011). "Interview with Morgan Kibby [M83 / White Sea]". Ilictronix. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  4. ↑ Micallef, Ken (November 24, 2014). "Morgan Kibby's White Sea". emusician.com. Electronic Musician. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Mapes, Jillian (May 21, 2014). "Secrets of the White Sea: How M83's Morgan Kibby Made Pop's Newest Break-Up Classic". flavorwire.com.
  6. ↑ Listing for ...And the Moon was Hungry... by the Romanovs on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
  7. ↑ Listing of the re-release of ...And The Moon Was Hungry... album by the Romanovs on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
  8. ↑ Listing for the Saturdays=Youth album by M83 on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
  9. ↑ Listing for the Hurry Up, We're Dreaming album by M83 on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2014).
  10. 1 2 Studarus, Laura (June 6, 2013). "Exclusive song premiere and Interview: White Sea and Susanne SundfØr". Interview.
  11. ↑ O'Donnell, Kevin (December 17, 2015). "Inside the making of M83's 'epic' new album". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Scrudato, Ken. "M83's Morgan Kibby Becomes White Sea". bbook.com. Black Book. Retrieved February 13, 2015.[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ Darley, Andrew (June 16, 2014). "White Sea: An Interview With Morgan Kibby". Polari Magazine.
  14. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (June 3, 2014). "Why White Sea Is More Than An M83 Side Project". Billboard. Nielsen.
  15. ↑ White Sea (March 17, 2016), White Sea – Arcadia , retrieved March 23, 2016 Note: see video description.
  16. ↑ "Morgan Kibby (M83, White Sea) discusses her seductive score to LFF First-Feature Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) – Metfilm". Metfilm. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  17. ↑ Hear, Listen. "Big Data Releases New Single 'The Business Of Emotion' feat. White Sea – Listen Hear". Listen Hear. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.