Morrellium | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | Late 2025 (anticipated) | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Label | KMR | |||
Producer | Clint Murphy | |||
Kirsten Morrell chronology | ||||
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Singles from Morrellium | ||||
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Morrellium is an upcoming solo album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Kirsten Morrell. It was previously slated for release in late 2024, [1] and is now expected in late 2025, [2] but no official date has been given. It will be her second solo album since the release of Ultraviolet in 2010.
Morrellium is Morrell's first studio project as a pop artist since recording the single "I'm Free" for TVNZ 2 in 2011. [3] It also includes contributions from Geoff Maddock and Ben King, members of her former band Goldenhorse, which has been on hiatus since 2007. [4]
In September and November 2023, the singles "Strawberry Fool" and "Harry" were released, respectively. [5] [6] [7] Morrell also performed two further songs from the album live; "Avignon", which was released in October 2024, and "Wishin' and a Hopin'". [8] [7] [9] In June 2025, the single "Buddah (Forget You)" was released in anticipation of the albums expected release by the end of 2025. [2]
In the years after Morrell released her 2010 debut album Ultraviolet , Morrell moved to London and joined Crouch End Festival Chorus. [10] She remained in the UK for much of the 2010s, periodically returning to New Zealand, including to reunite with Goldenhorse for a one-off performance in 2016. [11]
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Morrell began writing new solo material, encouraged after a friend told her she had "permission" to write. [8] [12] She began working with producer Clint Murphy, who has previously worked with New Zealand artist Kimbra. [4] Recording took place in a studio in Hammersmith, London, and the album was further developed in Los Angeles by Geoff Maddock, Morrell's former partner and Goldenhorse band mate. [2] Morrell then returned to New Zealand to finalise the album. [2] Other collaborators on the album include former band mate Ben King of Goldenhorse performing the banjo on "Harry", and Alan Gregg of The Mutton Birds performing bass. [4]
In an interview with RNZ, when asked about the meaning of the album name, Morrell jovially replied "it's a new element on the periodic table." [8] She has discussed the meaning of the songs on the album, stating they reflect past experiences and places she has visited; "Harry" relates to memories of her childhood in rural Cornwall, [4] "Avignon" refers to the Avignon bridge, [8] and "Strawberry Fool" is about rumination and trying to heal from crisis. [5]
In November 2023, a music video for the single "Strawberry Fool" was released, featuring AI-generated images of a woman in a strawberry field, cropped to a 9:16 aspect ratio. [13]
On 7 February 2025, a music video for "Avignon" was released. The production of the video was designed to be carbon neutral, based on the concept of sustainable film production, in accordance with British Standard 8909: 2011. The video cuts between two scenes, one of Morrell in a natural environment with flowers and water, and another of her dancing in a nightclub with a disco aesthetic and a nod to 1970s fashion. [14]
The full track listing and order is not currently known, but Morrell has released or performed five tracks in connection to the album so far.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Harry" | 2:37 |
2. | "Strawberry Fool" | 3:19 |
3. | "Avignon" | 3:12 |
4. | "Wishin' and a Hopin'" | |
5. | "Buddah (Forget You)" | 3:59 |
This list reflects known collaborators on the project so far. [4]